Daniel 6 12

Daniel 6:12 kjv

Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

Daniel 6:12 nkjv

And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king's decree: "Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter."

Daniel 6:12 niv

So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: "Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions' den?" The king answered, "The decree stands?in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed."

Daniel 6:12 esv

Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, "O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked."

Daniel 6:12 nlt

So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. "Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human ? except to you, Your Majesty ? will be thrown into the den of lions?" "Yes," the king replied, "that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked."

Daniel 6 verses

Daniel 6 12 meaning

Daniel 6:12 reveals the chilling precision of Daniel's accusers as they corner King Darius. They come before him not with an accusation of Daniel directly, but by pointedly reminding the king of the very decree he signed, which forbade prayer to anyone but him for thirty days, under penalty of the lion's den. The verse concludes with King Darius's confirming statement that the decree is indeed true and immutable, bound by the unalterable law of the Medes and Persians, thereby legally sealing Daniel's fate according to human decree.

Daniel 6 12 Context

Daniel chapter 6 opens with Daniel's extraordinary administrative success under King Darius, which spurred deep jealousy among the other satraps and high officials. Unable to find any grounds for accusation against Daniel's character or work ethic, they cunningly devised a religious decree. This law stipulated that for thirty days, no one could make a petition to any god or man except King Darius himself, under penalty of being cast into the den of lions. Darius, manipulated by their false flattery, unwittingly signed this decree. Knowing the decree was unchangeable once ratified by Medo-Persian law, Daniel continued his established practice of open prayer to God, visible from his window. Verse 12 describes the climax of the conspirators' scheme: after observing Daniel, they promptly approach the king to report Daniel's "crime." Rather than directly accusing Daniel initially, they present a rhetorical trap, reminding Darius of his own irrevocable law and the stipulated punishment, forcing the king to acknowledge his binding word, sealing Daniel's fate according to human statute.

Daniel 6 12 Word analysis

• Then they came near (בָּאִים יִקְרְבּוּן, ba'yim yiqrebum): This Aramaic phrase denotes a deliberate, formal approach, suggesting the accusers are making a calculated move, not a casual observation. Their unified action signifies premeditated intent.
• and spake before the king (וְיֹאמְרוּ קֳדָם מַלְכָּא, ve'yomru qodam malka'): This indicates a formal address to the highest authority, lending weight and legitimacy to their statement, masking their malicious agenda as civic duty.
• concerning the king's decree (עַל מַנְדַּת מַלְכָּא, 'al manddat malka'): The target of their discussion is not Daniel, but the king's own authority embodied in his command. מנדת refers to a royal edict, a significant term in legal context.
• Hast thou not signed a decree (הֲלָא אֱסָר חַתִּימְתָּא, hala' 'esar chattiymta'): A loaded rhetorical question, demanding the king acknowledge his own action. אֱסָר denotes a binding prohibition, and חַתִּימְתָּא emphasizes it was "sealed," meaning ratified and final, removing any royal discretion.
• that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? (The terms of the decree): This extensive re-statement serves to explicitly remind Darius of every detail: the universal scope ("every man"), the specified act ("ask a petition"), the banned recipients ("any God or man," except the king), the limited duration ("thirty days"), and the explicit, grave penalty ("den of lions"). It ensures no room for misunderstanding the transgression or its consequence.
• The king answered and said (עָנֵה מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר, 'anah malka' ve'amar): Denotes the king's official verbal response, indicating he received the query and is bound to address it authoritatively.
• The thing is true (יְקִימָא מִלְתָא, yeqiymmaa mill'taa): Darius's legal affirmation. יְקִימָא signifies "established," "firm," "certain," reinforcing the decree's legal standing. The "thing" (מִלְתָא, mill'ta) here refers to the legal reality of the decree.
• according to the law of the Medes and Persians (כְדָת מָדַי וּפָרַס, kidhat maday oo Pharas): Explicitly grounds the decree's authority in the specific, recognized, and potent legal framework of the empire. דָת (dath) means "law." This phrase is pivotal for explaining the decree's irreversible nature.
• which altereth not (דִי לָא תִשׁנָּא, di la' thish'nna): The ultimate, decisive legal characteristic. This confirms the unchangeable nature of such ratified laws in the Medo-Persian empire, thus trapping the king himself and precluding any possibility of clemency or revocation. לא תשנא literally means "does not change" or "cannot be annulled."

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree": This sequence establishes the official, public nature of the accusation. It highlights the conspirators' strategy to use formal procedure, not just rumor, to trap Daniel. By focusing "concerning the king's decree," they strategically shift the spotlight from Daniel's perceived "disobedience" to the king's own binding authority.
• "Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man... shall be cast into the den of lions?": This rhetorical question is a masterpiece of manipulation. It compels the king to reaffirm the law himself, implicitly acknowledging his direct responsibility for its terms and penalties. It effectively forces Darius to assent to Daniel's doom before the actual accusation is made, leveraging the very "dignity" of his royal signature against his future compassion.
• "The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.": This segment tragically encapsulates Darius's helpless legal predicament. His confirmation that the "thing is true" confirms his understanding of the decree's terms and implications. His explicit mention of "the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not," seals his powerlessness to undo what he had set in motion, demonstrating how a rigid legal system can constrain even its supreme monarch, thereby emphasizing the seeming inevitability of Daniel's death.

Daniel 6 12 Bonus section

The concept of "the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not" (Dan 6:8, 12, 15; Esth 1:19, 8:8) served as a strong historical and literary device to underscore the gravity of the situation. Unlike many ancient legal systems that allowed a king to rescind decrees, the Persian system's rigidity created an atmosphere of irreversible authority. Theologically, this irrevocability provides a powerful contrast to the truly unchangeable nature of God's character and covenant promises (Mal 3:6, Heb 13:8). The human attempt to create an unchangeable law, specifically one challenging divine worship, ultimately highlights the temporary and limited power of human decrees compared to the eternal and sovereign will of the true God, who alone is "without change" (James 1:17). The accusers' reliance on this absolute legal principle demonstrates their confidence in their trap, assuming even the king's eventual regret would be futile against the "law that altereth not."

Daniel 6 12 Commentary

Daniel 6:12 marks the point where human evil's meticulously crafted legal trap snags its target. The accusers, far from being a bumbling mob, employ precise legal rhetoric, leveraging the unalterable nature of Persian law against the very king who signed it. Their interrogation serves not to inform Darius, but to extract his binding reaffirmation, foreclosing any avenue for mercy or amendment of the law once Daniel's transgression is brought to light. This verse underscores the formidable legal and political barriers that stood against Daniel. Darius, despite his position, becomes a prisoner of his own decrees, demonstrating the ultimate limit of human power when entangled by its own laws. Yet, this legal precision, designed for Daniel's downfall, paradoxically sets the stage for God's dramatic and undeniable intervention, highlighting divine sovereignty above all human constructs, even immutable ones.

• Practical example: In contexts where rules and traditions seem unbendable, and following conscience (or God's will) seems impossible due to consequences, remember that Daniel faced an "unalterable" human law, but God's divine will proved superior. This encourages discerning when to stand firm on faith even against absolute-sounding human directives.