Daniel in the Lions' Den
Praying when it is against the law
This story includes a man thrown to lions, and near the end, whole families killed by lions at a king's command.
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- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Daniel: A man from Judah, now old. He was taken to Babylon as a young man and has served its kings ever since. He prays to God every day.
- King Darius: Called Darius the Mede. He took over the kingdom of Babylon at age 62 (Daniel 5:31).
- The officials: The other top leaders and the satraps, the king's governors. They want Daniel gone.
- The lions: Kept by the king in a deep pit called a den.
Setting
- The kingdom of Babylon, now ruled by the Medes and Persians. The king's palace, Daniel's house, and the lions' den.
When
- More than 2,500 years ago, soon after the city of Babylon fell (Daniel 5:30-31).
Before the Story
Daniel was taken far from home. When Daniel was young, the army of Babylon attacked Jerusalem. Daniel and other young men from Judah were carried off to Babylon (Daniel 1:1-6).
God was with Daniel in a foreign land. God gave Daniel wisdom, and Daniel served the kings of Babylon for many years (Daniel 1:17-21).
The kingdom changed hands. One night, Babylon's king was killed. Darius the Mede took over (Daniel 5:30-31).
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: The king is not the real power in this kingdom. Daniel had already said it plainly about God: "He removes kings and establishes them" (Daniel 2:21).
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. An old man in a high job | 6:1-3 | Darius plans to put Daniel over the whole kingdom |
| 2. Nothing to find | 6:4-5 | The officials look for something wrong with Daniel |
| 3. A law for thirty days | 6:6-9 | The king signs a law against praying |
| 4. Daniel prays | 6:10-11 | Daniel prays at his window, as he always had |
| 5. The king is trapped | 6:12-15 | The king cannot change his own law |
| 6. Into the den | 6:16-18 | Daniel is thrown to the lions. The king cannot sleep |
| 7. Dawn | 6:19-23 | The king runs to the den. Daniel is alive |
| 8. The accusers | 6:24 | The king punishes the accusers and their families |
| 9. A letter to every nation | 6:25-28 | Darius tells the world about Daniel's God |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 9An Old Man in a High Job
The new king sat on his throne. His name was Darius. He chose 120 satraps to rule all over his kingdom. A satrap was a governor who ruled one part of the land for the king.
Over all the satraps, Darius put three top leaders. The satraps answered to them, so that the king would not suffer loss. Daniel was one of the three.
Daniel was an old man by now. He had been taken from Jerusalem as a young man, about 70 years earlier (Daniel 1:1-6). He had served kings in Babylon ever since.
Daniel did his work better than all the others. The Bible says Daniel did this "by his extraordinary spirit" (6:3). Earlier in the book, this spirit showed itself as unusual wisdom and understanding (Daniel 5:12). So Darius made a plan. He would put Daniel in charge of the whole kingdom.
Scene 2 of 9Nothing to Find
The other leaders and the satraps began to watch Daniel. They looked for a charge against him. A charge is a reason to accuse someone of doing wrong.
They could not find one. Daniel did not cheat. He was not lazy or careless. The Bible says "he was trustworthy" (6:4).
The Bible doesn't say exactly why they turned against Daniel. But the king's plan to promote Daniel came first. Then the hunt began.
At last the men said, "We will never find any charge against this Daniel, unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God" (6:5).
They knew Daniel was faithful to his God. His faith was the one thing they could use against him. So they made a plan to catch him, like a trap for an animal. This is a comparison.
Scene 3 of 9A Law for Thirty Days
The men went to the king together. They greeted him the way people greeted kings back then. "O King Darius, may you live forever" (6:6).
They said all the royal leaders had agreed on a new law. For thirty days, no one could pray to any god or any person except King Darius. Anyone who did would be thrown into the den of lions.
Daniel was one of the top royal leaders. The Bible does not say that anyone asked him.
The men asked the king to sign the law. They reminded him that under the law of the Medes and Persians, a signed law could never be changed.
So King Darius signed it.
The Bible doesn't say why Darius agreed. But remember what the law said. For thirty days, the king would be the only one anyone could ask for help.
Scene 4 of 9Daniel Prays
Daniel heard that the law had been signed. He went home.
Daniel's house had an upper room. Its windows opened toward Jerusalem, his home city, far away across the desert.
One likely reason Daniel faced Jerusalem: long before, King Solomon had prayed for God's people. He asked God to hear them if they were ever taken captive and prayed toward Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:48). Daniel was a captive in a far land.
Three times a day, Daniel got down on his knees. He prayed, and he gave thanks to his God. He did this "just as he had done before" (6:10).
Daniel did not hide. He did not stop. He did not change anything. He prayed as he always had.
Then the men came as a group. They found Daniel praying and asking his God for help.
Halfway thereThis is a good place for a break. Your spot is saved on this device.
