Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 6:28
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
28. After this signal deliverance Daniel’s gainsayers were silenced; and prosperity attended him through the rest of the reign of Darius, as well as in that of his successor Cyrus.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius – That is, to the end of his reign. It is fairly implied here that he was restored to his honors.
And in the reign of Cyrus the Persian – Cyrus the Great, the nephew and successor of Darius. For an account of Cyrus, see the note at Isa 41:2. How long during the reign of Cyrus Daniel prospered or lived is not said. During a part of the reign of Darius or Cyaxares, he was occupied busily in securing by his influence the welfare of his own people, and making arrangements for their return to their land; and his high post in the nation to which, under Divine Providence, he had doubtless been raised for this purpose, enabled him to render essential and invaluable service at the court. In the third year of Cyrus, we are informed Dan. 1012, he had a series of visions respecting the future history and sufferings of his nation to the period of their true redemption through the Messiah, as also a consolatory direction to himself to proceed calmly and peaceably to the end of his days, and then await patiently the resurrection of the dead, Dan 12:12-13. From that period the accounts respecting him are vague, confused, and even strange, and little or nothing is known of the time or circumstances of his death. Compare Introduction Section I.
From this chapter we may derive the following instructive
Practical Lessons
(1) We have an instance of what often occurs in the world – of envy on account of the excellency of others, and of the hoonours which they obtain by their talent and their worth, Dan 6:1-4. Nothing is more frequent than such envy, and nothing more common, as a consequence, than a determination to degrade those who are the subjects of it. Envy always seeks in some way to humble and mortify those who are distinguished. It is the pain, mortification, chagrin, and regret which we have at their superior excellence or prosperity, and this prompts us to endeavor to bring them down to our own level, or below it; to calumniate their characters; to hinder their prosperity; to embarrass them in their plans; to take up and circulate rumours to their disadvantage; to magnify their faults, or to fasten upon them the suspicion of crime. In the instance before us, we see the effect in a most guilty conspiracy against a man of incorruptible character; a man full in the confidence of his sovereign; a man eminently the friend of virtue and of God.
Envy will merit, as its shade, pursue;
But, like a shadow, proves the substance true.
– Popes Essay on Criticism.
Base envy withers at anothers joy,
And hates that excellence it cannot reach.
– Thomsons Seasons.
Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow,
Thou shalt not escape calumny.
– Shakespeare.
That thou art blamed shall not be thy defect,
For slanders mark was ever yet the fair:
So thou be good, slander doth yet approve
Thy worth the greater.
– Shakespeare.
(2) We have in this chapter Dan 6:4-9 a striking illustration of the nature and the evils of a conspiracy to ruin others. The plan here was deliberately formed to ruin Daniel – the best man in the realm – a man against whom no charge of guilt could be alleged, who had done the conspirators no wrong; who had rendered himself in no way amenable to the laws. A conspiracy is a combination of men for evil purposes; an agreement between two or more persons to commit some crime in concert, usually treason, or an insurrection against a government or state. In this case, it was a plot growing wholly out of envy or jealousy; a concerted agreement to ruin a good man, where no wrong had been done or could be pretended, and no crime had been committed. The essential things in this conspiracy, as in all other cases of conspiracy, were two:
(a) that the purpose was evil; and
(b) that it was to be accomplished by the combined influences of numbers. The means on which they relied, on the grounds of calculation on the success of their plot, were the following:
(1) that they could calculate on the unwavering integrity of Daniel – on his firm and faithful adherence to the principles of his religion in all circumstances, and in all times of temptation and trial; and
(2) that they could induce the king to pass a law, irrepealable from the nature of the case, which Daniel would be certain to violate, and to the penalty of which, therefore, he would be certainly exposed. Now in this purpose there was every element of iniquity, and the grossest conceivable wrong. There were combined all the evils of envy and malice; of perverting and abusing their influence over the king; of secrecy in taking advantage of one who did not suspect any such design; and of involving the king himself in the necessity of exposing the best man in his realm, and the highest officer of state, to the certain danger of death. The result however showed, as is often the case, that the evil recoiled on themselves, and that the very calamity overwhelmed them and their families which they had designed for another.
(3) We have here a striking instance of what often occurs, and what should always occur, among the friends of religion, that no occasion can be found against them except in regard to the law of their God – on the score of their religion, Dan 6:5. Daniel was known to be upright. His character for integrity was above suspicion. It was certain that there was no hope of bringing any charge against him that would lie, for any want of uprightness or honesty, for any failure in the discharge of the duties of his office, for any malversation in administering the affairs of the government, for any embezzlement of the public funds, or for any act of injustice toward his fellow-men. It was certain that his character was irreproachable on all these points; and it was equally certain that he did and would maintain unwavering fidelity in the duties of religion. Whatever consequences might follow from it, it was clear that they could calculate on his maintaining with faithfulness the duties of piety.
Whatever plot, therefore, could be formed against him on the basis either of his moral integrity or his piety, it was certain would be successful. But there was no hope in regard to the former, for no law could have been carried prohibiting his doing what was right on the subject of morals. The only hope, therefore, was in respect to his religion; and the main idea in their plot – the thing which constituted the basis of their plan was, that it was certain that Daniel would maintain his fidelity to his God irrspective of any consequences whatever. This certainty ought to exist in regard to every good man; every man professing religion. His character ought to be so well understood; his piety ought to be so firm, unwavering, and consistent, that it could be calculated on just as certainly as we calculate on the stability of the laws of nature, that he will be found faithful to his religious duties and obligations. There are such men, and the character of every man should be such. Then indeed we should know what to depend on in the world; then religion would be reapected as it should be.
(4) We may learn what is our duty when we are opposed in the exercise of our religion, or when we are in any way threatened with loss of office, or of property, on account of our religion, Dan 6:10. We are to persevere in the discharge of our religious duties, whatever may be the consequences. So far as the example of Daniel goes, this would involve two things:
(a) not to swerve from the faithful performance of duty, or not to be deterred from it; and
(b) not to change our course from any desire of display.
These two things were manifested by Daniel. He kept steadily on his way. He did not abridge the number of times of his daily devotion; nor, as far as appears, did he change the form or the length. He did not cease to pray in an audible voice; he did not give up prayer in the daytime, and pray only at night; he did not even close his windows; he did not take any precautions to pray when none were near; he did not withdraw into an inner chamber. At the same time, he made no changes in his devotion for the sake of ostentation. He did not open his windows before closed; he did not go into the street; he did not call around him his friends or foes to witness his devotions; he did not, as far as appears, either elevate his voice, or prolong his prayers, in order to attract attention, or to invite persecution. In all this he manifested the true spirit of religion, and set an example to men to be followed in all ages. Not by the loss of fame or money; by the dread of persecution, or contempt of death; by the threatenings of law or the fear of shame, are we to be deterred from the proper and the usual performance of our religious duties; nor by a desire to provoke persecution, and to win the crown of martyrdom, and to elicit applause, and to have our names blazoned abroad, are we to multiply our religious acts, or make an ostentatious display of them, when we are threatened, or when we know that our conduct will excite opposition. We are to ascertain what is right and proper; and then we are modestly and firmly to do it, no matter what may be the consequences. Compare Mat 5:16; Act 4:16-20; Act 5:29.
