Daniel 6 23

Daniel 6:23 kjv

Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

Daniel 6:23 nkjv

Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.

Daniel 6:23 niv

The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Daniel 6:23 esv

Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Daniel 6:23 nlt

The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.

Daniel 6 verses

Daniel 6 23 meaning

This verse records the joyous reaction of King Darius and the miraculous, immediate deliverance of Daniel from the lions' den, unequivocally attributing his survival to his unwavering trust in God. It highlights God's power to protect His faithful servant against seemingly insurmountable dangers and the complete absence of harm, proving divine intervention.

Daniel 6 23 Context

Daniel 6 takes place during the reign of Darius the Mede, following the fall of Babylon to the Medo-Persian Empire. Daniel, an elderly but highly esteemed prophet, held a position of significant authority as one of three presidents overseeing 120 satraps. His exemplary conduct and devotion to God led jealous officials to devise a plot, knowing Daniel’s unyielding faithfulness. They manipulated King Darius into issuing an irrevocable decree forbidding prayer to any god or man except the king for thirty days, punishable by being cast into a lions' den. Despite knowing the decree, Daniel continued his custom of praying to God three times a day, fulfilling the conspirators’ expectation. The king, though distressed by Daniel's condemnation, was powerless to revoke his own law and reluctantly cast Daniel into the den. This verse immediately follows Darius's anxious return to the den at dawn, expecting to find Daniel dead, and calling out to him. The preceding verse (Dan 6:22) recorded Daniel's voice from the den, confirming God sent an angel to shut the lions' mouths because he was found innocent.

Daniel 6 23 Word analysis

• Then the king was exceedingly glad:
  • Then (וְדָרְיָוֶשׁ, wə-ḏār yāwesh): Connects directly to Daniel's verbal response in v. 22.
  • the king (דָּרְיָוֶשׁ, dār yāwesh): Specifies Darius, the authority figure initially tricked by Daniel's enemies.
  • exceedingly (שְׂגִּיא, səggîʾ) glad (שְׂמִי לֵיהּ, səmî lēh): Emphasizes the intensity of Darius's relief and joy. This is an Aramaic expression highlighting extreme happiness, directly contrasting his sorrow in the previous night. It underscores the profound emotional impact of Daniel’s survival on the king.
• and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den:
  • commanded (אֲמַר, ʾămar): Demonstrates immediate exercise of royal authority.
  • taken up (נְפַק, nəpaq): Aramaic verb meaning to go out, exit, or be brought out. This implies an active extraction, not Daniel just walking out himself.
• So Daniel was taken up out of the den:
  • So (וְהֻסַּק, wə-hussaq): Confirms the command's immediate execution.
  • taken up (וְהֻסַּק, wə-hussaq): Passive form of "taken out/up", indicating the king's order was swiftly obeyed and Daniel was removed from the danger.
• and no injury whatever was found on him:
  • no (לָא, lāʾ) injury (חֲבָל, ḥăval): The Aramaic ḥăval refers to any hurt, harm, damage, or wound. The "no" signifies absolute absence.
  • whatever (כֹּל, kōl): Emphasizes the completeness of Daniel’s preservation. It means "any, every, all" reinforcing that no kind of injury was found.
  • was found (אִשְׁתְּכַחַת, ʾištəkaḥat): Indicates discovery through observation. The lions clearly had not harmed him. This is an objective observation, a verifiable miracle.
  • on him (בֵּהּ, bēh): Specifies that the miraculous preservation was physically on Daniel.
• because he had trusted in his God:
  • because (דִּי, dî): A causal conjunction; explicitly states the reason for Daniel's deliverance. This is the crucial theological statement of the verse.
  • he had trusted (הֵימִן, hêmî n): From the root אמן (aman), meaning to be firm, steady, faithful, reliable. In this verbal form, it means "to believe," "to trust," or "to have faith." This trust was active and steadfast, even in the face of death.
  • in his God (בֵּאֱלָהֵהּ, bēʾlāhēh): Refers to the One True God, Yahweh. The possessive pronoun "his" highlights Daniel's personal and exclusive relationship with God, distinguishing Him from the pagan deities.

Words-group analysis

• "exceedingly glad...commanded...taken up...no injury whatever was found on him": This sequence starkly contrasts the fear and sorrow of the previous night. It presents a complete narrative arc of impending doom, miraculous deliverance, and joyful affirmation. The visible, tangible evidence ("no injury whatever was found on him") makes the miracle undeniable to all, including the king and the observers.
• "no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God": This is the theological climax of the verse. The physical absence of harm is directly linked to Daniel's internal spiritual state – his complete trust. This relationship between unwavering faith and divine protection is central to the biblical narrative. It also serves as a direct polemic against the notion that the Persian king's power or local deities could offer such protection or judge over Yahweh's domain.

Daniel 6 23 Bonus section

The Aramaic word for "God" here, אֱלָהַהּ (ʾelahah), is the definite singular form of God, which implies "the God," referring specifically to the God of Daniel, the one true God, over and against any polytheistic deities. This specificity in language, within a pagan court context, reinforces the monotheistic truth Daniel championed. The repeated phrase "taken up out of the den" (Aramaic: hupsaq/niphaq men gubbāʾ) emphasizes the physical act of extraction, underscoring the shift from danger to safety as a concrete, witnessed event. Daniel's experience echoes a broader biblical theme where God acts not merely to rescue, but to rescue spectacularly and unmistakably, providing incontrovertible evidence of His power and care for His servants. This also contributed significantly to Darius’s subsequent decree (Dan 6:26-27), magnifying Daniel’s God throughout the empire.

Daniel 6 23 Commentary

Daniel 6:23 serves as a powerful testament to the sovereignty of God and the efficacy of genuine faith. It unveils the personal, relational aspect of Daniel’s devotion—his "God" as opposed to any other deity or the king. The miracle is not just Daniel's survival, but his absolute lack of injury, highlighting a complete supernatural intervention. This explicit connection between his "trust" and God's "deliverance" forms the bedrock of biblical understanding of faith: active reliance on God's character and power in impossible situations. This incident validates God’s ability to preserve His faithful through tribulation, offering a message of hope and reassurance that those who fix their faith in Him will not be put to shame. Daniel's story foreshadows greater deliverances and reinforces the promise of God's protection for His chosen, showcasing divine authority over both nature and human conspiracy.Example: The enduring nature of Daniel’s story inspires believers facing modern-day "lion's dens" of persecution or impossible circumstances to trust God without reservation.