Scene 5 of 9The King Is Trapped
The men went to the king. They asked him about his law. They asked if he had signed a law about the lions' den.
The king said yes. "According to the law of the Medes and Persians the order stands, and it cannot be repealed" (6:12). Repealed means taken back.
Then the men carried out their plan. They said, "Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, shows no regard for you, O king" (6:13). They said Daniel still prayed three times a day.
They did not call Daniel a leader or a loyal servant. They called him an exile, a person taken from his home by force.
When the king heard this, he was "deeply distressed" (6:14). Now the king's own law would send Daniel to the lions.
Darius set his mind on rescuing Daniel. He worked at it until the sun went down.
Then the men came back to the king together. They told him again that no law the king signed could ever be changed.
The most powerful man in the kingdom was trapped by his own law.
Scene 6 of 9Into the Den
So the king gave the order. Daniel was brought and thrown into the lions' den.
Darius spoke to Daniel. "May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you" (6:16). Continually means all the time, without stopping. Deliver means rescue.
A stone was brought and placed over the opening of the den. The king sealed it with his own signet ring. A signet ring pressed the king's mark into soft clay. His nobles sealed it with their rings too. Now no one could change what happened to Daniel.
The king went back to his palace. He did not eat that night. Nothing was brought in to entertain him. He could not sleep.
Darius had more power than anyone in the land. But he could do nothing now except wait for morning.
Scene 7 of 9Dawn
At the first light of dawn, the king got up. He hurried to the lions' den.
When Darius reached the den, he cried out. His voice was full of anguish, a deep pain mixed with fear. "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" (6:20).
A voice came up from the den. "O king, may you live forever" (6:21).
It was Daniel. He was alive.
Daniel said, "My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me" (6:22). An angel is a messenger from God.
Daniel said God had found him innocent. He had done nothing wrong against the king either.
The king was overjoyed. He ordered his servants to lift Daniel out of the den. They found no wounds on Daniel at all. The Bible says this was "because he had trusted in his God" (6:23).
Scene 8 of 9The Accusers
Then the king gave another order. This part of the story is very hard to read.
The men who had lied about Daniel were brought to the den. Their wives and their children were brought too. They were all thrown in.
The lions overpowered them before they reached the bottom of the den. They all died.
This was the king's command. The Bible does not say that God told him to do it. It also does not stop to say whether it was right or wrong. The wives and children had not set the trap. Christians have struggled with this passage for a long time. There is more about it below, under "Wait, what?"
Scene 9 of 9A Letter to Every Nation
Then King Darius wrote a letter. He sent it to every nation and every language in his land.
Darius ordered everyone in his kingdom to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel. He wrote, "For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion will never end" (6:26). Dominion means rule.
Darius also wrote, "He delivers and rescues" (6:27). He said God does signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He said God had rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.
Not long before, Darius had signed a law. It said that only the king could be asked for help. Now the same king told the whole world who really rescues.
Daniel did well for the rest of Darius's rule, and while Cyrus the Persian was king.
Meaning
What does it mean?
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What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "He was trustworthy" (6:4) | Daniel's enemies checked his work closely. They found nothing to use against him. |
| "Concerning the law of his God" (6:5) | The men knew Daniel's faith was the one thing he would not give up. So they made his prayers against the law. |
| "So that it cannot be changed" (6:8) | Once the king signed it, the law was locked. Even the king could not take it back. |
| "Just as he had done before" (6:10) | Daniel did not start praying as a protest. He kept the habit he already had. |
| "My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions" (6:22) | God did the rescuing. Daniel did not fight the lions or escape on his own. |
| "I was found innocent in His sight" (6:22) | Daniel was innocent of the charge against him. It does not mean he never sinned. Daniel's own prayers include "confessing my sin" (Daniel 9:20). |
| "He delivers and rescues" (6:27) | A foreign king ends the story by saying the truest thing about God. |
Back Then
Daniel was probably in his 80s. Easton's Bible Dictionary dates Daniel's capture to about 606 B.C. and the rule of Darius the Mede to about 538 B.C. That is almost 70 years in a foreign land. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
Nobody is sure who Darius the Mede was in other history books. Some think he was a king known by another name. Others think "Darius" was a title for a governor that Cyrus put over Babylon. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
A signet ring was a king's official stamp. It was pressed into soft clay to show that a paper or a seal came from him. People have found ancient seal marks made this way. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
The king's signed law could not be undone. The book of Esther says the same thing about Persian law. A law "sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked" (Esther 8:8).