(5) We have, in the case of Darius, an instance of what often happens, the regret and anguish which the mind experiences in consequence of a rash act, when it cannot be repaired, Dan 6:14. The act of Darius in making the decree was eminently a rash one. It was done without deliberation at the suggestion of others, and probably under the influence of some very improper feeling – the desire of being esteemed as a god. But it had consequences which he did not foresee, consequences which, if he had foreseen them, would doubtless have prevented his giving a sanction to this iniquitous law. The state of mind which he experienced when he saw how the act involved the best officer in his government, and the best man in his realm, was just what might have been expected, and is an illustration of what often occurs. It was too late now to prevent the effects of the act; and his mind was overwhelmed with remorse and sorrow. He blamed himself for his folly; and he sought in vain for some way to turn aside the consequences which he now deplored. Such instances often occur.
(a) Many of our acts are rash. They are performed without deliberation; under the influence of improper passions; at the suggestion of others who would be thought to be our friends; and without any clear view of the consequences, or any concern as to what the result may be.
(b) As an effect, they often have consequences which we did not anticipate, and which would have deterred us in each instance had we foreseen them.
(c) They often produce reset and anguish when too late, and when we cannot prevent the evil. The train of evils which has been commenced it is now too late to retard or prevent, and they now inevitably come upon us. We can only stand and weep over the effects of our rashness and folly; and must now feel that if the evil is averted, it will be by the interposition of God alone.
(6) We have in this chapter an affecting instance of the evils which often arise in a human goovernment from the want of something like an atonement, Dan 6:14, following As has been remarked in the notes, cases often arise when it is desirable that pardon should be extended to the violators of law See the notes at Dan 6:14. In such cases, some such arrangement as that of an atonement, by which the honor of the law might be maintained, and at the same time the merciful feelings of an executive might be indulged, and the benevolent wishes of a community gratified, would remove difficulties which are now felt in every administration. The difficulties in the case, and the advantage which would arise from an atonement, may be seen by a brief reference to the circumstances of the case before us:
(a) the law was inexorable. It demanded punishment, as all law does, for no law in itself makes any provision for pardon. If it did, it would be a burlesque on all legislation. Law denounces penalty it does not pardon or show mercy. It has become necessary indeed to lodge a pardoning power with some man entrusted with the administration of the laws, but the pardon is not extended by the law itself.
(b) The anxiety of the king in the case is an illustration of what often occurs in the administration of law, for, as above observed, there are cases where, on many accounts, it would seem to be desirable that the penalty of the law should not be inflicted. Such a case was that of Dr. Dodd, in London, in which a petition, signed by thirty thousand names, was presented, praying for the remission of the penalty of death. Such a case was that of Major Andre, when Washington shed tears at the necessity of signing the death-warrant of so young and so accomplished an officer. Such cases often occur, in which there is the deepest anxiety in the bosom of an executive to see if there is not some way by which the infliction of the penalty of the law may be avoided.
(c) Yet there was in the case of Darius no possibility of a change, and this too is an illustration of what often occurs. The law was inexorable. It could not be repealed. So now there are instances where the penalty of law cannot be avoided consistently with the welfare of a community. Punishment must be inflicted, or all law become a nullity. An instance of this kind was that of Dr. Dodd. He was convicted of forgery. So important had it been deemed for the welfare of a commercial community that that crime should be prevented, that no one ever had been pardoned for it, and it was felt that no one should be. Such an instance was that of Major Andre. The safety and welfare of the whole army, and the success of the cause, seemed to demand that the offence should not go unpunished.
(d) Yet there are difficulties in extending pardon to the guilty;
(1) if it is done at all, it always does so much to weaken the strong arm of the law, and if often done, it makes law a nullity; and
(2) if it is never done, the law seems stern and inexorable, and the finer feelings of our nature, and the benevolent wishes of the community, are disregarded.
(e) These difficulties are obviated by an atonement. The things which are accomplished in the atonement made under the Divine government, we think, so far as this point is concerned, and which distinguishes pardon in the Divine administration from pardon everywhere else, relieving it from all the embarrassments felt in other governments, are the following:
(1) There is the utmost respect paid to the law. It is honored
(aa) in the personal obedience of the Lord Jesus, and
(bb) in the sacrifice which he made on the cross to maintain its dignity, and to show that it could not be violated with impunity – more honored by far than it would be by the perfect obedience of man himself, or by its penalty being borne by the sinner.
(2) Pardon can be offered to any extent, or to any number of offenders. All the feelings of benevolence and mercy can be indulged and gratified in the most free manner, for now that an atonement is made, all proper honor has been shown to the law and to the claims of justice, and no interest will suffer though the most ample proclamation of pardon is issued. There is but one government in the universe that can safely to itself make an unlimited offer of pardon – that is, the government of God. There is not a human government that could safely make the offer which we meet everywhere in the Bible, that all offences may be forgiven: that all violators of law may be pardoned. If such a proclamation were made, there is no earthly administration that could hope to stand; no community which would not soon become the prey of lawless plunder and robbery. The reason, and the sole reason, why it can be done in the Divine administration is, that an atonement has been made by which the honor of the law has been secured, and by which it is shown that, while pardon is extended to all, the law is to be honored, and can never be violated with impunity.
(3) The plan of pardon by the atonement secures the observance of the law on the part of those who are pardoned. This can never be depended on when an offender against human laws is pardoned, and when a convict is discharged from the penitentiary. So far as the effect of punishment, or any influence from the act of pardon is concerned, there is no security that the pardoned convict will not, as his first act, force a dwelling or commit murder. But in the case of all who are pardoned through the atonement, it is made certain that they will be obedient to the laws of God, and that their lives will be changed from sin to holiness, from disobedience to obedience. This has been secured by incorporating into the plan a provision by which the heart shall be changed before pardon is granted: not as the ground or reason of pardon, but as essential to it. The heart of the sinner is renewed by the Holy Spirit, and he becomes in fact obedient, and is disposed to lead a life of holiness. Thus every hinderance which exists in a human government to pardon is removed in the Divine administration; the honor of law is secured; the feelings of benevolence are gratified, and the sinner becomes obedient and holy.
(7) We have in this chapter Dan 6:16 an instance of the confidence which wicked men are constrained to express in the true God. Darius had no doubt that the God whom Daniel served was able to protect and deliver him. The same may be said now. Wicked men know that it is safe to trust in God; that he is able to save his friends; that there is more security in the ways of virtue than in the ways of sin; and that when human help fails, it is proper to repose on the Almighty arm. There is a feeling in the human heart that they who confide in God are safe, and that it is proper to rely on his arm; and even a wicked father will not hesitate to exhort a Christian son or daughter to serve their God faithfully, and to confide in him in the trials and temptations of life. Ethan Allen, of Vermont, distinguished in the American revolution, was an infidel. His wife was an eminent Christian. When he was about to die, he was asked which of the two he wished his son to imitate in his religious views – his father or his mother. He replied, His mother.
