John Calvin Commentary Daniel 6:24

"And the king commanded, and they brought those men that had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den." — Daniel 6:24 (ASV)

By this circumstance, God’s power shone forth more clearly in preserving Daniel, because those who had accused him were immediately destroyed by the lions. For if anyone were to say that the lions were satisfied, or that there was some other reason why Daniel was not destroyed, why, when he was removed, did such great madness immediately drive those beasts to tear and devour not just one man, but a great multitude?

Not one of the nobles was preserved; next, their wives and children were added. Lions rarely proceed to such a level of savagery, and yet they all perished; then how did Daniel escape?

We surely see how God by this comparison wished to bear witness to His own power, lest anyone should object that Daniel was left by the lions because they were already gorged and desired no other prey, for they would have been content with three or four men; but they devoured men, women, and children.

Therefore, the mouths of the lions were clearly restrained by divine power, since Daniel was safe during a whole night, while the accusers perished immediately as soon as they were thrown into the den. We see again how these beasts were driven by sudden madness, so that they did not wait until their prey arrived at the bottom, but devoured them as they fell.

We shall leave the rest until tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, since we were created and placed in this world by You, and are also nourished by Your bounty, for the very purpose of consecrating our life to You—Grant, I pray, that we may be prepared to live and die to You. May we seek only to maintain the pure and sincere worship of Yourself. May we so trust in Your help as not to hesitate about breaking through all difficulties, and to offer ourselves to immediate death, whenever You require it. May we rely not only on Your promise, which remains forever, but upon the many proofs which You have granted us of the present vitality of Your mighty power. May You be our deliverer in every sense, whether we live or die; and may we be blessed in persevering in our confidence in Your name, and Your true confession, until at last we are gathered into Your heavenly kingdom, which You have prepared for us by the blood of Your only-begotten Son.—Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

At the end of yesterday’s Lecture, the enemies of Daniel who had malignantly, enviously, and cruelly slandered him, were thrown into the lions’ den, and were torn to pieces with their wives and children; and thus the miracle was more clearly evident, as we have previously said. Here, again, we may learn how lions are governed by God’s hand, and are restrained from showing their ferocity everywhere and against everyone, except when God permits them.

As it is said in the Ninety-first Psalm, Thou shalt walk upon the lion and the basilisk, and tread upon the lion and the dragon (Psalms 91:13). So also, on the other hand, God declares against the unbelievers by the Prophet Amos (Amos 5:19): The lions shall come to meet them, if they go forth from their houses.

We see, then, how God restrains the cruelty of lions as often as He pleases, and how He excites them to madness when He wishes to punish mankind. With regard to their wives and children being also thrown into the den, we do not need to dispute anxiously whether or not this punishment was just.

For it seems to be a sure rule of equity that punishment should not extend to the innocent, especially when it involves their life.

In all ages, it has been the custom of well-ordered States for many punishments to be inflicted on children as well as their parents, as in a public sale of goods, or any charge of violence or treason. In criminal cases also, the infamy of parents extends to the children (though this is far more severe, to slay children with their parents), even though they cannot possibly be guilty of the same crime.

Yet, although this is not one of the usual cases, we must not hastily condemn it as unjust. We see how God sometimes orders whole families to be exterminated from the world as a mark of His hatred; but, as a just Judge, He is always measured in His severity. This example, then, cannot be definitively condemned, and it is better to leave it in doubt.

We are aware of the cruel and barbarous manner in which the kings of the East exercise their rule, or rather their tyranny, over their subjects. Therefore, there is no reason why anyone should trouble himself excessively with this question, especially since King Darius was so grieved at being deceived.

Thus, he not only inflicted punishment on these wicked slanderers for oppressing Daniel, but also because he himself was affected by their injustice. He wished to avenge himself rather than Daniel; he was not content with retaliation but condemned their children also to destruction.