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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Daniel 6:1-5

We are told concerning Daniel, I. What a great man he was. When Darius, upon his accession to the crown of Babylon by conquest, new-modelled the government, he made Daniel prime-minister of state, set him at the helm, and made him first commissioner both of the treasury and of the great seal. Darius's dominion was very large; all he got by his conquests and acquests was that he had so many more countries to take care of; no more can be expected from himself than what one man can do, and... read more

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 6:1

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes ,.... This is the same Darius mentioned in the latter part of the preceding chapter; who, as soon as he took the kingdom of Babylon, divided it into a hundred and twenty provinces, as Jacchiades observes; as was the manner of the Medes and Persians. So Darius the son of Hystaspes divided the kingdom of Persia into twenty provinces, and set governors over each, according to Herodotus F18 Thalia, sive l. 3. c. 89. ;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 6:2

And over these three presidents ,.... To whom the hundred and twenty princes were accountable for their conduct, and to whom the people might apply for redress of grievances, if oppressed; perhaps the whole empire was divided into three greater parts, and each part had forty provinces in it, and over it a president or deputy of the king; to whom the princes of each province gave in the account of what they received for the king, and what use they made of it: (of whom Daniel was the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 6:3

Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes ,.... Not only above the princes, but the presidents, being the first of them, as before: or, "he was victorious above them" F25 מתנצח "victorem se gerebat", Piscator, Michaelis. ; he got more credit and applause than they did, being more exact, diligent, and laborious, faithful, and conscientious: because an excellent spirit was in him ; meaning not a spirit of grace, piety, and religion, which the Heathen king was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 6:4

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom ,.... Concerning the management of the affairs of the kingdom, he being prime minister of state; the presidents and princes joined together in this inquiry; the princes, because Daniel was so strict and exact in looking into their accounts, that no fraudulent measures were taken to cheat the king of his revenue; and the presidents, because he was preferred above them: but they could find none... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 6:5

Then said these men ,.... To one another: we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel ; whom they speak of with great disdain and contempt, calling him this Daniel, this fellow, though in the highest post in the kingdom: except we find it against him concerning the law of his God ; about his religion; not that they thought he would be prevailed upon to break the law of his God in any respect; but they knew he was tenacious of the Jewish religion, and of all the laws, rites,... 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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 6:1

A hundred and twenty princes - A chief or satrap over every province which belonged to the Medo-Persian empire. Afterwards we find it enlarged to one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, by the victories of Cambyses and Darius Hystaspes. See Esther 1:1 . Josephus reckons three hundred and sixty satrapies or lordships; but this is most probably an exaggeration or mistake. read more

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