(8) The righteous may look for the Divine protection and favor Dan 6:22; that is, it is an advantage in this world of danger, and temptation, and trial, to be truly religious; or, in other words, those who are righteous may confidently expect the Divine interposition in their behalf. It is, indeed, a question of some difficulty, but of much importance, to what extent, and in what forms we are authorized now to look for the Divine interposition in our behalf, or what is the real benefit of religion in this world, so far as the Divine protection is concerned; and on this point it seems not inappropriate to lay down a few principles that may be of use, and that may be a proper application of the passage before us to our own circumstances:
(A) There is then a class of Scripture promises that refer to such protection, and that lead us to believe that we may look for the Divine interference in favor of the righteous, or that there is, in this respect, an advantage in true religion. In support of this, reference may be made to the following, among other passages of Scripture: Psa 34:7, Psa 34:17-22; Psa 55:22; Psa 91:1-8; Isa 43:1-2; Luk 12:6-7; Heb 1:14; Heb 13:5-6.
(B) In regard to the proper interpretation of these passages, or to the nature and extent of the Divine interposition, which we may expect in behalf of the righteous, it may be remarked.
I. That we are not to expect now the following things:
(a) The Divine interposition by miracle. It is the common opinion of the Christian world that the age of miracles is past; and certainly there is nothing in the Bible that authorizes us to expect that God will now interpose for us in that manner. It would be a wholly illogical inference, however, to maintain that there never has been any such interposition in behalf of the righteous; since a reason may have existed for such an interposition in former times which may not exist now.
(b) We are not authorized to expect that God will interpose by sending his angels visibly to protect and deliver us in the day of peril. The fair interpretation of those passages of Scripture which refer to that subject, as Psa 34:7; Heb 1:14, does not require us to believe that there will be such interposition, and there is no evidence that such interposition takes place. This fact, however, should not be regarded as proof, either
(1) that no such visible interposition has ever occurred in former times – since it in no way demonstrates that point; or
(2) that the angels may not interpose in our behalf now, though to us invisible. For anything that can be proved to the contrary, it may still be true that the angels may be, invisibly, ministering spirits to those who shall be heirs of salvation, and that they may be sent to accompany the souls of the righteous on their way to heaven, as they were to conduct Lazarus to Abrahams bosom, Luk 16:22.
(c) We are not authorized to expect that God will set aside the regular laws of nature in our behalf – that he will thus interpose for us in regard to diseases, to pestilence, to storms, to mildew, to the ravages of the locust or the caterpillar – for this would be a miracle and all the interposition which we are entitled to expect must be consistent with the belief that the laws of nature will be regarded.
(d) We are not authorized to expect that the righteous will never be overwhelmed with the wicked in calamity – that in an explosion on a steam-boat, in a shipwreck, in fire or flood, in an earthquake or in the pestilence, they will not be cut down together. To suppose that God would directly interpose in behalf of his people in such cases, would be to suppose that there would be miracles still, and there is nothing in the Bible, or in the facts that occur, to justify such an expectation.
II. The Divine interposition which we are authorized to expect, may be referred to under the following particulars:
(a) All events, great and small, are under the control of the God who loves righteousness – the God of the righteous. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without his notice; not an event happens without his permission. If, therefore, calamity comes upon the righteous, it is not because the world is without control; it is not because God could not prevent it; it must be because he sees it best that it should be so.
(b) There is a general course of events that is favorable to virtue and religion; that is, there is a state of things on earth which demonstrates that there is a moral government over men. The essence of such a government, as Bishop Butler (Analogy) has shown, is, that virtue, in the course of things, is rewarded as virtue, and that vice is punished as vice. This course of things is so settled and clear as to show that God is the friend of virtue and religion, and the enemy of vice and irreligion – that is, that under his administration, the one, as a great law, has a tendency to promote happiness; the other to produce misery. But if so, there is an advantage in being righteous; or there is a Divine interposition in behalf of the righteous.
(c) There are large classes of evils which a man will certainly avoid by virtue and religion, and those evils are among the most severe that afflict mankind. A course of virtue and religion will make it certain that those evils will never come upon him or his family. Thus, for example, by so simple a thing as total abstinence from intoxicating drinks, a man will certainly avoid all the evils that afflict the drunkard – the poverty, disease, disgrace, wretchedness, and ruin of body and soul which are certain to follow from intemperance. By chastity, a man will avoid the woes that come, in the righteous visitation of God, on the debauchee, in the form of the most painful and loathsome of the diseases that afflict our race. By integrity a man will avoid the evils of imprisonment for crime, and the disgrace which attaches to its committal. And by religion – pure religion – by the calmness of mind which it produces – the confidence in God; the cheerful submission to his will; the contentment which it causes, and the hopes of a better world which it inspires, a man will certainly avoid a large class of evils which unsettle the mind, and which fill with wretched victims the asylums for the insane.
Let a man take up the report of an insane asylum, and ask what proportion of its inmates would have been saved from so fearful a malady by true religion; by the calmness which it produces in trouble; by its influence in moderating the passions and restraining the desires; by the acquiescence in the will of God which it produces, and he will be surprised at the number which would have been saved by it from the dreadful evils of insanity. As an illustration of this, I took up the Report of the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane, for the year 1850, which happened to be lying before me, and looked to see what were the causes of insanity in regard to the inmates of the asylum, with a view to the inquiry what proportion of them would probably have been saved from it by the proper influence of religion. Of 1599 patients whose cases were referred to, I found the following, a large part of whom, it may be supposed, would have been saved from insanity if their minds had been under the proper influence of the gospel of Christ, restraining them from sin, moderating their passions, checking their desires, and giving them calmness and submission in the midst of trouble:
| Intemperance | 95 |
| Loss of property | 72 |
| Dread of poverty | 2 |
| Intense study | 19 |
| Domestic difficulties | 48 |
| Grief for the loss of friends | 77 |
| Intense application to business | 3 |
| Religious excitement | 61 |
| Want of employment | 24 |
| Mortified pride | 3 |
| Use of opium and tobacco | 10 |
| Mental anxiety | 77 |
(d) There are cases where God seems to interpose in behalf of the righteous directly, in answer to prayer, in times of sickness, poverty, and danger – raising them up from the borders of the grave; providing for their wants in a manner which appears to be as providential as when the ravens fed Elijah, and rescuing them from danger. There are numerous such cases which cannot be well accounted for on any other supposition than that God does directly interpose in their behalf, and show them these mercies because they are his friends. These are not miracles. The purpose to do this was a part of the original plan when the world was made, and the prayer and the interposition are only the fulfilling of the eternal decree.
(e) God does interpose in behalf of his children in giving them support and consolation; in sustaining them in the time of trial; in upholding them in bereavement and sorrow, and in granting them peace as they go into the valley of the shadow of death. The evidence here is clear, that there is a degree of comfort and peace given to true Christians in such seasons, and given in consequence of their religion, which is not granted to the wicked, and to which the devotees of the world are strangers. And if these things are so, then it is clear that there is an advantage in this life in being righteous, and that God does now interpose in the course of events, and in the day of trouble, in behalf of his friends.
