Daniel 6:23 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Daniel 6:23
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.
a king · noun, common both genders singular determined + particle of affirmation
exceeding
שַׂגִּיא֙sa.Gi'
H7690
large (in size · adjective, both genders singular absolute
glad
טְאֵ֣בte.'Ev
H2868
to rejoice · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
him
עֲל֔וֹהִיa.Lo.hi
H5922
above · preposition + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
commanded
אֲמַ֖ר'a.Mar
H560
to say (used with great latitude) · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
take
נְסַקnᵉçaq
H5267
to go up
Daniel
וּלְדָ֣נִיֵּ֔אלu.le.Da.ni.Yel
H1841
Danijel · conjunction + preposition + proper noun, a man's name
up
נְסַקnᵉçaq
H5267
to go up
of
מִןmin-
H4481
properly · preposition
den
גֻּבָּ֑אgu.Ba'
H1358
a pit (for wild animals) (as cut out) · noun, common both genders singular determined + particle of affirmation
Daniel
דָּנִיֵּ֜אלda.ni.Yel
H1841
Danijel · proper noun, a man's name
up
נְסַקnᵉçaq
H5267
to go up
of
מִןmin-
H4481
properly · preposition
den
גֻּבָּ֗אgu.Ba'
H1358
a pit (for wild animals) (as cut out) · noun, common both genders singular determined + particle of affirmation
no
לָאla'-
H3809
not (the simple or abs. negation) · negative particle
manner
וְכָלve.khol
H3606
properly · conjunction + noun, common both genders singular construct
hurt
חֲבָל֙cha.Val
H2257
harm (personal or pecuniary) · noun, common both genders singular absolute
found
הִשְׁתְּכַ֣חhish.te.Khach
H7912
to discover (literally or figuratively) · verb, perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
believed
הֵימִ֥ןhei.Min
H540
properly · verb, hiphil perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
God
בֵּאלָהֵֽהּbe.la.Heh
H426
God · preposition + noun, common both genders singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
1 Chronicles 5:20 And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in t…
Daniel 3:27-28 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had…
Daniel 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like…
Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Daniel 6:18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went fr…
Psalms 37:40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Daniel 6:18-24
Here is, I. The melancholy night which the king had, upon Daniel's account, Dan 6:18. He had said, indeed, that God would deliver him out of the danger, but at the same time he could not forgive himself for throwing him into the danger; and justly might God deprive him of a friend whom he had himself used so barbarously. He went to his palace, vexed at himself for what he had done, and calling himself unwise and unjust for not adhering to the law of God and nature with a non obstante - a negative to the law of the Medes and Persians. He ate no supper, but passed the night fasting; his heart was already full of grief and fear. He forbade the music; nothing is more unpleasing that songs sung t…
because he believed--"Faith" is stated in Heb 11:33 to have been his actuating principle: a prelude to the Gospel. His belief was not with a view to a miraculous deliverance. He shut his eyes to the event, committing the keeping of his soul to God, in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator (Pe1 4:19), sure of deliverance in a better life, if not in this.
Adam Clarke on Daniel 6:23
No manner of hurt was found upon him - And why? Because he believed in his God. How mighty is faith? It interests that power in the behalf of the believer by which the sea is dried up, the mountains removed, the dead raised to life, sin forgiven, the heart purified, Satan vanquished, death conquered, and God himself delighted and glorified! See Hebrews 11.
John Gill on Daniel 6:23
Then was the king exceeding glad for him,.... For Daniel, because of his safety, because he was alive, and in health, and unhurt; and the speech he made was very acceptable to him, agreeable to his sentiments, and which he was satisfied was just and true: or "with", or "for himself" (l); being now eased of a guilty and distracted conscience:
and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den; that is, he ordered those that were with him, his servants that attended him, either to roll away the stone, and so let him out; or to let down ropes, and draw him out, or ladders by which he might ascend; for one would think it would not have been safe for them to have gone down into it, to…
The Church Fathers
"Stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire and escaped the edge of the sword." See how they were in death itself, Daniel encompassed by the lions, the three children abiding in the furnace, the Israelites, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, in diverse temptations; and yet not even so did they despair. For this is faith. When things are turning out adversely, then we ought to believe nothing adverse is done but all things in due order.