Many Jewish people still face Jerusalem when they pray. (Talmud, Berakhot 30a)
Literal Reader Alert
Why were the wives and children thrown to the lions? This is one of the hardest verses in the book. The Bible says it plainly. The men who lied about Daniel were thrown to the lions, "they and their children and wives" (6:24). The children had done nothing wrong. The Bible does not say God commanded this. It says it happened "At the command of the king" (6:24). But the book of Daniel also does not say the king was wrong. It tells what happened and moves on. Many readers notice a pattern. The men who used the lions' den as a trap ended up in the den themselves. That does not make it fair to their children. God's law for Israel's judges, given through Moses, did not allow this: "nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin" (Deuteronomy 24:16). Darius did not rule by that law. The verse does not solve the problem. It shows that the problem is real. Christians have struggled with this passage for a long time. We do not have to explain it away or call it fair. When a part of the Bible frightens us, Christians look to Jesus, the clearest picture of who God is. Jesus taught, "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). On the cross, he prayed for the people who killed him: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). If this story brings up big feelings, talk with a parent, pastor, or trusted adult.
If I trust God, will I never get hurt? The Bible says Daniel had no wounds "because he had trusted in his God" (6:23). But the Bible also tells about faithful people who were not rescued from harm. Some were beaten and put in chains (Hebrews 11:36). Jesus trusted his Father completely, and he still died on a cross. Trust is not a way to control what happens. Faith is a gift from God. God stays with us in the lions' den and even in the grave.
Did Daniel break the law on purpose? Daniel did not protest or give a speech. He prayed as he always had. He still spoke to the king with respect, and he said he had done no wrong against him (6:21-22). Hundreds of years later, Jesus's apostles said something like this: "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).
Was Daniel sinless? No. When Daniel said he was "found innocent" (6:22), he meant he was innocent of the charge. He had not betrayed the king. Daniel also confessed his sins to God (Daniel 9:20).
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The officials | Hostile | They looked hard for any charge against Daniel (6:4-5) |
| Daniel | Thankful | He gave thanks to God, even after the law was signed (6:10) |
| King Darius | Deeply distressed | His own law would send Daniel to the lions (6:14) |
| King Darius | Anguished | He had fasted all night without sleep and did not know if Daniel was alive (6:18, 6:20) |
| King Darius | Overjoyed | Daniel was alive and unhurt (6:23) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What part of this story feels closest to you today? Tap one.
Pressured to give in
Daniel's enemies used his faith against him. God did not leave Daniel alone in the den, and God does not leave you alone either.
Stuck with a mistake
Darius signed something he could not undo. He could not rescue Daniel, but God could. God can work even where we are stuck.
Upset about the families
That is a right and good reaction. The Bible does not ask you to cheer for it. Jesus prayed for his enemies instead of paying them back.
My prayers feel ordinary
Daniel's prayers were a daily habit. Ordinary prayers are real prayers. God hears them.
It's really bad right now
Please tell a trusted adult today. In the U.S., you can call or text 988. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the U.S., find a helpline at findahelpline.com.
You Might Have Heard
"Dare to be a Daniel. Be brave, stand alone, and God will keep you safe."
What's true: Daniel was faithful. He kept praying when it was against the law. Courage like that is a gift from God, and it is a good gift.
What the story is mainly about: God is the rescuer. Daniel's part was quiet. He knelt and prayed, as he always had. Then he was thrown into a pit he could not climb out of. Daniel said, "My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions" (6:22). At the end, even the king does not praise Daniel. He praises Daniel's God. The story does not promise that brave people will always stay safe (Hebrews 11:36).
Where Jesus is: Many Christians have noticed that this story sounds like Easter. An innocent man was accused by people looking for a charge. A stone was placed over the opening and sealed. At dawn, someone came to the sealed place. Jesus was also accused by people who "bore false witness" (Mark 14:56). His tomb was secured "by sealing the stone" (Matthew 27:66). At dawn, the women came to the tomb (Matthew 28:1). But Daniel was kept from death. Jesus went all the way through death and came out alive. And where the king paid back his enemies, Jesus prayed for his (Luke 23:34).
Good News
Daniel could not shut the lions' mouths. The king could not break his own law. God did what no one else could do.
The accusers in this story were looking for any charge they could find. Maybe you worry that God is looking for charges against you. God is not. Because of Jesus, "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Nothing can "separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). Not a law, not a lion, and not even death.
The God who shut the lions' mouths opened Jesus's tomb, and he will not let go of you.
Big Idea
God kept Daniel alive in the sealed den, and the same God raised Jesus from the sealed tomb.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In the Small Catechism (1529), Luther explains the Second Commandment. He says we should not misuse God's name, "but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks" (Triglot translation). Daniel did those things. In trouble, he "prayed, and gave thanks to his God" (6:10).
In his hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," Luther wrote about enemies who can take everything. In Frederick Hedge's translation, the last verse says, "The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever." Darius said the same about Daniel's God: "His kingdom will never be destroyed" (6:26).
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions.
How did that feel?