John Gill Commentary Daniel 6

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; to these hundred and twenty provinces seven more were afterwards added, through the victories of Cyrus and Cambyses, and Darius Itystaspes, (Esther 1:1). Josephus ^F19, through forgetfulness, makes these princes and provinces three hundred and sixty:

which should be over the whole kingdom; or, "in the whole kingdom" ^F20; in the several parts of it, and take care of all things relative to the civil government of it, both for the honour and advantage of the king, and the good of the subjects.

FOOTNOTES:

• F18: Thalia, sive l. 3. c. 89.
• F19: Antiqu. l. 10. c. 11. sect. 4.
• F20: (atwklm lkb) "in toto regno", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Cocceius; "toti regno", Junius & Tremellius.

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 first:) or "one" ^F21 , who was now an old man, having been about seventy years in Babylon, and had had a large experience of the affairs of civil government, being advanced in the times of Nebuchadnezzar to high posts; and very probably Darius had heard of the wisdom of Daniel before he came to the kingdom, as well as the king of Tyre, (Ezekiel 28:3) and might be informed of his prediction of Belshazzar's death, and the change of the empire: and of Belshazzar's promise to make him the third ruler in the kingdom; and he might also himself observe in him an uncommon sagacity and fitness for business of this sort.

Josephus ^F23 says, that Darius took Daniel with him into Media, and made him one of the three presidents; and indeed no mention is made in this history of the nobles of Babylon, but only of the Medes and Persians:

that the princes might give account unto them, and the king should have
no damage : or loss in his revenues, through the fraud and bad management of the princes of the provinces; since they might be discovered and checked by the presidents, who were to audit their accounts: or, "have no trouble" ^F24 ; in looking over and passing the accounts of the princes.

FOOTNOTES:

• F21: (dx) (eiv) , Sept.; "unus", V. L. Syr. Ar. Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Cocceius, Michaelis.
• F23: Antiqu. l. 10. c. 11. sect. 4.
• F24: (qzn awhl al) (opwv mh enoclhtai) , Sept.; "ne rex molestia afficeretur", Pagninus; "ut rex illo levaretur gravamine", Munster.

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 ; 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 no judge of, nor valued him for it, though it was in him; but a spirit of knowledge of civil affairs, and of prudence in managing them, and of integrity throughout the whole of his conduct: and the king thought to set him over the whole realm ;
or, "wherefore the king thought" ^F26 ; because there was such a spirit in him, which so qualified him for public business, he began to think of abolishing his triumvirate of presidents, and making Daniel his viceroy over the whole empire, which very probably they had got some knowledge of; and this, as well as being above them, drew the envy of them on him, and put them upon the following scheme.

FOOTNOTES:

• F25: (xuntm) "victorem se gerebat", Piscator, Michaelis.
• F26: (aklmw) "ideo rex", Gejerus, Michaelis.

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 occasion nor fault;
or "corruption" ^F1, that he had been guilty of any mis-administration, or any corrupt practices.

forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault
found in him;
no mistake in his accounts; no blunder in his management of things; nothing done amiss, neither wilfully, nor through ignorance, negligence, or inadvertence;

so faithful and upright, so prudent and discreet, so exact and careful, that the most watchful observers of him, and these envious, and his most implacable enemies, could find no fault in him, or anything, or the colour of it, to ground an accusation upon.

FOOTNOTES:

• F1: (htyxv) "corruptela", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius, Michaelis; "corruptionem", Gejerus.

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, and ceremonies of it; if therefore they could get an act passed, and signed by the king, which would any ways affect his religion, or any branch of it, or prohibit the performance of it for any time, they hoped to get an advantage of him, knowing that he would not on any consideration forsake or neglect that; which being said by his enemies was greatly to his honour.