Daniel 6 · Verse 12

Daniel 6:12

Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
Daniel 6:12, King James Version

Daniel 6:12 in other translations

BSBSo they approached the king and asked about his royal decree: “Did you not sign a decree that for thirty days any man who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions?” The king replied, “According to the law of the Medes and Persians the order stands, and it cannot be repealed.”
WEBThen they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king’s decree: “Haven’t you signed a decree that every man who makes a petition to any god or man within thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered, “This thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which doesn’t alter.”
ASVThen they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s interdict: Hast thou not signed an interdict, that every man that shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
YLTthen they have come near, yea, they are saying before the king concerning the king's interdict: ‘Hast thou not signed an interdict, that any man who seeketh from any god and man until thirty days, save of thee, O king, is cast into a den of lions?' Answered hath the king, and said, ‘The thing is certain as a law of Media and Persia, that doth not pass away.'
DARBYThen they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree: Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask anything of anygod or man within thirty days, except of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.
BBEThen they came near before the king and said, O King, have you not put your name to an order that any man who makes a request to any god or man but you, O King, for thirty days, is to be put into the lions' hole? The king made answer and said, The thing is fixed by the law of the Medes and Persians which may not come to an end.
WebsterThen they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

What does Daniel 6:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. They preface their attack by alleging the king's edict, so as to get him again to confirm it unalterably, before they mention Daniel's name. Not to break a wicked promise, is not firmness, but guilty obstinacy (Mt 14:9; Mr 6:26).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Shall be cast into the den of lions - Either this was the royal menagerie, like that place in the Tower of London, where wild beasts are kept for the king's pleasure, and the public amusement; or they were kept for the purpose of devouring certain criminals, which the laws might consign to that kind of death. This is most likely, from the case before us.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Daniel 6:11-17

It is no new thing for what is done faithfully, in conscience toward God, to be misrepresented as done obstinately, and in contempt of the civil powers. Through want of due thought, we often do that which afterwards, like Darius, we see cause a thousand times to wish undone again. Daniel, that venerable man, is brought as the vilest of malefactors, and is thrown into the den of lions, to be devoured, only for…

Read the full comment on Daniel 6:11-17 →

Daniel 6:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בֵּ֠אדַיִןBe.da.yin<in> thenH116
קְרִ֨יבוּke.Ri.vuthey approachedH7127
וְאָמְרִ֥יןve.'a.me.Rinand [were] sayingH560
קֳדָם\־ko.dom-beforeH6925
מַלְכָּא֮mal.Ka'king theH4430
עַל\־'al-concerningH5922
אֱסָ֣ר'e.Sar[the] prohibition ofH633
מַלְכָּא֒mal.Ka'king theH4430
הֲלָ֧אha.La'¿ notH3809
אֱסָ֣ר'e.Sara prohibitionH633
רְשַׁ֗מְתָּre.Sham.tadid you signH7560
דִּ֣יdithatH1768
כָל\־khol-everyH3606
אֱנָ֡שׁ'e.NashpersonH606
דִּֽי\־di-whoH1768
יִבְעֵה֩yiv.'Ehhe will askH1156
מִן\־min-fromH4481
כָּל\־kol-anyH3606
אֱלָ֨הּ'e.LahgodH426
וֶֽאֱנָ֜שׁve.'e.Nashand personH606
עַד\־'ad-untilH5705
יוֹמִ֣יןyo.MindaysH3118
תְּלָתִ֗יןte.la.TinthirtyH8533
לָהֵן֙la.HenexceptH3861
מִנָּ֣ךְmi.Nakhfrom youH4481
מַלְכָּ֔אmal.Ka'king OH4430
יִתְרְמֵ֕אyit.re.Me'he will be thrownH7412
לְג֖וֹבle.Govto [the] den ofH1358
אַרְיָותָ֑א'ar.yo.Ta'lions theH744
עָנֵ֨ה'a.Neh[was] replyingH6032
מַלְכָּ֜אmal.Ka'king theH4430
וְאָמַ֗רve.'a.Marand sayingH560
יַצִּיבָ֧אya.tzi.Va'[is] certainH3330
מִלְּתָ֛אmi.le.Ta'word theH4406
כְּדָת\־ke.dot-according to [the] law ofH1882
מָדַ֥יma.Dai[the] MedesH4076
וּפָרַ֖סu.fa.Rasand [the] PersiansH6540
דִּי\־di-whichH1768
לָ֥אla'notH3809
תֶעְדֵּֽא\׃te'.De'it will pass awayH5709

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Daniel 6:12

  • Daniel 6:8

    Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

  • Daniel 3:8-12

    Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. …

  • Esther 1:19

    If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.

  • Acts 16:19

    And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

  • Acts 16:24

    Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

  • Acts 24:2-9

    And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence, We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words. For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they.
3:8-12; Ac 16:19,24; 24:2-9
the den.It is probable that these lions were kept for the purpose of devouring certain criminals, whom the laws might consign to that kind of death.
The thing.
8; Es 1:19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Daniel 6:11

    Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

  • Daniel 6:12

    Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

  • Daniel 6:13

    Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

Read all of Daniel 6

Daniel 6:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Llegáronse luego, y hablaron delante del rey acerca del edicto real: ¿No has confirmado edicto que cualquiera que pidiere á cualquier dios ú hombre en el espacio de treinta días, excepto á ti, oh rey, fuese echado en el foso de los leones? Respondió el rey y dijo: Verdad es, conforme á la ley de Media y de Persia, la cual no se abroga.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Mais ces hommes s’assemblèrent en foule et trouvèrent Daniel qui priait et présentait sa supplication devant son Dieu.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Da liefen jene Männer eilig herbei und fanden Daniel betend und flehend vor seinem Gott.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et accedentes locuti sunt regi super edicto: Rex, numquid non constituisti ut omnis homo qui rogaret quemquam de diis et hominibus usque ad dies triginta, nisi te, rex, mitteretur in lacum leonum? Ad quos respondens rex, ait: Verus est sermo juxta decretum Medorum atque Persarum, quod prævaricari non licet.