Daniel in the lions' den
Encyclopedia
The story of Daniel in the lions' den is found in the sixth chapter of the Book of Daniel
in the Hebrew Bible
. Daniel
is an official in the Persian empire under King Darius
, who (at the instigation of his other officials) had made a decree that no-one was to offer prayer to any god or man except him for a period of thirty days. Daniel continued to pray
as was his habit, and for this he was arrested and thrown into a lions' den. However, he was unharmed, and after he was released the following morning, the people who had cajoled the king into making the decree (which was for the sole purpose of getting at Daniel) were thrown into the lions' den themselves.
began to tell the story and when its hero became Daniel." Louis F. Hartman and Alexander Di Lella place the story more broadly within the Persian period, basing it on Persian loanword
s.
presented below, of which Ernest C. Lucas has supported, as well as critiqued by Tremper Longman
and David E. Garland
.
took over the kingdom of Babylon
when he was sixty-two years of age.[5:31] This introduces the sixth chapter where Daniel is appointed to serve as one of three royal administrators over the satraps who governed throughout the kingdom.[v.1-2]
Daniel was a distinguished government official who possessed exceptional qualities that won the favor of Darius. This caught the attention of other administrators in the same service as well as the satraps themselves. They investigated Daniel for any corruptible behavior that they could use against him, but found nothing. So, they resorted to conspire against Daniel by urging the king to issue this decree: that anyone in the next thirty days, found praying to god or man, other than the king, shall be fed to the lions.[v.3-8]
Darius put the prayer decree in writing in accordance with the laws of the Medes
and Persians. The conspirators used this as leverage to convict Daniel of treason since they knew he prays to his God, YHVH, three times a day. As soon as they caught him, they apprehended Daniel and addressed the King about what they’ve discovered. Per the law, Darius was forced to have Daniel thrown into the lions’ den.[v.9-15]
Subsequently, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den[v.16] and a stone was placed over the mouth of the entrance. The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles.[v.17] Darius was so upset with what he was forced to do, that he couldn’t eat, sleep or be entertained.[v.18] The next morning, Darius calls to Daniel to find out if his God has rescued him.[v.19-20] Daniel replies that God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions so as not to hurt him.[v.22] He is then brought out of the den unscathed, due to his faith in God.[v.23]
Daniel’s accusers and their families, however, are thrown into the lions’ den and do not even reach the bottom of the pit before being consumed by the lions.[v.24] Darius then writes a letter to all the peoples, nations and tongues magnifying the God of Daniel, YHVH.[25-28] Daniel thus prospers in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.[v.28]
, lions have often been symbolic of monarchs. The lions surrounding Daniel could be seen as a symbolic representation of the nations and empires of the world.
in Daniel 3. David Syme Russell
notes a number of parallels between the two chapter, including the trials suffered, the jealousy of conspirators, rescue by an angel, accusers meeting the same fate they had intended for the protagonists, and the fact that the king praises God and issues a royal decree protecting Jewish worship.
, "the beasts in the den received Daniel as faithful dogs might receive their returning master, wagging their tails and licking him." The Midrash Tehillim
says that "the mouth of the den was closed with a huge stone, which had rolled of itself from Palestine to Babylon for that purpose" and that "upon this stone sat an angel in the shape of a lion, so that Daniel's enemies might not harass him."
James B. Jordan
suggests that the motive of the satraps was to hurt Darius, who would lose a useful man should Daniel perish, so Daniel suffers on behalf of Darius, and does, in fact, rescue him. In applying the traditional Christian interpretation of the Old Testament
as a series of prefigurations of the New, Jordan also writes that "the fact that the den was sealed points forward to the seal on Jesus' tomb
."
Artists who have depicted this incident include:
Book of Daniel
The Book of Daniel is a book in the Hebrew Bible. The book tells of how Daniel, and his Judean companions, were inducted into Babylon during Jewish exile, and how their positions elevated in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. The court tales span events that occur during the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar,...
in the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
. Daniel
Daniel
Daniel is the protagonist in the Book of Daniel of the Hebrew Bible. In the narrative, when Daniel was a young man, he was taken into Babylonian captivity where he was educated in Chaldean thought. However, he never converted to Neo-Babylonian ways...
is an official in the Persian empire under King Darius
Darius the Mede
Darius the Mede is a biblical person in the Book of Daniel, Chapters 6-9, who rules over Babylon after King Belshazzar is deposed. The author of the book of Daniel indicated that Darius was about 62 years old when he was 'made king over Babylon.[5:31] He is best known for having been forced into...
