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17 Then a stone was brought and placed over the opening[a] to the den. The king sealed[b] it with his signet ring and with those[c] of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel. 18 Then the king departed to his palace. But he spent the night without eating, and no diversions[d] were brought to him. He was unable to sleep.[e]

God Rescues Daniel from the Lions

19 In the morning, at the earliest sign of daylight, the king got up and rushed to the lions’ den.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 6:17 tn Aram “mouth.”
  2. Daniel 6:17 sn The purpose of the den being sealed was to prevent unauthorized tampering with the opening of the den. Any disturbance of the seal would immediately alert the officials to improper activity of this sort.
  3. Daniel 6:17 tn Aram “the signet rings.”
  4. Daniel 6:18 tn The meaning of Aramaic דַּחֲוָה (dakhavah) is a crux interpretum. Suggestions include “music,” “dancing girls,” “concubines,” “table,” “food”—all of which are uncertain. The translation employed here, suggested by earlier scholars, is deliberately vague. A number of recent English versions follow a similar approach with “entertainment” (e.g., NASB, NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT). On this word see further, HALOT 1849-50 s.v.; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 37.
  5. Daniel 6:18 tn Aram “his sleep fled from him.”