Albert Barnes Commentary Daniel 6:7

"All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong interdict, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions." — Daniel 6:7 (ASV)

All the presidents of the kingdom, the governor ... - Several officials are listed here who were not mentioned in the previous verses as having joined the conspiracy. It is possible, indeed, that all these different classes of officers had been consulted and had agreed in asking for the enactment of the proposed law.

However, it is much more probable that the leaders merely claimed what is stated here to be more certain of the law's enactment. If it was presented as being proposed by all the officers of the realm, they seem to have thought that Darius would not hesitate to grant the request.

They must have been aware that it was an unusual request and that it might appear unreasonable; therefore, they seem to have taken every precaution to ensure the law would pass.

Have consulted together to establish a royal statute - Or, that such a statute should be established. They knew that it could be established only by the king himself, but they were undoubtedly in the habit of recommending such laws as they believed would be for the good of the kingdom.

And to make a firm decree - Margin, interdict. The word used (אסר ’ĕsâr—from אסר ’âsar, to bind, make fast) properly means a binding; then anything that is binding or obligatory—such as a prohibition, an interdict, or a law.

That whosoever shall ask - Anyone of any rank. The real purpose was to bring Daniel into disgrace, but to do this it was necessary to make the prohibition universal—just as Herod, to be sure that he had cut off the infant king of the Jews, found it necessary to destroy all the children in the place.

Of any god or man - This would include all the gods acknowledged in Babylon, and all foreign divinities.

For thirty days - The object of this time limit was perhaps twofold:

1. They would be sure to accomplish their purpose regarding Daniel, because they understood his principles and habits so well that they had no doubt that within that time he would be found worshipping his God; and
2. It would not be wise to make the law permanent, and making it binding for longer than thirty days might expose them to the risk of popular uprisings. It was easy enough to see that such a law could not be enforced for long, yet they seem to have supposed that the people would accept it for such a short period as one month. Although it might be considered unreasonable, it could be expected that people would patiently submit to it for such a short time.

Save of thee, O king - Perhaps either directly, or through some minister of the realm; meaning, "Except from you, O king."

He shall be cast into the den of lions - The word “den” (גוב gôb) properly means a pit, or cistern; and the idea is that the den was underground, probably a cave constructed for that purpose. It was made with so narrow an entrance that it could be covered with a stone and made perfectly secure (Daniel 6:17).

“The enclosures of wild beasts,” says Bertholdt (pp. 397, 398), “especially of lions,” which the kings of Asia and of North-western Africa formerly had, as they still do today, were generally constructed underground. They were ordinarily caves that had been excavated for the purpose, walled up at the sides, and enclosed within a wall through which a door led from the outer wall to the space lying between the walls, within which persons could pass around and contemplate the wild beasts.”

“The emperor of Morocco,” says Host (Beschreibung von Marokos und Fess, p. 290, as quoted in Rosenmuller’s Morgenland, in loc.), “has a cave for lions”—Lowengrube—“into which men sometimes, and especially Jews, are thrown; but they usually emerged uninjured, because the overseers of the lions are usually Jews, and they have a sharp instrument in their hands. With this, they can pass among them, if they are careful to keep their faces toward the lions, for a lion will not allow one to turn his back to him.”

“The other Jews will not allow their fellow Jews to remain longer in such a cave than one night, for the lions would be too hungry, but they redeem their kinsmen out of the cave by the payment of money—which, in fact, is the object of the emperor.”

In another place (p. 77), Host describes one of these caves: “In one end of the enclosure is a place for ostriches and their young ones, and at the other end toward the mountain is a cave for lions, which is a large cavern in the earth that has a division wall. In the middle of this wall is a door, which the Jews who have charge of the lions can open and close from above. By means of food, they entice the lions from one room into another, so they can clean the cage. It is all under the open sky.”

It is not stated what pretext the crafty counselors used to induce the king to ratify this statute. One or more of the following reasons may have induced the monarch to sign the decree:

1. The law proposed was highly flattering to the king, and he may have been ready at once to sign a decree which for the time gave him supremacy over gods and men. If Alexander the Great desired to be adored as a god, then it is not improbable that a proud and weak Persian monarch would be willing to receive a similar tribute. Xerxes did things more foolish than what is here attributed to Darius. Such instances are not lacking. Of Holofernes, it is said that “he had decreed to destroy all the gods of the land, that all nations should worship Nabuchodonosor only, and that all tongues and tribes should call upon him as god” .
2. It may have occurred to him, or may have been suggested, that this was an effective way to test his subjects' readiness to obey and honor him. Some such test, it may have been urged, was not improper, and this would determine the spirit of obedience as well as any other method.
3. More probably, however, it may have been represented that there was some danger of insubordination or conspiracy among the people, and that it was necessary that the sovereign should issue some decree that would immediately and effectively quell it. It may have been urged that there was danger of a revolt, and that an effective way of preventing it was to order that whoever solicited any favor from anyone but the king should be punished, for this would bring all matters immediately before him and secure order. The haste and earnestness with which they urged their request seem to imply that they presented it as if some sudden emergency had arisen that made such a statute necessary.
4. Or the king may have been in the habit of signing the decrees proposed by his counselors with little hesitation. Immersed in comfort and sensuality, perceiving only that this proposed law flattered him, and not considering its possible consequences, he might have signed it immediately.