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Verse

Daniel 6:7

ESV All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
NIV The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions' den.
NASB All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who offers a prayer to any god or person besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.
CSB All the administrators of the kingdom--the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors--have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that, for thirty days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions' den.
NLT We are all in agreement — we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors — that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human — except to you, Your Majesty — will be thrown into the den of lions.
KJV All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellers, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

What does Daniel 6:7 mean?

Daniel's jealous enemies hated how he was deeply respected by the ruling king. Worse, they found that this respect was well deserved: Daniel left no room for any accusations of any kind (Daniel 6:1–4). The one area where these scheming politicians saw an opening was in Daniel's faith (Daniel 6:5). If they could force Daniel to choose between obedience to God and obedience to human law, it was clear he would choose his faith. The men have gathered, in a large group, to press the king to make a new law (Daniel 6:6).

The advisors present what they claim is a unanimous proposal—Scripture does not indicate whether literally every one of the 120 satraps and the two other governors were on board. However, that is the way the idea is presented to the king. Certainly, Daniel would not have approved of such a law. The proposal is to outlaw prayers unless they are directed at the king, himself. The law seems flattering to Darius (Daniel 5:31), but it is really intended to target Daniel.

Violators would be punished by being placed into a pit or cave, or possibly an artificial enclosure, containing lions. These were probably captured animals used for just such purposes.
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