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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Daniel 6:6-10

Daniel's adversaries could have no advantage against him from any law now in being; they therefore contrive a new law, by which they hope to ensnare him, and in a matter in which they knew they should be sure of him; and such was his fidelity to his God that they gained their point. Here is, I. Darius's impious law. I call it Darius?s, because he gave the royal assent to it, and otherwise it would not have been of force; but it was not properly his: he contrived it not, and was perfectly... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 6:6

Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king ,.... Having consulted the matter, and agreed upon and formed a scheme among themselves, and drawn up a bill or decree in form, ready to be signed by the king, whom they hoped to persuade to it; and for that end they got together, and went in a body to him. The word F2 הרגשו "tumultuarie convenerunt", Montanus; "cum tumultu accurrerent", De Dieu; "convenerunt gregatim et cum strepitu", Gejerus. signifies to assemble in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 6:7

All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains ,.... There were but three presidents, and Daniel was one of them, so that these "all" were but "two"; they made the most of it they could; and very probably not all and everyone of the other officers mentioned were present; but they were willing to make their request appear as general as they could, in order that it might have the greater weight with the king: have consulted together to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 6:8

Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing ,.... For they had not only agreed upon it among themselves what to propose, as to the substance of it; but they had drawn it up in writing, ready to be signed, which they urge to have done immediately: that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not ; when once signed by the king: mention being made of both the Medes and Persians, shows that these two nations were now united in one... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 6:9

Wherefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree. Moved to it by the number and importunity of his principal men; and chiefly through affectation of deity, which this law gave him; and that he might have an opportunity of ingratiating himself into his new subjects by his munificence and liberality, not being aware of the snare laid for his favourite, Daniel. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 6:7

Whosoever shall ask a petition - What pretense could they urge for so silly an ordinance? Probably to flatter the ambition of the king, they pretend to make him a god for thirty days; so that the whole empire should make prayer and supplication to him, and pay him Divine honors! This was the bait; but their real object was to destroy Daniel. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 6:8

According to the law of the Medes and Persians - I do not think that this is to be understood so as to imply that whatever laws or ordinances the Medes or Persians once enacted, they never changed them. This would argue extreme folly in legislators in any country. Nothing more appears to be meant than that the decree should be enacted, written, and registered, according to the legal forms among the Medes and Persians; and this one to be made absolute for thirty days. The laws were such among... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 6:6

Verse 6 The nobles of the kingdom purposely endeavored to ruin the holy Prophet, either by casting him into the lion’s den to perish or else by causing him to desist from the outward profession of worshipping God. They knew him to be so really in earnest that he would not redeem his life by so great an act of impiety, and hence they thought him doomed to death. We perceive in them great cunning; but God met them on the other hand and aided his servant, as we shall see. Meanwhile their malice... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 6:7

Verse 7 WE said, yesterday, that the nobles who laid snares against Daniel were inspired with great fury when they dared to dictate to the king the edict recorded by Daniel. It was an intolerable sacrilege thus to deprive all the deities of their honor; yet he subscribed the edict, as we shall afterwards see, and thus put to the test the obedience of his people whom he had lately reduced under the yoke by the help of his son-in-law. There is no doubt of his wish to subdue the Chaldees, who up... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 6:8

Verse 8 Here, as I have said, it is sufficiently apparent how inclined to fallacies are the minds of kings when they think they can benefit themselves and increase their own dignity. For the king did not dispute long with his nobles but subscribed the edict; for he thought it might prove useful to himself and his successors: if he found the Chaldeans obedient to himself and rather prepared to deny the existence of every god than to refuse whatever he commanded! As to the use of the word, some,... read more

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