(9) God often overrules the malice of men to make himself known, and constrains the wicked to acknowledge him, Dan 6:25-27. Darius, like Nebuchadnezzar, was constrained to acknowledge him as the true God, and to make proclamation of this throughout his vast empire. So often, by his providence, God constrains the wicked to acknowledge him as the true God, and as ruling in the affairs of men. His interpositions are so apparent; his works are so vast; the proofs of his administration are so clear; and he so defeats the counsels of the wicked, that they cannot but feel that he rules, and they cannot but acknowledge and proclaim it. It is in this way that from age to age God is raising up a great number of witnesses even among the wicked to acknowledge his existence, and to proclaim the great truths of his government; and it is in this way, among others, that he is constraining the intellect of the world to bow before him. Ultimately all this will be so clear, that the intellect of the world will acknowledge it, and all kings and people will see, as Darius did, that he is the living God, and steadfast forever, and his kingdom what shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be unto the end.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Dan 6:28
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Daniel
The prosperity of this noble ruler clearly appears from the whole history of his life. Such another instance of long and increasing prosperity in public life, we presume to say, cannot be found in the whole history of man. Successful men has always been revered as well as admired. The Greeks and Romans held those in high estimation who appeared to enjoy the peculiar smiles of the invisible powers. What extraordinary qualities did Daniel possess, which mutually conspired to promote his prosperity in the management of public affairs? This prosperous and excellent ruler possessed
I. SUPERIOR POWERS OF MIND. The Father of spirits has been pleased to display the same sovereignty in the bestowment of intellectual faculties, as in the bestowment of inferior favours. The minds of different men are differently constituted. In Daniel the various natural powers were equally strong and well-proportioned. His quick apprehension and retentive memory were happily united with a strong and penetrating judgment. He acquired knowledge with the greatest ease and rapidity. He was able to excel in every branch of science to which he turned his attention.
II. A LARGE SHARE OF GENERAL INFORMATION, WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO FORM HIM A GREAT AND SUCCESSFUL POLITICIAN. Civil government is extremely complicated and extensive, both in theory and practice. No species of human knowledge is foreign to the business of a statesman, who needs to be universally acquainted with men and things. And he had the best sources of information in his own hands, the sacred books of divine inspiration.
III. EXTRAORDINARY WISDOM. Before he was thirty, his eminent wisdom was universally known and celebrated, not only through the empire, but through all the neighbouring nations. Wisdom is a term of various and extensive meaning; it includes not only invention, but foresight and sagacity.
IV. DANIEL WAS A. MAN OF INVINCIBLE FIRMNESS. This was but the natural effect of his wisdom. He was able to think for himself, to form his own opinions, and to comprehend the nature and tendency of his own designs. This confidence inspired him with irresistible vigour and fortitude, in the prosecution of all his public measures.
V. DANIEL WAS A PATTERN OF INVIOLABLE INTEGRITY. He always aimed to do justice, and to treat every man according to the eternal rule of right. As a ruler, he acted upon principle, in guarding the lives, properties, and characters of his subjects. He derived his moral sentiments from the pure source of divine inspiration. The promotion of justice is the ultimate object of every branch of civil government. The exercise of justice is the indispensable duty of all civil rulers. Fidelity in civil rulers is, of all other virtues, the most acceptable to the people, who universally feel its happy influence in every condition of life. Aristides among the Greeks, Cato among the Romans, and Daniel among the Jews, will be for ever celebrated for their incorruptible integrity.
VI. NOTE DANIELS EMINENT PIETY AND DEVOTION. His religion was neither a glowing enthusiasm, nor a gloomy superstition; but a pure and steady principle of universal benevolence. He gave God the supreme affection of his heart; and was neither afraid nor ashamed to profess the true religion, in the midst of a country and a court that were involved in the grossest idolatry. He walked within his house with a perfect heart, and every day called upon God at the head of his family. The first thing suggested by this excellent character is, that great and good rulers are worthy of the highest respect. Who can contemplate the pious, virtuous, and useful life of Daniel, without paying him the sincere homage of the heart? All civil rulers of the same character are equally objects of the highest veneration and regard. The life of Daniel also admonishes civil rulers how much they are capable of doing, to promote the religious as well as civil interests of the people. We may learn, also, that those who sit in the highest seats of government, have no excuse to neglect the profession and practice of vital piety. Real religion is necessary on their own account, as well as on account of those who live under the influence of their powerful example. The faith and piety of Daniel reprove the ignorance and presumption of those politicians who profess and propagate the principles of infidelity. Also learn, that civil rulers had no occasion for the use of art or intrigue in any of their public measures. Those who conduct the intricate affairs of government ought to be wise and prudent, but they should never be artful or designing. And it may further be remarked that civil rulers have sufficient encouragement to be faithful in the discharge of all their public duties. Daniel found, by happy experience, that honesty was the best policy. (N. Emmons, D.D.)
Daniels Steadfast Piety
The lives of eminent men are a subject which seldom fails to fix the attention. The admiration excited by their talents and their virtues is a pleasing sentiment; our curiosity is gratified by marking the steps of their fortune; our views are enlarged by tracing the effects of their conduct, and our heart is made better by contemplating the generous principles from which their actions proceeded. No person introduced in scripture is more illustrious than Daniel.
I. THE WISDOM OF DANIEL IS THE FIRST FEATURE IN HIS CHARACTER. That subordination and mutual subserviency which is the best cement of society, arises from the variety in the kinds and measures of wisdom which individuals possess; and the extraordinary degrees of it which raise some men above the rest of their species, are ordained of God to be the blessing or the scourge of the times in which they live. To Daniel was given to understand the secret things which belong to the Lord, and which are wisely and graciously hidden from all except those in whom it pleaseth the Father to reveal them.
1. This wisdom of Daniel was of use to the Jews.
2. To the Babylonians the wisdom of Daniel demonstrated the sovereignty of the true God.
3. To the world, the wisdom of Daniel opens a series of prophecies of general importance.
II. THE PIETY OF DANIEL IS THE OTHER FEATURE OF HIS CHARACTER. By applying this word to express the moral character of Daniel, I mean to intimate that the principles which animated his conduct, are discriminated from a peculiar temperature of constitution, from a sense of honour, from a regard to the opinion of the world, from all the other circumstances which produce the morality of those men who have not the fear of God before their eyes. The word piety marks the sentiment of religion as the support of his integrity, the spring of his exertions, the source of his comfort and hope, the companion and the quickener of every good affection in the breast. Wisdom and piety are not always joined. Daniel confessed upon every occasion, that the superiority of his knowledge was derived from that God who revealeth secrets. The innocence of his life is mentioned with honour by the Jewish writers. Scripture classes him with Noah and Job.
1. The manner in which the piety of Daniel was displayed.
(1) He performed with alacrity the business of his station.
(2) He did not make any sacrifice of his principles.
2. The manner in which the piety of Daniel was rewarded. Were piety in every instance overwhelmed by suffering, our faith in that which is future and unseen might be shaken, and many would be tempted to say that it is vain to serve God. Daniels reward was not less eminent than his piety.
(1) Was distinguished by the protection of Heaven.
(2) Daniel was distinguished by the respect of men.
