10 When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.
But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.
Oh come, let's worship and bow down. Let's kneel before Yahweh, our Maker,
In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
> I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth.
If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to Yahweh toward the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name;
I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; Yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'
if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name: then hear you their prayer and their supplication in heaven, your dwelling-place, and maintain their cause; and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions in which they have transgressed against you; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them
They agreed with him. Summoning the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus' name. Every day, in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and preaching Jesus, the Christ.
Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.
But these things don't count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Gospel of the grace of God.
"I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. You hold firmly to my name, and didn't deny my faith in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.
Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.
and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.
For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
When he had spoken these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
"If anyone comes to me, and doesn't hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can't be my disciple.
(for Solomon had made a brazen scaffold, five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and on it he stood, and kneeled down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;)
if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, and the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name:
I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.
> In Yahweh, I take refuge. How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain!" For, behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrows on the strings, That they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, doesn't regard you, O king, nor the interdict that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.
Don't be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. "Aren't two sparrows sold for an assarion{An assarion is a small coin worth one tenth of a drachma or a sixteenth of a denarius (approximately the wages of one half hour of agricultural labor).}? Not one of them falls on the ground apart from your Father's will, but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore don't be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.
"I tell you, my friends, don't be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him, who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna.{or, Hell} Yes, I tell you, fear him. "Aren't five sparrows sold for two assaria coins{An assarion was a small copper coin worth about an hour's wages for an agricultural laborer.}? Not one of them is forgotten by God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore don't be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. "I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God; but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of the angels of God.
whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, [or] by all your people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:
He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and he knelt down and prayed,
For these aren't drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day{about 9:00 AM}.
Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour{3:00 PM}.
But so that this spreads no further among the people, let's threaten them, that from now on they don't speak to anyone in this name." They called them, and charged them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves,
Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness,
"Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life."
Peter put them all out, and kneeled down and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Daniel 6
Commentary on Daniel 6 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 6
Daniel does not give a continued history of the reigns in which he lived, nor of the state-affairs of the kingdoms of Chaldea and Persia, though he was himself a great man in those affairs; for what are those to us? But he selects such particular passages of story as serve for the confirming of our faith in God and the encouraging of our obedience to him, for the things written aforetime were written for our learning. It is a very observable improvable story that we have in this chapter, how Daniel by faith "stopped the mouths of lions,' and so "obtained a good report,' Heb. 11:33. The three children were cast into the fiery furnace for not committing a known sin, Daniel was cast into the lions' den for not omitting a known duty, and God's miraculously delivering both them and him is left upon record for the encouragement of his servants in all ages to be resolute and constant both in their abhorrence of that which is evil and in their adherence to that which is good, whatever it cost them. In this chapter we have,
And this God is our God for ever and ever.
Dan 6:1-5
We are told concerning Daniel,
Dan 6:6-10
Daniel's adversaries could have no advantage against him from any law now in being; they therefore contrive a new law, by which they hope to ensnare him, and in a matter in which they knew they should be sure of him; and such was his fidelity to his God that they gained their point. Here is,
Dan 6:11-17
Here is,
Dan 6:18-24
Here is,
Dan 6:25-28
Darius here studies to make some amends for the dishonour he had done both to God and Daniel, in casting Daniel into the lions' den, by doing honour to both.