, who (at the instigation of his other officials) had made a decree that no-one was to offer prayer to any god or man except him for a period of thirty days. Daniel continued to pray
Prayer in the Hebrew Bible
Prayer in the Hebrew Bible is an evolving means of interacting with God, most frequently through a spontaneous, individual, unorganized form of petitioning and/or thanking...
as was his habit, and for this he was arrested and thrown into a lions' den. However, he was unharmed, and after he was released the following morning, the people who had cajoled the king into making the decree (which was for the sole purpose of getting at Daniel) were thrown into the lions' den themselves.
Dating the narrative
Critical scholars speculate the dating of the authorship of chapter 6. Paul L. Redditt postulates, "the only issues here are when people in the DiasporaDiaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
began to tell the story and when its hero became Daniel." Louis F. Hartman and Alexander Di Lella place the story more broadly within the Persian period, basing it on Persian loanword
Loanword
A loanword is a word borrowed from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language. By contrast, a calque or loan translation is a related concept where the meaning or idiom is borrowed rather than the lexical item itself. The word loanword is itself a calque of the German Lehnwort,...
s.
Literary structure
Based on Wayne S. Towner's work, John E. Goldingay outlined the contents of Daniel 2 with the chiastic structureChiastic structure
Chiastic structure is a literary device for chiasmus applied to narrative motifs, turns of phrase, or whole passages. Various structures of chiasmus are commonly seen in ancient literature to emphasize, parallel, or contrast concepts or ideas...
presented below, of which Ernest C. Lucas has supported, as well as critiqued by Tremper Longman
Tremper Longman
Tremper Longman, III is an Old Testament theologian, professor and author of several books, including 2009 ECPA Christian Book Award winner Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings. He serves as Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara,...
and David E. Garland
David E. Garland
David E. Garland currently serves at the Dean of George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University, in Waco, Texas...
.
- A. Introduction: Daniel’s success (vv.1-3)
- B. Darius’s edict and Daniel’s response (vv.4-10)
- C. Daniel’s opponents plot his death (vv.11-15)
- D. Darius hopes for Daniel’s deliverance (vv.16-18)
- D'. Darius witnesses Daniel’s deliverance (vv.19-23)
- C'. Daniel’s opponents sentenced to death (v.24)
- C. Daniel’s opponents plot his death (vv.11-15)
- B'. Darius’s edict and doxology (v.25-27)
- B. Darius’s edict and Daniel’s response (vv.4-10)
- A'. Conclusion: Daniel’s success (v.28)
Chapter 6
According to the Book of Daniel, Darius the MedeDarius the Mede
Darius the Mede is a biblical person in the Book of Daniel, Chapters 6-9, who rules over Babylon after King Belshazzar is deposed. The author of the book of Daniel indicated that Darius was about 62 years old when he was 'made king over Babylon.[5:31] He is best known for having been forced into...
took over the kingdom of Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
when he was sixty-two years of age.[5:31] This introduces the sixth chapter where Daniel is appointed to serve as one of three royal administrators over the satraps who governed throughout the kingdom.[v.1-2]
Daniel was a distinguished government official who possessed exceptional qualities that won the favor of Darius. This caught the attention of other administrators in the same service as well as the satraps themselves. They investigated Daniel for any corruptible behavior that they could use against him, but found nothing. So, they resorted to conspire against Daniel by urging the king to issue this decree: that anyone in the next thirty days, found praying to god or man, other than the king, shall be fed to the lions.[v.3-8]
Darius put the prayer decree in writing in accordance with the laws of the Medes
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
and Persians. The conspirators used this as leverage to convict Daniel of treason since they knew he prays to his God, YHVH, three times a day. As soon as they caught him, they apprehended Daniel and addressed the King about what they’ve discovered. Per the law, Darius was forced to have Daniel thrown into the lions’ den.[v.9-15]
Subsequently, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den[v.16] and a stone was placed over the mouth of the entrance. The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles.[v.17] Darius was so upset with what he was forced to do, that he couldn’t eat, sleep or be entertained.[v.18] The next morning, Darius calls to Daniel to find out if his God has rescued him.[v.19-20] Daniel replies that God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions so as not to hurt him.[v.22] He is then brought out of the den unscathed, due to his faith in God.[v.23]
Daniel’s accusers and their families, however, are thrown into the lions’ den and do not even reach the bottom of the pit before being consumed by the lions.[v.24] Darius then writes a letter to all the peoples, nations and tongues magnifying the God of Daniel, YHVH.[25-28] Daniel thus prospers in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.[v.28]
Daniel’s regular prayer
It was customary for Daniel to pray to his God, YHVH, three times a day in his upper chambers, while facing Jerusalem with his windows open. He prostrated himself in prayer, giving thanks to his God. Despite hearing the news of the royal decree, Daniel continued to do what he always does, and that was to go home and pray. His actions were not meant to provoke the authorities.Daniel in the lions' den
Throughout the Ancient Near East, and even in the Hebrew BibleHebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
, lions have often been symbolic of monarchs. The lions surrounding Daniel could be seen as a symbolic representation of the nations and empires of the world.