Learn from this example to despise the truckling, time-serving manners of those who shift their principles according to circumstances, and who make it the study of their lives to accommodate their discourse and their actions to the wishes of other men. Dare to be honest; and let your conversation in the world be in simplicity and godly sincerity. Follow the piety of Daniel, who, in all the changes which he saw, did his duty, and held fast his integrity. Do not expect, however, that the general goodwill which you may attain, will never meet with any interruption. You may experience the effects of that rivalship and envy which animated the breasts of those who sought to find occasion against the blameless Daniel. If you have a conscience void of offence, the favour of heaven will furnish you with a shield which all the shafts of malice shall not pierce. (H. Hill, D.D.)
How Daniel Prospered
His temporal prosperity comes clearly and manifestly from his spiritual fidelity. We profess Daniels faith; only, with this difference, that we ought really to have a more open vision of God and the verities of eternity than Daniel had. For heaven has been more widely opened since his day to the open eye of a believers soul. Notice that when once a man, especially a young man in a great city like this, gives his heart, his destiny, openly, unreservedly, into the hands of a covenant God, his life enters into a wonderful simplicity. Then you have only one thing to do. Blow high or low, come rain or shine, whatever be the circumstances in which you are placed, there is only one thing to be done–and that is in all to keep yourself true to God. Sailing across seas of time and sin to Gods haven in eternity is the plainest sailing. You have simply all the time to keep on the one tack and set the bow the one way. Look at this narrative. There is a man here whose life is threatened. He was the best hated man in the city, and those who hated him were not fools. They baited the trap so skilfully that even King Darius jumped at it, and Darius was no fool either, but they fooled him. They put Darius in a trap. They failed to put Daniel in one. When he knew that the writing was signed, and he knew that if he prayed his enemies would be listening, he just went on praying as aforetime. It is not otherwise with us than it was with Daniel. The world still says, We could put up with those Christians well enough if it were not for their Christianity. These men got to see that Daniel was the man he was because he was true to his God. They saw that God was the strength of his mind, as well as the name upon his tongue in worship. A Christian has only one thing to do. Forgetting the things that are behind, to reach forth unto those that are before, and he must disregard everything that comes against him as he seeks in the way of whole-hearted consecration to live for God and for eternity, and to do his duty in the world, making God his mark, way and end, and being utterly done with self pleasing. This Daniel was a manor prayer. But Daniel was a busy man. He really had the government upon his shoulders. Yet this man found time three times a day to kneel and pray to the God of heaven. And the best method for the working of a heavy business, for getting through a heavy days work, is to be a man of prayer. This principle of prayer–this fixed habit of communion with God–is like the policeman at a busy crossing. In his prayer Daniel gave thanks. Think of that! Think of that hunted, badgered, persecuted man on that critical day going in before his God, and saying, My God, I thank thee! If you give your heart to Jesus Christ, you will never be without cause of thankfulness. The man who fears God only need have no other fear . . . But suppose the lions had killed Daniel. What then? He still would have work. They never fail who die in a great cause. If you are wholehearted towards God, there is no defeat. See John the Baptist. Because he was faithful to God and conscience, his head rolled off the block into the basket. But he did not fail. There is no reverse, there is no possible disaster in any true sense, to the man who, like Daniel, has just one thing to do–to kneel down upon his knees in the high and awful crisis of his history to give thanks to God. (John McNeill.)
.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 28. So this Daniel prospered] He had served five kings: Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-merodach, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus. Few courtiers have had so long a reign, served so many masters without flattering any, been more successful in their management of public affairs, been so useful to the states where they were in office, or have been more owned of God, or have left such an example to posterity.
Where shall we find ministers like Samuel and Daniel? None so wise, so holy, so disinterested, so useful, have ever since appeared in the nations of the earth.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
See Dan 1:21. Who was after Dariuss death, who was called, say some, Nabonnedus. Daniel continued all this time in great honour.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
28. It was in the third year ofCyrus that Daniel’s visions (Da10:1-12:13) were given. Daniel “prospered” because ofhis prophecies (Ezr 1:1; Ezr 1:2).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius,…. This Daniel, of whom so much has been said all the preceding chapters, and who had been so lately and so wonderfully delivered from the lions’ den, the same flourished throughout the reign of Darius the Mede; continued a favourite with the king; retained his honour and dignity; and kept his posts and places of trust and profit. Darius the Mede reigned two years; though Jarchi says he reigned but one, and was slain in war; for which he refers to Joseph ben Gorion, who has not a word of it.
And in the reign of Cyrus the Persian; who, as Jacchiades says, was the son-in-law of Darius, and inherited the kingdom after him; which is true, for he married the daughter of Cyaxares or Darius who was his uncle, and succeeded him as sole monarch of the empire: he reigned with him the two years he had the government of the Babylonish monarchy; and when he died, it solely devolved on him, who reigned seven years after, as Xenophon s relates; but the canon of Ptolemy ascribes nine years to his reign, which includes the two years he was partner with Darius. Daniel was in the same favour with this prince as the former, who in the first year of his reign proclaimed liberty to the Jews to return to their country, and build their temple; whether Daniel lived throughout his reign is not certain; he was alive in the third year of it, as appears from Da 10:1, some take Darius and Cyrus to be one and the same person, and render this last clause as explanative of the former, “even”, or, “that is, in the reign of Cyrus the Persian” t.
s Cyropaedia, l. 8. c 45. t Vid Nicolai Abram. Pharus Vet. Test. l. 12. c. 24. p. 338.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The word צלח, tzelech, properly signifies to “pass over,” and the signification is here metaphorical, in the sense of being prosperous. There is no doubt, however, of there being a silent contrast between the kingdom of the Persians and the Chaldean monarchy, that is, to speak more concisely and clearly, between the twofold condition of Daniel. For, as we have said, he was for some time in obscurity under Nebuchadnezzar; when this monarchy was about to perish he became conspicuous; and throughout the whole period of the reign of the Chaldeans he was obscure and contemptible. All indeed had heard of him as a remarkable and illustrious Prophet, but he was rejected from the palace. At one time he was seated at the king’s gate, in great honor and respect, and then again he was cast out. During the continuance of the Chaldee monarchy, Daniel was not held in any esteem; but under that of the Medes and Persians he prospered, and was uniformly treated with marked respect, for Cyrus and Darius were not so negligent as instantly to forget the wonderful works of God performed by his hand. Hence the word “passing through,” pleases me, since, as I have said, it is a mark of the continual possession of honor; for not only King Darius, but also Cyrus exalted him and raised him into the number of his nobles, when he heard of his favor. It is clear that he left Babylon and went elsewhere. Very probably he was not long among the Medes, for Darius or Cyaxares died without any heirs, and then his whole power passed to Cyrus alone, who was his nephew, through his sister, and his son-in-law being his daughter’s husband. No doubt, Daniel here commends God’s favor and kindness towards himself, because this was not the usual solace of exile, to obtain the highest favor among foreign and barbarous nations, or attain the largest share of their honor and reverence. God, therefore, alleviated his sorrow by this consolation in his exile. Hence Daniel here not only regards himself in his private capacity, but also the object of his dignity. For God wished his name to be spread abroad and celebrated over all those regions through which Daniel was known, since no one could behold without remembering the power and glory of Israel’s God. Daniel, therefore, wished to mark this. On the other hand also, no doubt, it was a matter of grief to him to be deprived of his country, not like the rest of mankind, but because the land of Canaan was the peculiar inheritance of God’s people. When Daniel was snatched away and led off to a distance, as far as Media and Persia, without the slightest hope of return, there is no doubt that he suffered continual distress. Nor was the splendor of his station among the profane of such importance as to induce him to prefer it to that pledge of God’s favor and paternal adoption in the land of Canaan. He had doubtless inscribed on his heart that passage of David’s,
“
I had rather be in the court of the Lord, than in the midst of the greatest riches of the ungodly: then, I had rather be a despised one in the house of God, than to dwell in the tents of the unrighteous.” (Psa 84:10.)