The lesson that was read today invites you to the true faith, by setting before you the way in which you also must please God. It affirms that "without faith it is impossible to please him." For when will an individual resolve to serve God, unless he believes that "he is a giver of reward"? When will a young woman choose a virgin life, or a young man live soberly, if they do not believe that for chastity there is "a crown that does not fade away"? Faith is an eye that enlightens every conscience and imparts understanding. The prophet says, "And if you do not believe, you shall not understand." Faith "stops the mouth of lions," as in Daniel's case, for Scripture says concerning him, "Daniel was brought up out of the den and was found to be hurt in no way, because he believed in his God."
Then accordingly when the angel appeared in the den, the wild beasts were tamed and the lions, wagging their tails at him, rejoiced as being subjected by a new Adam. They, licking the holy feet of Daniel, rolled around to taste the soles of his feet and they longed to accompany him. For if we believe that, after Paul was condemned to beasts and that a lion was set upon him, it reclined at his feet and licked him all around, how do we not also believe what happened to Daniel, which even Darius himself described to all, having dispatched it through scribes? And in the books of the Persians and Medes it is read up to today that these things really occurred, so that not only the Hebrews nor only the Babylonians, but also the Medes and the Persians and all the nations who live under heaven, having heard the things which happened, they themselves feared God. And then, as Darius heard the voice of Daniel, he was amazed and marveled and commanded the stone to be rolled away and he saw Daniel sitting in the midst of the lions and he was stroking the hair of their heads with his own hands. And then, having invited everyone, he exhibited to them the marvelous spectacle, beasts which were tamed by a man and who were comforted by his hands. Accordingly after taking Daniel up "from the den, no destruction was found in him at all because he trusted in his God." [Daniel 6:23]
Dictionary and topics
Daniel — God is my judge, or judge of God. (1.) David’s second son, “born unto him in Hebron, of Abigail the Carmelitess” (1 Chr. 3:1). He is called also Chileab (2 Sam. 3:3). (2.) One of the four great…
Darius — The holder or supporter, the name of several Persian kings. (1.) Darius the Mede (Dan. 11:1), “the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes” (9:1). On the death of Belshazzar the Chaldean he…
Medes, Media — (middle land). Media lay northwest of Persia proper, south and southwest of the Caspian Sea, east of Armenia and Assyria, west and northwest of the great salt desert of Iran. Its greatest length was…
Media — Heb. Madai, which is rendered in the Authorized Version (1) “Madai,” Gen. 10:2; (2) “Medes,” 2 Kings 17:6; 18:11; (3) “Media,” Esther 1:3; 10:2; Isa. 21:2; Dan. 8:20; (4) “Mede,” only in Dan. 11:1.…
Temptation — (1.) Trial; a being put to the test. Thus God “tempted [Gen. 22: 1; R.V., ‘did prove’] Abraham;” and afflictions are said to tempt, i.e., to try, men (James 1:2, 12; comp. Deut. 8:2), putting their…
Daniel · .Courage and fi — .Courage and fi
Faith · Exemplified: Daniel — Exemplified: Daniel
Indictments · .Daniel, on the charge of — .Daniel, on the charge of
Lion · Used for the torture of criminals — Used for the torture of criminals
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Daniel 6:23
23. Then was the king exceeding 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.
23. Tunc rex valde exhilaratus in se, vel, super eo, Danielem jussit educi ex spelunca: et eductus fuit Daniel ex spelunca: et nulla corruptio, vel, laesio, inventa fuit in eo: quia credidit, vel, confisus est, Deo suo.
Daniel confirms what he had formerly narrated concerning the feelings of King Darius. As he had departed in anxiety to his palace, had abstained from food and drink, and had laid aside all pleasures and delights, so also he rejoiced in hearing…
Daniel's offence against the law; his accusation, condemnation, and miraculous deliverance from the den of lions; and the punishment of his accusers.
The satraps did not wait long for Daniel's expected disregard of the king's prohibition. It was Daniel's custom, on bended knees, three times a day to offer prayer to his God in the upper chamber of his house, the window thereof being open towards Jerusalem. He continued this custom even after the issuing of the edict; for a discontinuance of it on account of that law would have been a denying of the faith and a sinning against God. On this his enemies had reckoned. They secretly watched him, and immediately reported his disregard of the king's…
