Daniel 6 5

Daniel 6:5 kjv

Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

Daniel 6:5 nkjv

Then these men said, "We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God."

Daniel 6:5 niv

Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."

Daniel 6:5 esv

Then these men said, "We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God."

Daniel 6:5 nlt

So they concluded, "Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion."

Daniel 6 verses

Daniel 6 5 meaning

This verse illuminates the exceptional moral and professional integrity of Daniel. His political adversaries, consumed by jealousy, diligently searched for any misconduct or fault in his public duties or private life that could serve as a basis for accusation, but they found absolutely none. Their concluding declaration was that the only avenue to lodge a successful charge against Daniel would be to target his unwavering devotion to the laws and practices of his God, thereby revealing that his blamelessness in all earthly matters stemmed from his profound spiritual commitment.

Daniel 6 5 Context

Daniel 6 narrates a crucial episode in Daniel’s long service to foreign kings, set under the reign of Darius the Mede after the fall of Babylon. Daniel, already known for his "excellent spirit" (Dan 6:3), was promoted by Darius to be one of three chief presidents overseeing 120 satraps, due to the king's intention to set Daniel over the whole kingdom. This significant advancement kindled intense jealousy and animosity among the other high-ranking officials. The immediate context preceding verse 5 details their malicious conspiracy: they sought tirelessly to find some legal ground or administrative error in Daniel's performance to accuse him before the king. This verse thus functions as the critical turning point, recording their ultimate failure in this endeavor and revealing their desperate, final strategy: targeting Daniel’s religious fidelity, the only aspect of his life they perceived as vulnerable under a pagan regime.

Daniel 6 5 Word analysis

• "Then": (Aramaic אֱדַיִן, `'ĕdayin`) This adverb of time marks a consequence or progression from the preceding action. It indicates that the officials' conclusion followed their intense but failed search for wrongdoing.
• "these men": Refers directly to "the presidents and the satraps" mentioned in Dan 6:4, emphasizing the collective nature of their hostile, politically motivated investigation against Daniel.
• "said": Implies a formal or decisive statement, signaling their final deliberation and the unanimous agreement reached after their exhaustive efforts.
• "We will never find any basis for charges": (Aramaic לֹא נְהַשְׁכַּח עִלָּה, `lo' nĕhashkakh 'illah`)
  • `lo'` (לא): "no, never," an emphatic negation indicating an absolute inability.
  • `nĕhashkakh` (נְהַשְׁכַּח): From `shĕkakh` (שְׁכַח), "to find," "to discover." The phrase stresses the thoroughness and eventual futility of their investigation.
  • `'illah` (עִלָּה): A key Aramaic term, meaning "occasion," "pretext," "ground for accusation," or "charge." It refers to any legitimate legal or administrative fault. The failure to find any `'illah` testifies powerfully to Daniel's immaculate record and character.
• "against this man Daniel": Specifically targets Daniel, highlighting his uniqueness and the personal animosity underlying their scheme.
• "unless": (Aramaic הֵן לָא, `hen la'`) This strong conditional conjunction introduces the only loophole or alternative strategy they could devise, signaling the direness of their situation and their calculated malicious intent.
• "it has something to do with the law of his God": (Aramaic דָּתָא דֵּאלָהֵהּ, `datâ de'elahêh`)
  • `datâ` (דָּתָא): A Persian loanword in Aramaic, meaning "law," "decree," "statute," or "custom." This signifies the formalized religious code or practices Daniel adhered to.
  • `de'elahêh` (דֵּאלָהֵהּ): "of his God." `elah` (אֱלָהּ) is the Aramaic word for "God." This phrase specifies Daniel's God, the God of Israel, acknowledging his distinctive monotheistic faith and its demands upon him. The men knew Daniel's God's law dictated his life.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:
  • "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel": This statement, made by his enemies after exhaustive search, serves as an ultimate testament to Daniel's unparalleled integrity. It underscores his moral uprightness and flawless administrative conduct, showing that his character was indeed "excellent" (Dan 6:3) even by the critical scrutiny of his adversaries.
  • "unless it has something to do with the law of his God": This crucial phrase exposes the depraved genius of the plot. Unable to find legitimate worldly fault, Daniel's jealous opponents targeted his defining characteristic: his uncompromising devotion to his God. They correctly deduced that Daniel’s loyalty to God’s law transcended human decree, making his piety, ironically, the only perceived vulnerability in his otherwise impregnable character within a pagan political system.

Daniel 6 5 Bonus section

The enemies’ confession in Daniel 6:5 functions as a powerful, indirect polemic. By admitting their inability to find any fault in Daniel's conduct "unless it has something to do with the law of his God," they unwittingly testify to the moral superiority and the impeccable ethics instilled by the God of Israel. In a context often riddled with corruption and self-interest, Daniel's blamelessness, recognized even by his accusers, silently condemns the pervasive pagan political norms. It proclaims that obedience to the God of Heaven results in such righteous living that even an investigative body seeking grounds for condemnation can find none, forcing them to fabricate an accusation that ironically validates Daniel’s deep spiritual conviction. This makes Daniel's life a living demonstration that true spiritual commitment yields irreproachable integrity in every sphere.

Daniel 6 5 Commentary

Daniel 6:5 serves as a profound affirmation of Daniel's character, highlighting a level of integrity so absolute that his most ardent adversaries could not find any legitimate flaw. This extraordinary blamelessness was not accidental but the direct result of his faithful adherence to the "law of his God." The irony is striking: the very devotion that rendered him impeccable in his civic duties became the twisted weapon his enemies would use against him. This verse encapsulates the foundational conflict of the chapter—the clash between uncompromised piety and envious, humanly contrived law. It reveals that the world's most cunning opposition often cannot fault a righteous individual's actions but must resort to attacking their very faith, making their commitment to God a target rather than their conduct.