Thus Daniel had been taught. Ezekiel, too, properly includes him among the three most holy men who have lived since the beginning of the world. (Eze 14:14.) (320) This was of the greatest moment; for when he was a youth, or at least but middle aged, he was joined with Job and Noah, and was the third in rare and almost incredible sanctity! Since this was his character, he was no doubt affected with the greatest sorrow when he perceived himself subject to perpetual exile, without the slightest hope of return, and of being able to worship God in his temple and to offer sacrifice with the rest. But lest he should be ungrateful to God, he desires to express his sense of the uncommon benevolence with which, though an exile and a stranger, and subject to reproach among other captives, he was treated and even honored among the Medes and Persians. This, therefore, is the simple meaning of the passage. It is quite clear, as I have lately said, that Cyrus, after the death of Darius, succeeded to the whole monarchy; and we shall afterwards see in its proper place how Daniel dwelt with Cyrus, who reigned almost thirty years longer. Thus, a long time intervened between his death and that of Darius. This, therefore, did not occur without the remarkable counsel of God, since the change in the kingdom did not influence the position of Daniel, as it usually does. For new empires we know to be like turning the world upside down. But Daniel always retained his rank, and thus God’s goodness was displayed in him, and wherever he went he carried with him this testimony of God’s favor. I shall not proceed further, as we shall discuss a new prophecy to-morrow.
(320) See Dissertation, Number 25, at the close of this Volume.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(28) So this Daniel.The first part of the book, which terminates here, concludes with a notice similar to that in Dan. 2:48; Dan. 3:30. The history of Daniel and of the three holy children has thus far been traced in its relation to their work amongst the people in the midst of whom they were living as exiles. We have seen the purpose of the miracles which God wrought in behalf of His servants, all tending to exalt Him in the eyes of the Gentiles. The second part of the book, which begins with Daniel 7, speaks of the future destinies of the kingdoms of the world in relation to the kingdom of God. The whole of this remaining section presents to us a series of revelations supplementary to that which was recorded in Dan. Ii.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
28. See note Dan 1:21. There is shown here no false idea of the succession of kings, as Prince and others claim, providing “Darius the Mede” be Gubaru. [See Introduction, III, 3, (5). For Medes and Persians see Dan 2:39-42; Dan 7:5.] It has long been felt that this verse could not have been written by the ancient Daniel. Von Gall (1895) thinks that perhaps Ezra added it, but this is a dangerous hypothesis in view of recent researches (Introduction, II, 4, 7). The most ancient Persian sculpture known, carved probably by a Greek artist, is the full-length portrait of this famous king in bas-relief. His face is distinctly European; his head, as also a little statuette held in his hand, is surrounded by Egyptian uraei; his body is furnished with wings like the Assyrian genii. (Compare Dan 3:2.) Several inscriptions of Cyrus and his immediate successors are found written in three languages Assyrian, Persian, and what is probably Median. The pythoness of Delphi had prophesied that Cyrus would vanquish Croesus (B.C. 554):
When Media’s king shall be a mule Soft-footed Lydian by the foal
Of pebbly Hermos fly nor stay
Nor dread the coward’s name that do.
Herod., 1: 55.
He was probably looked upon as a “mule” because he was the offspring of the Persian or Elamite king, Cambyses, by his Median wife. Whether or not Cyrus was by blood a Persian, he certainly does call himself in his inscriptions “King of Persia,” which is all that this verse demands. Both the Babylonians and the Hebrews welcomed the rule of this strong but kindly king,
Who came, by gifted eye descried afar,
Monarch of men and thunderbolt of war.
Earl of Carlisle.
For further particulars regarding Cyrus see Introduction, III, 3, (6), and for his “religion” see Journal American Oriental Society, 1901, pp. 160-184, etc.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, even in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.’
Here the writer first refers to the king under whom Daniel prospered, and then to his overlord, Cyrus the Persian. This dating in the name of two contemporary kings is well testified to in inscriptions and records around that time. (Whether they are contemporary or successive kings cannot be determined from the text, which is neutral in this regard, and it would be dishonest to suggest otherwise on either side).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Dan 6:28. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, &c. These two reigns are clearly distinguished. Daniel was in honour successively under the reign of five princes, Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-merodach, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus.
We cannot read this chapter, without admiring the zeal and integrity of Daniel; who, religious and devout in the midst of prosperity, continues unshaken in his principles in the greatest danger: no way intimidated by the king’s edict, he continues to worship his God, and that in the most public manner, without respect to the peril whereto he was thus exposed; lest, if he had done it in secret, he might be thought to dissemble his faith, and obey the king’s command. Though ostentation and affectation in religious duties are on every account to be condemned; yet, on such trying occasions, we are bound to make the most public profession of our faith, without the least dissimulation, and without betraying our consciences through the fear of men. It is to be observed, that Darius was weak enough to consent to Daniel’s death, though he believed him to be innocent. God did not think fit to deliver his servant by means of the king, but suffered him to be cast into the den of lions, because he designed to make his deliverance the most conspicuous possible. The Scripture says, that Daniel was thus preserved, “because “innocency was found in him, and he believed in his “God:” a glorious reward of his fidelity, and a noble triumph of that faith, which, when true, is always victorious. The solemn acknowledgment which the king made of the majesty of the true God engages us to adore the goodness, justice, and omnipotence of the Lord, to publish his marvellous works, and to admire the ways of his providence; who made use of this king’s edict, of Nebuchadnezzar’s, and that of several other heathen princes, to make his name and glory known among those idolatrous nations.
REFLECTIONS.1st, Daniel had been highly advanced by Belshazzar; and on a reverse of government he might have expected a reverse of station; but it happened quite otherwise.
1. He is preferred to the first post in the kingdom by the new emperor Darius, who probably had heard of his predictions and uncommon wisdom, and was glad to have so great a man to employ under him. In the new distribution of the empire into one hundred and twenty provinces, under the care of so many princes, three presidents were appointed to inspect the conduct of these governors, and their accounts: of these Daniel was chief. His excellent spirit was his commendation to Darius; and so well satisfied was he of his abilities and integrity, that he meditated his farther advancement, designing as viceroy to set him over the whole realm. Daniel must now be very aged, it being above seventy years since he was carried captive to Babylon; but his natural force, it seems, was not abated, and his experience was increased. It was a proof of the wisdom of Darius to make such a choice; and it was a noble testimony to the uprightness of the minister, that no fault was to be found in him. Happy the nation blessed with such wise princes, and upright ministers.
2. His greatness naturally provoked the enmity of the courtiers, who, though his merit stood confessed, could not bear to see a foreigner, a Jew, a captive, thus preferred before them. Thus will superior excellence, however spotless the character, awaken the malignant passions of the corrupted heart. They eyed him with malicious acuteness, and hoped, but hoped in vain, to find some flaw in his management, which might afford a handle for accusation. Despairing at last of being able to attack him on account of his civil conduct, they can think of no method of ruining him, unless it be on account of his religion. Note; (1.) It is an honourable testimony when even enemies own our integrity, and, except concerning the law of our God, have no evil thing justly to say of us. (2.) The more the eyes of malignant observers are fixed upon us, the more careful should we be in the minutest particulars to walk circumspectly, and cut off occasion from those that desire occasion against us. (3.) Our fidelity to God will often expose us to the persecution of the world; but when we thus suffer, we need be neither afraid nor ashamed.
2nd, Since there was no probability of finding matter of accusation against Daniel but on account of his religion, and no law then in being seems to have restrained him from worshipping God in his own way, they craftily contrive a new one to ensnare him.
1. They make a solemn application to Darius for his approbation of a new edict, which seemed indeed to contain in it an uncommon respect for the king, but was really big with evils. They came in a body, and pretended it was the unanimous suffrage, after mature deliberation of all the presidents, &c., though probably many of the princes excepted to it, and all the presidents were but two; for Daniel, their chief, certainly consented not to it. But if the concurrence had been never so general, the matter of the request was utterly wrong, that no man should ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of the king, on penalty of being cast into the lions’ den. Had it only forbidden religious worship for so long a time, it had been highly impious; but to extend the prohibition to all civil requests between man and man, must have been to the highest degree inconvenient, absurd, and unreasonable: yet as it seemed to put such distinguished honour on the king, and set him in a sort even above the gods, this court to his pride blinded his reason, and he consents and seals the decree, then become unalterable by the law of the Medes and Persians. Note; (1.) The malicious care not what mischief is done, so their vile spirit be gratified; let dearest friends suffer, so the object of their enmity be but ruined. (2.) it is the unhappiness of kings, that they can hardly know the truth; and, compassed with flatterers, often are accessary to evils that they never meant. (3.) Pride is our weak side; when that is attacked by flattery, we had need double our guard.
2. Daniel persisted in his stated practice of devotion. Though he knew the decree was signed, and the penalty so fearful, he went as usual to his house, and prayed and gave thanks unto his God upon his knees three times a day, turning his face towards the temple, though in ruins, and hoping that God would remember its desolations, 1Ki 8:48-49.: nor did he seek concealment; his windows were open. Whatever precautions or excuses coward fear and selfish prudence might have dictated, he dared not submit to any thing which might dishonour God, disgrace his profession, or discourage his people: any suffering, or death itself, in his eyes was preferable to but the appearance of unfaithfulness. Note; (1.) In time of danger to be ashamed of Christ, or afraid to suffer for him, is the sure way to be disowned by him in the day of his appearing. (2.) What lukewarm Christians so carefully inculcate under the specious name of prudence, is for the most part base selfishness, and a treacherous betraying of the cause of God and truth. (3.) A gracious person cannot live a day without prayer and praise; and though he never kneels or sings to be seen or heard of men, he is never ashamed to be known to do so. (4.) Thrice a day Daniel prayed, notwithstanding all his occupations, and engagements: can we then have a plea for a less frequent attendance on the throne of grace?
3rdly, The snare was so laid, that it could not but succeed. Accordingly we have,
1. Daniel discovered acting in disobedience to the law. They knew, probably, his stated hours of devotion; and assembling tumultuously, as the word signifies, broke in upon him in the very act of prayer.
2. Without delay an impeachment is laid against him before the king. After having gained a recognition of the edict on which it was founded; they bring their accusation; and, not content with the proof of the fact, they seek by the manner of their charge to exasperate the king against him. They call Daniel one of the captivity of Judah; as if the despicable condition of his people, from among whom he had been preferred to such high honour, aggravated the crime of disobedience with ingratitude; and they insinuate that he did this in proud contempt of the king’s authority: He regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed. And thus is conscientious adherence to God in the way of duty still frequently branded as obstinacy and contempt of authority; but we believe that thou shalt come to judge the world.
3. Too late the king perceived the fatal tendency of this impious edict, and the malicious intent of those who proposed it; sore displeased at himself for what he had done, he set his heart to deliver Daniel from the penalty that he had incurred, and laboured all day by every means to persuade his accusers to drop the prosecution, but in vain. His enemies insist that the law must have its course, according to the fundamental maxim of their government; and, though with deep reluctance, Darius is compelled to order the execution of this venerable saint, this aged sage, this upright minister, for no real crime, but for doing that which was his highest honour, and worthy the greatest commendation. To make sure work, that no escape should be practicable, a ponderous stone is laid on the den’s mouth; and, as if the king’s signet thereon afforded not sufficient security, the lords added theirs also, to prevent all possibility of collusion. Thus the precautions taken to secure the body of Jesus rendered his resurrection more undeniable and notorious; so easily can God take the wise and malicious in their own craftiness.
4. The king encourages Daniel to trust in God. Thy God, whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee; since for no crime, but purely for fidelity to his God, he suffered, he was as able now to deliver him from the lions, as he had saved his servants of old from the devouring fire. Note; Let us but be faithful, and then we may safely trust our all with God.
4thly, We are told,
1. The melancholy night that Darius passed. He returned to his palace, overwhelmed with grief, vexation, and self-reproach: his appetite was gone, his ears incapable of relishing one cheerful note; fasting he passed the night, and sleepless waited in suspense the return of day. A troubled conscience puts a thorn even into a downy pillow.
2. At early dawn he springs from his bed; and, eager to know what he dreaded to ask, with a lamentable voice addresses the faithful sufferer, O Daniel, servant, &c. Some imagine that the king proposed this question as fluctuating between hope and despair; while others rather consider it as expressive of his astonishment and admiration, when, on the nearer approach to the den, and hearing Daniel’s voice, he perceived that he was yet alive.
3. Daniel, addressing the king, recounts his miraculous deliverance. He does not upbraid Darius with giving him up into the hand of his enemies, but expresses his warmest wishes for his prosperity, O king, live for ever! My God, in whom I trusted, hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me; and herein God bore testimony to his innocence. Nor could the king in conscience imagine that Daniel designed him either injury or affront in what he had done. Note; God will stand by his faithful people in the hour of temptation; and though their souls may be among lions, he can not only keep them safe, but make their consolations abound. Daniel in the den, with the presence of that heavenly visitant, was happier far than Darius in his palace.
4. Daniel is immediately discharged. The king, transported with joy, orders him to be taken out of the den, and not a blemish was found on him, so carefully had that God in whom he believed preserved him: nor shall any who boldly trust in him have ever reason to be ashamed of their confidence.
5. Daniel’s persecutors are justly consigned to that den from which he is delivered. Darius, now fully assured that it was from mere malice that they had accused him, will avenge the innocent blood which they meant to shed; and, by a fearful example of severity, to deter others from the like conspiracies, their wives and children share their fate: when, lo! these ravening lions, who mildly crouched at the prophet’s feet, with open mouths seized these miscreants as they fell, and broke all their bones ere they touched the bottom of the den. Note; God’s justice in this world is sometimes eminently seen in suffering the malicious to fall into the pit which they have digged for others.
5thly, Darius, exceedingly affected with the miracle,
1. Issues an edict throughout his kingdom, enjoining the highest reverence and veneration for Daniel’s God; that in all provinces of his empire men should tremble and fear before him; for he is the living God, self-existent, the author of life to all his creatures, and stedfast for ever, himself unchangeable and everlasting, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end; unlike the kingdoms of the world, it can neither be shaken by external violence, nor is subject to internal decay, but enduring as the days of eternity. He delivereth and rescueth his faithful from the deepest afflictions, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, controlling at his pleasure the course of nature; an eminent instance of which had now appeared; who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
2. Daniel is restored to all his former honours and dignity, and during this whole reign continued greatly in favour with the king: and his successor Cyrus shewed him the same respect: so wonderfully can God overrule the events which seemed most grievous, for our good; and make, if he pleases, a prison like Joseph’s, or a den of lions as Daniel’s, the means of our greatest prosperity.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
REFLECTIONS
READER! remark here how unremitting the malice of hell hath been of old, and continued from age to age, against Christ and his Church! When nothing could be found to ruin Daniel in his trust with men, such is the venom of hatred, that the attempt is made to poison his reputation in his dealings with God. Such hath been, and ever must be, the bitterness of the Esau’s against the children of promise. But how blessed is it to behold the grace of God in its actions, and on the hearts of God’s people! Oh! for the same spirit as actuated the soul of Daniel! The prohibition of men is nothing, when the fear of God possesseth the heart. Among the gods, said one of old, will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord! And so will every faithful follower of the Lord, though lions be in the way, and hell and destruction oppose. It will be a blessed improvement of this Chapter, if the heart both of Writer and Reader be led therefrom, to seek to the Lord for a portion of the same spirit as actuated the mind of Daniel. Precious Jesus! in thy bright example we behold how blessed it is, when bulls of Bastian set themselves against thy people all around, to lay hold by faith of thy strength and grace, and to be more than conquerors through thy power helping us. Oh! Lord! be thou my confidence all the day, so shall I be saved from the lions dens, and from the mountains of leopards: and my God will be mine everlasting strength and my glory.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Dan 6:28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Ver. 28. So this Daniel prospered. ] And still solicited the Church’s cause.
And in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
a One who covers himself with shame; an ill-behaved, disorderly, or dissolute fellow. D
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Dan 6:28
28 So this Daniel emjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Dan 6:28 in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian The footnote reading in the NIV Study Bible, of Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus, clearly shows that the Aramaic text (as well as the explicative waw usage in an epexegetical way) is capable of seeing these two kings as one in the same person (cf. Joyce G. Baldwin, Daniel, IVP, p. 132 and D. Winton Thomas, ed. Documents From Old Testament Times, p. 83).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
1. Was Darius a believer?
2. What lessons do we learn for our lives from Daniel 6?
3. Discuss the issue of guardian angels.
4. Discuss the concept of corporality.
5. Explain the theological significance of Dan 6:26.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Cyrus the Persian. The son of Darius the Mede. He is the young Darius, his father Astyages being the old Darius, “Darius” meaning “the Maintainer”. Compare Isa 45:1. See App-57.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Dan 6:28
Dan 6:28 So thisH1836 DanielH1841 prosperedH6744 in the reignH4437 of Darius,H1868 and in the reignH4437 of CyrusH3567 the Persian.H6543
Dan 6:28
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Dan 1:21 states that Daniel “continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus”. Looking back at verse 20 we saw that Daniel entered into public service at the end his initial three year training period in Babylon. Daniel continued in public service until the the first year of Cyrus the Persian, but he lived for some years after this. Daniel authored the last chapter of the book bearing his name in the third year of king Cyrus (Dan 11:1), providing he wrote the chapter the same year he received the vision. We do not know exactly when Daniel died, but if he were twelve years old when he was taken from Jerusalem, then he was in his nineties at this time. Daniel would never in his life get to worship God from the temple again. But he did live until the decree went forth from Cyrus to end the Babylonian captivity and release the Jews from their bondage to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
and in: Dan 1:21, 2Ch 36:22, 2Ch 36:23, Ezr 1:1, Ezr 1:2, Isa 44:28, Isa 45:1
Reciprocal: Isa 13:1 – of Babylon Dan 5:28 – Thy Dan 8:3 – one Dan 9:1 – Darius Dan 10:1 – Cyrus Zec 10:9 – sow
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 6:28. Strong defines prospered as, A primitive root; to push forward, in various senses (literally or figuratively, transitively or intransitively). Cyrus is called the Persian because the Darius named in the same connection was a Mede. The Persians also had kings with that name but they will come into the history of the empire after the events of this hook. This verse is intended as a general statement covering the span of time that Daniel and his work as a prophet had recognition before the rulers of the world.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Dan 6:28. So this Daniel prospered Observe, reader, how God brought good to him out of evil! The bold stroke which his enemies made at his life became the occasion of taking them off, and their children also, who otherwise would have stood in the way of his preferment, and have been, upon all occasions, vexatious to him; and now he prospered more than ever, was more in the favour of his prince, and in reputation with the people, which gave him a great opportunity of doing good to his brethren.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The last verse notes that Daniel continued to enjoy success during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus. That is, Daniel continued to enjoy success during the reign of Darius-even the reign of Cyrus-since Darius was apparently a title for Cyrus. Cyrus’ first full year as king of Babylon was 538 B.C., and this is when Daniel’s career in government service ended (Dan 1:21). This was the same year that Cyrus issued his decree permitting the Jews to return to their homeland. Daniel received the revelations of chapters 10-12 in the third year of Cyrus’ reign (Dan 10:1), but he was no longer in government service then.
"Although historical and to be accepted in its literal portrayal of an event, it [this chapter] is also parabolic like chapter 3 and is a foreshadowing of the ultimate deliverance of the people of Israel from their persecutors in the time of the great tribulation at the end of the times of the Gentiles. When the power of God is finally demonstrated at the second coming of Christ, the persecutors of Israel and the enemies of God will be judged and destroyed much like the enemies of Daniel. Like Daniel, however, the people of God in persecution must remain true regardless of the cost." [Note: Walvoord, p. 144.]
The first six chapters of Daniel contain his "court tales." Rationalistic critics of the book are quicker to grant them a sixth-century date of composition than they are the remaining six chapters, which are more explicitly prophetic. Conservative scholars agree that there is ample historical, linguistic, and literary evidence for a sixth-century date for these chapters. [Note: Baldwin, p. 37; Richard D. Patterson, "Holding on to Daniel’s Court Tales," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 36:4 (December 1993):445-54. See also Longman and Dillard, pp. 391-92, for discussion of the unity of the book.]
"In the first part of his book the writer presents the situations out of which his theology has grown, and the lessons are plain for all to see. But from the very fact that his God is in control of time and circumstances in heaven as well as earth, any experience of His deeds, whenever it may have occurred, is valid for all time and even for eternity (Dan 6:26). It is on this firm theological understanding that the revelations of the second part of the book are made." [Note: Baldwin, p. 135, who divided the book into two parts: chs. 1-6 and 7-12.]