When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; the king spoke and said to Daniel, Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?
Parallel translations
- 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?
- BSB When he reached the den, he cried out in a voice of anguish, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
- NKJV And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver 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?”
- 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?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The king cries out, asking whether Daniel's God has been able to deliver him. His desperate question centers on the power of the living God.
Overview
Darius calls Daniel the servant of the living God and asks whether that God has saved him from the lions. The title living God contrasts sharply with the dead idols of Babylon condemned in chapter 5. The king's anguished question invites a demonstration of God's power that will resound throughout his empire.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 28
- Dan 6:27He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
- 1 Chr 16:11Seek Yahweh and his strength. Seek his face forever more.
- Heb 7:25Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.
- Dan 6:16Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. The king spoke and said to Daniel, Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.
- 2 Tim 4:16–18At my first defense, no one came to help me, but all left me. May it not be held against them.
- Dan 3:17If it happens, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
- 1 Th 5:17–18Pray without ceasing.
- Jas 1:25But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
- Prov 23:17–18Don’t let your heart envy sinners; but rather fear Yahweh all day long.
- 2 Cor 1:10who delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver; on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;
- Jer 32:17“Ah Lord Yahweh! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm; there is nothing too hard for you,
- Ps 71:14–18But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise.
- Num 11:23Yahweh said to Moses, “Has Yahweh’s hand grown short? Now you will see whether my word will happen to you or not.”
- Hos 12:6Therefore turn to your God. Keep kindness and justice, and wait continually for your God.
- Gen 18:14Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son.”
- Luke 18:1He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up,
- 2 Tim 1:12For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.
- Luke 1:37For nothing spoken by God is impossible.”
- Col 4:2Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving;
- Dan 3:15Now if you are ready whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to fall down and worship the image which I have made, good: but if you don’t worship, you shall be cast the same hour into the middle of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands?
- Dan 3:28–29Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel, and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
- Jude 1:24Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,
- Ps 73:23Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand.
- Ps 146:2While I live, I will praise Yahweh. I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist.
- Num 14:15–16Now if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,
- Rom 2:7to those who by perseverance in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life;
- Ps 119:112I have set my heart to perform your statutes forever, even to the end. SAMEKH
- Acts 6:4But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.”
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Christ at the center
Daniel sees the stone cut without hands that shatters the kingdoms, and 'one like a son of man' given everlasting dominion — titles and visions Jesus claims as his own.
How Daniel 6:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
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