Daniel released
Daniel is released from the lions' den and his accusers, and their families, are thrown in to meet such fate that he was faced with. The Greek Septuagint version specifies that the accusers are the other two administrators and their families, not necessarily the entire lot of 120 satraps.Parallels with chapter 3
The story of Daniel in the lions' den in chapter 6 is similar to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and AbednegoShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are characters in the biblical Hebrew book of Daniel Chapters 1 – 3, known for their exclusive devotion to God. In particular, they are known for being saved by divine intervention from the Babylonian execution of being burned alive in a fiery furnace...
in Daniel 3. David Syme Russell
David Syme Russell (theologian)
Rev Dr David Syme Russell CBE was a distinguished theologian and author, former Principal of Rawdon College, Leeds, and General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain.-Early life and career:...
notes a number of parallels between the two chapter, including the trials suffered, the jealousy of conspirators, rescue by an angel, accusers meeting the same fate they had intended for the protagonists, and the fact that the king praises God and issues a royal decree protecting Jewish worship.
Rabbinic literature
According to JosipponJosippon
Josippon is the name usually given to a popular chronicle of Jewish history from Adam to the age of Titus, attributed to an author Josippon or Joseph ben Gorion....
, "the beasts in the den received Daniel as faithful dogs might receive their returning master, wagging their tails and licking him." The Midrash Tehillim
Midrash Tehillim
Midrash Tehillim or Midrash to Psalms is a haggadic midrash known since the 11th century, when it was quoted by Nathan of Rome in his Aruk , by R. Isaac ben Judah ibn Ghayyat in his Halakot , and by Rashi in his commentary on I Sam. xvii. 49, and on many other passages. This midrash is called also...
says that "the mouth of the den was closed with a huge stone, which had rolled of itself from Palestine to Babylon for that purpose" and that "upon this stone sat an angel in the shape of a lion, so that Daniel's enemies might not harass him."
Christian analysis
James B. Jordan
James B. Jordan
James B. Jordan is a Protestant theologian and author. He is director of Biblical Horizons ministries, a think tank in Niceville, Florida that publishes books, essays and other media dealing with Bible commentary, Biblical Theology, and liturgy.-Education:Jordan attended the University of Georgia,...
suggests that the motive of the satraps was to hurt Darius, who would lose a useful man should Daniel perish, so Daniel suffers on behalf of Darius, and does, in fact, rescue him. In applying the traditional Christian interpretation of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
as a series of prefigurations of the New, Jordan also writes that "the fact that the den was sealed points forward to the seal on Jesus' tomb
Entombment of Christ
The Entombment redirects here. For other uses, The Entombment The Entombment of Christ, that is to say the burial of Jesus Christ, occurred after his death by crucifixion, when, according to the gospel accounts, he was placed in a new tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea.-Biblical account:All four...
."
Depiction in art
Although Daniel is sometimes depicted as a young man in illustrations of the incident, James Montgomery Boice points out that he would have been over eighty years old at the time.Artists who have depicted this incident include:
- Jan Brueghel the YoungerJan Brueghel the YoungerJan Brueghel the Younger was a Flemish Baroque painter, and the son of Jan Brueghel the Elder.He was trained by his father and spent his career producing works in a similar style. Along with his brother Ambrosius, he produced landscapes, allegorical scenes and other works of meticulous detail. ...
, Daniel in the lions' den - Briton RivièreBriton RivièreBriton Rivière was an artist born in London, England, of Hugenout descent.His father, William Rivière, was for some years drawing-master at Cheltenham College, and afterwards an art teacher at Oxford University. He was educated at Cheltenham College and at Oxford, where he took his degree in 1867...
, Daniel's Answer to the King - Peter Paul Rubens, Daniel in the Lions' Den
- David Teniers the YoungerDavid Teniers the YoungerDavid Teniers the Younger was a Flemish artist born in Antwerp, the son of David Teniers the Elder. His son David Teniers III and his grandson David Teniers IV were also painters...
, Daniel in the lions' den
See also
- List of Hebrew Bible events
- Historicity of Darius the Mede