John Calvin Commentary Daniel 6:16

"Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. [Now] the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee." — Daniel 6:16 (ASV)

The king, as we have said, frightened by the denunciation of the nobles, condemns Daniel to death. And from this we gather the reward which kings deserve regarding their pride, when they are compelled to submit slavishly to their flatterers. How Darius was deceived by the cunning of his nobles!

For he thought his authority would be strengthened by putting the obedience of all men to this test: refusing all prayer to any god or man for a whole month. He thought he would become superior to both gods and men if all his subjects really demonstrated this kind of obedience.

We now see how obstinately the nobles rise against him and denounce ultimate revolt unless he obeys them. We see that when kings take too much upon themselves, how they are exposed to infamy and become the absolute slaves of their own servants! This is common enough with earthly princes; those who possess their influence and favor applaud them in all things and even adore them; they offer every kind of flattery which can gain their favor. But, meanwhile, what freedom do their idols enjoy?

They do not allow them any authority, nor any contact with the best and most faithful friends, while they are watched by their own guards. Lastly, if they are compared with the wretches who are confined in the most secure dungeon, even one who is thrust down into the deepest pit and watched by three or four guards is freer than kings themselves!

But, as I have said, this is God’s most just vengeance. Since, when they cannot remain within the ordinary rank and station of men, but wish to penetrate the clouds and put themselves on a level with God, they necessarily become a laughingstock. Thus, they become slaves of all their attendants, dare not utter anything with freedom, are without friends, and are afraid to summon their subjects to their presence or to entrust their wishes to anyone.

Thus, slaves rule the kingdoms of the world because kings assume superiority over mortals. King Darius is an instance of this. When he sent for Daniel and commanded him to be thrown into the den of lions, his nobles forced this from him, and he unwillingly obeyed them. But we should notice the reason. He had lately forgotten his own mortality; he had desired to deprive the Almighty of His sovereignty and, as if to drag Him down from heaven! For if God remains in heaven, men must pray to Him; but Darius forbade anyone from even daring to utter a prayer. Thus, as far as he could, he deprived the Almighty of His power. Now he is compelled to obey his own subjects, although they exercise an almost disgraceful tyranny over him.

Daniel now adds—the king said this to him, Thy God, whom thou servest, or worshipest, faithfully, he will deliver thee! These words may be read in the optative mood, as we have said. There is no doubt that Darius really wished this. But it may mean, "Your God whom you worship will deliver you"—as if he had said, “Already I am not my own master; I am here tossed about by the blast of a tempest. My nobles compel me to this deed against my will. I, therefore, now resign you and your life to God, because it is not in my power to deliver you,” as if this excuse lightened his own crime by transferring to God the power of preserving Daniel.

This reason causes some to praise the piety of King Darius. But while I confess his clemency and humanity are manifest in this speech, it is clear that he did not have a grain of piety when he thus wished to adorn himself with the spoils of deity! For although the superstitious do not seriously fear God, yet they are restrained by some dread of Him. But he here wished to reduce all divinity to nothing.

What sort of piety was this? The clemency of Darius may therefore be praised, but his sacrilegious pride can by no means be excused. Then why did he act so humanely towards Daniel? Because he had found him a faithful servant, and the regard that made him merciful arose from this particular reason.

He would not have shown the same disposition towards others. If a hundred or a thousand Jews had been dragged before his tribunal, he would carelessly have condemned them all because they had disobeyed the edict! Thus, he was obstinately impious and cruel. He spared Daniel for his own private advantage and thus showed him favor; but in praising his humanity, we do not perceive any sign of piety in him.

But he says, the God whom thou worshipest, he will deliver thee, because he had previously known Daniel’s prophecy concerning the destruction of the Chaldean monarchy. Thus, he is convinced that Israel’s God is conscious of all things and rules everything by His will. Yet, in the meantime, he neither worships Him nor allows others to do so, for, as far as he could, he had excluded God from His own rights. In thus attributing to God the power of delivering Daniel, he does not act sincerely. And thus his impiety is the more detestable, when he deprives God of His rights while he confesses Him to be the true and only One endowed with supreme power; and though he is merely dust and ashes, yet he substitutes himself in God’s place!