Daniel 6 24

Daniel 6:24 kjv

And the king commanded, and they brought those men which 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 or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

Daniel 6:24 nkjv

And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions?them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.

Daniel 6:24 niv

At the king's command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Daniel 6:24 esv

And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions ? they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

Daniel 6:24 nlt

Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den.

Daniel 6 verses

Daniel 6 24 meaning

Daniel 6:24 portrays the swift and severe judgment administered by King Darius upon Daniel's malicious accusers. It demonstrates God's immediate and absolute vindication of His faithful servant by turning the very instrument of intended evil against the perpetrators and their families, signifying divine retribution and the ultimate consequence of opposing God's plan through His people. The verse highlights the lions' immediate and devastating attack, emphasizing the stark contrast with their previous, divinely imposed restraint towards Daniel.

Daniel 6 24 Context

Daniel 6:24 immediately follows Daniel's miraculous preservation in the den of lions (Dan 6:19-23). After finding Daniel unharmed, King Darius was filled with joy and issued a decree for Daniel's accusers to be thrown into the very den where they had intended Daniel to perish. The preceding narrative details the jealousy and conspiracy of the satraps and administrators who tricked the king into signing an irreversible decree, knowing Daniel would rather obey God than the king's law. Their malicious intent was to destroy Daniel. The verse thus serves as the swift climax of justice for this scheme, emphasizing the king's (and by extension, God's) firm and immediate response to injustice and deceit. Culturally, collective punishment of a family for a grievous crime committed by its head was not uncommon in the ancient Near East, although later prophetic books emphasized individual accountability.

Daniel 6 24 Word analysis

• And the king commanded: (Aramaic: וּמַלְכָּא֙ אֲמַר֙ ūmalkāʾ ʾamar) — Signifies the absolute authority of the Persian monarch, swift and decisive action based on a judicial decree. Darius, having been manipulated, now uses his power to right the wrong and execute justice.
• and they brought those men: (Aramaic: וְהֵיתָ֣יוּ לְגֻבְרַיָּ֔א wəhêṯāyū ləgūbrayyāʾ) — Indicates immediate execution of the command. The subjects obey without question.
• who had maliciously accused Daniel: (Aramaic: דִּֽי־אֲכַ֤לוּ קַרְצֵהּ֙ דִּֽי־דָ֣נִיֵּ֔אל dî-ʾăkālū qarṣēh dî-dānīyēʾl) — The Aramaic phrase literally means "who ate the pieces/fragments of Daniel," an idiom meaning "slandered him," "accused him falsely/maliciously." It highlights their treacherous, deceitful nature and the severity of their crime against an innocent man and ultimately against God.
• and they cast them into the den of lions: (Aramaic: וּרְמֵו֙ לְהוֹן֙ לְגֻבָּא דִ֣י אַרְיָוָתָ֔א ūrmêw ləhōn ləgubbāʾ dî ʾaryāwāṯāʾ) — Implies that the exact fate they plotted for Daniel now became their own. The "den of lions" (גֻבָּא דִ֣י אַרְיָוָתָ֔א - gubbāʾ dî ʾaryāwāṯāʾ) emphasizes the very place of supposed destruction, now repurposed as a place of judgment.
• them, their children, and their wives: (Aramaic: הֵ֑ם בְּנַיְה֖וֹן וּנְשֵׁיהֽוֹן hêm bənayhōn wənišêhōn) — This denotes collective punishment, common in ancient Near Eastern legal systems for high treason or severe crimes, where the family unit was considered an extension of the primary offender. While stark to modern sensibilities, it illustrates the seriousness of the offense in that cultural context. It underlines the completeness of the judgment on those who targeted God's servant.
• And the lions overpowered them: (Aramaic: וּֽמַחְיוּ־לְהוֹן֙ אַרְיָ֣וָתָ֔א ūmaḥyū-ləhōn ʾaryāwāṯāʾ) — The Aramaic literally means "struck them down" or "destroyed them." This is crucial as it highlights the contrast with Daniel. These same lions, supernaturally restrained before, now act with savage efficiency.
• and broke all their bones in pieces: (Aramaic: וְכָל־גַּרְמֵיה֖וֹן הַדִּ֣יקוּ wəḵol-garmêhōn haddîqū) — Indicates utter and violent destruction, a total annihilation. This emphasizes the lions' hunger and ferocity, demonstrating that they were very much alive and capable, debunking any idea that they were tamed.
• before they reached the bottom of the den: (Aramaic: עַד לָ֥א מְטָֽאוּ לְאַרְעִיתָֽא ʿad lāʾ mṭāʾū ləʾarʿîtāʾ) — This vivid detail underscores the extraordinary speed and brutality of their demise. There was no reprieve, no chance for even a partial descent before destruction. It serves as a dramatic confirmation of divine intervention – the lions' appetite, held back by God for Daniel, was unleashed instantly on his tormentors.

Daniel 6 24 Bonus section

The immediate and devastating fate of the accusers in Daniel 6:24 provides a powerful polemic against any perception of the pagan god's supremacy or human ingenuity triumphing over God's plan. The incident clearly demonstrates the absolute sovereignty of the Living God (as recognized by King Darius in Dan 6:26-27), who controls even the instincts of wild animals and ensures the vindication of His servants. It serves as a clear declaration that YHWH is a God who sees, intervenes, and dispenses justice decisively. The swiftness of their demise, "before they reached the bottom," removes any ambiguity regarding their end or the active agency of the lions, setting the stage for Darius's grand declaration about Daniel's God.

Daniel 6 24 Commentary

Daniel 6:24 acts as the divinely orchestrated conclusion to the attempted murder of Daniel, vividly demonstrating God's swift and unwavering justice. While the accusers conspired to ensnare Daniel through the king's decree, God utilized the same decree and instrument (the lion's den) to bring about their judgment. The miraculous restraint of the lions for Daniel starkly contrasts with their unrestrained ferocity towards his accusers and their families, signifying that the lions were not simply tame but were subject to divine command. The extension of punishment to the families reflects ancient Near Eastern jurisprudence, where grave crimes (especially against a king or state, which harming Daniel indirectly represented through the king's reputation) often incurred collective responsibility. This passage serves as a powerful biblical illustration of the principle that those who scheme evil against God's faithful often fall into their own traps, experiencing a proportional and even heightened measure of the suffering they intended for others.