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Daniel 6:20
ESV As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
NIV When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, 'Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?'
NASB And when he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king began speaking and said to Daniel, 'Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to rescue you from the lions?'
CSB When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. "Daniel, servant of the living God," the king said, "has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to rescue you from the lions? "
NLT When he got there, he called out in anguish, 'Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?'
KJV And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?

What does Daniel 6:20 mean?

As Darius neared the lions' den, he called out in an anxious voice to Daniel. Darius was tricked into passing an irrevocable law that jealous advisors created as a trap for Daniel (Daniel 6:4–16). Normally, one might expect the king to be angry or distraught, but not especially nervous. Sealing Daniel into a pit filled with captured lions should have meant his gruesome death. But Darius respected Daniel (Daniel 6:1–3). Darius knew of Daniel's faithfulness (Daniel 1:8, 17, 20) and likely knew how others who worshipped Daniel's God had been rescued from execution (Daniel 3:24–26). When Daniel was cast into the lions' den, Darius told him, "May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!" (Daniel 6:16). His nervousness here is driven by hope: that Daniel's faith could result in a miraculous rescue. This hope was likely tempered with sorrow. Darius hoped Daniel was alive but expected to be greeted by silence.

It was Daniel's consistent service to his Lord that let scheming enemies spring their trap (Daniel 6:4–5, 10). Darius fully realized that Daniel's faithfulness was what led him into this situation. Daniel's testimony had influenced the pagan king deeply. The originally pagan Thessalonian Christians had turned from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Although Darius had not turned from his idols, at least by this time, he had seen enough to speak of Daniel's God with anticipation.
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