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 6:12KJV
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Daniel 6:12 (KJV)

What does Daniel 6:12 mean?

Daniel 6:12 describes how officials approached King Darius to remind him of the law he had signed, which said that anyone who prayed to any god or person except the king for thirty days would be thrown into the lions’ den. The king confirmed that the law was unchangeable, following the customs of the Medes and Persians.

In this verse, the officials are trying to trap Daniel by using the king’s own decree against him. They speak directly to King Darius, referencing the law he had just established, and ask if he remembers signing it. The king responds by affirming the law’s authority and its permanence, setting the stage for Daniel’s upcoming trial.

The Aramaic behind Daniel 6:12

  • The word for "decree" (טְעֵם, te‛em) appears twice, emphasizing the official and binding nature of the law. This highlights how the officials are using the king's own words to corner him.
  • The phrase "which altereth not" uses the Aramaic word (שְׁנָא, shena), meaning "does not change," underlining the idea that the king cannot revoke or modify his own law, a key point in the story’s tension.

Why Daniel 6:12 matters

  • Daniel 6:12 shows how the officials manipulated the legal system to target Daniel, making it clear that their actions were calculated and not accidental.
  • The verse highlights the rigidity of Medo-Persian law, which even the king could not change, explaining why Darius felt trapped by his own decree.
  • This moment builds suspense in the narrative, as it makes clear that Daniel’s fate is now sealed by an unbreakable law, setting up the dramatic events that follow.

Where else these words appear

“thirty” Hebrew H8533 · used in 2 verses

  • Daniel 6:7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

“true” Hebrew H3330 · used in 5 verses

  • Daniel 2:8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
  • Daniel 2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
  • Daniel 3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

“Medes” Hebrew H4076 · used in 5 verses

  • Ezra 6:2 And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written:
  • Daniel 5:28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
  • 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.

“decree” Hebrew H633 · used in 6 verses

  • Daniel 6:7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
  • 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 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.