Daniel 6:13

My Notes

What Does Daniel 6:13 Mean?

"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." Daniel's accusers frame the charges with calculated precision: they identify Daniel as a FOREIGNER ('children of the captivity of Judah'), accuse him of DISRESPECTING the king ('regardeth not thee'), violating the DECREE ('nor the decree thou hast signed'), and maintaining his PRACTICE ('maketh his petition three times a day'). The accusation is technically accurate and politically devastating.

The phrase "which is of the children of the captivity of Judah" (di min benei galuta di yehud — who is from the children of the exile of Judah) is deliberately xenophobic: Daniel isn't introduced as a senior administrator or a trusted advisor. He's introduced as a FOREIGNER — an exile, a captive, a Judean. The accusers strip Daniel of his Babylonian credentials and reduce him to his ethnic origin. The xenophobia is the weapon.

The "maketh his petition three times a day" (zemanin telata beyoma — three times in a day) is the charge that contains Daniel's defense: Daniel PRAYS. Three times daily. The practice that the accusers frame as criminal defiance is actually disciplined devotion. The 'crime' is prayer. The 'violation' is worship. The 'disregard' for the king is regard for God.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What faithful practice in your life could be reframed as defiance by the wrong audience?
• 2.How does ethnic identity being weaponized ('children of the captivity') describe the mechanics of prejudice?
• 3.What does Daniel CONTINUING to pray (not starting in defiance) teach about consistency preceding crisis?
• 4.How does 'regardeth not thee' convert loyalty to God into apparent disloyalty to authority?

Devotional

That Daniel — the foreigner, the exile, the Judean — doesn't regard you, O king. Doesn't obey your decree. Prays three times a day. The accusation strips Daniel of every Babylonian achievement and reduces him to: immigrant who prays to his God. The xenophobia is calculated. The charge is technically correct. The 'crime' is worship.

The 'children of the captivity of Judah' is the ethnic card played to maximum effect: Daniel has served Babylonian kings for DECADES. He's the most senior, most trusted administrator in the empire. But the accusers don't mention any of that. They call him what he WAS — a captive. A foreigner. An exile. The decades of faithful service disappear. The ethnic origin is all that matters. The xenophobia erases the resume.

The 'regardeth not thee, O king' is the charge designed to trigger royal ego: the accusers know how to manipulate Darius. They don't say 'Daniel prays to his God' (which sounds noble). They say 'Daniel DISREGARDS YOU' (which sounds treasonous). The framing converts devotion to God into disrespect of the king. The loyalty to one is presented as disloyalty to the other.

The 'maketh his petition three times a day' is simultaneously the accusation and the testimony: the accusers mean it as evidence of defiance. But the reader hears it as evidence of FAITHFULNESS. Daniel prays three times a day — not because of the decree but DESPITE it. The practice predates the trap. The discipline predates the crisis. Daniel didn't START praying to defy the decree. Daniel CONTINUED praying because prayer is who Daniel is.

What practice of faithfulness in your life could be reframed as defiance by the wrong audience?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture