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 6:13KJV
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Daniel 6:13 (KJV)

What does Daniel 6:13 mean?

Daniel 6:13 describes how Daniel’s accusers reported to King Darius that Daniel, who was one of the Jewish exiles, was ignoring the king’s command by continuing to pray three times a day. They emphasized that Daniel was disregarding both the king’s authority and the official decree that forbade prayer to anyone except the king.

The people speaking in Daniel 6:13 are the officials who wanted to trap Daniel. They are addressing King Darius, pointing out Daniel’s disobedience in order to get him punished. Their words highlight that Daniel’s loyalty to his faith was well known, and they stress his repeated prayers as a deliberate act against the king’s law.

The Aramaic behind Daniel 6:13

  • "regardeth not" (שָׂם, śām; דָּת, dāṯ): The phrase uses two Aramaic words, often understood as “does not set” or “does not pay attention to,” showing that Daniel was being accused of intentionally ignoring the king’s command, not just accidentally breaking it.
  • "petition" (בָּעוּ, bāʿū): This word means a request or prayer. The officials specifically accuse Daniel of making his requests to God, underlining that his actions were religious and not political rebellion.
  • "three times a day" (תְּלָתָה, telāṯāh; זִמְנִין, zimnīn; בְּיוֹם, bəyōm): The officials highlight the regularity of Daniel’s prayers, showing that this was a consistent habit, not a one-time act.

Why Daniel 6:13 matters

  • Daniel 6:13 clarifies that Daniel’s faithfulness was public and consistent, making it impossible for his enemies to accuse him of anything except loyalty to his God.
  • The verse shows the officials’ strategy: they frame Daniel’s religious devotion as defiance against the king, manipulating the law to target him specifically.
  • This verse connects directly to the coming events in the story, where Daniel’s steadfastness leads to his being thrown into the lions’ den, setting up the main conflict of the chapter.

Where else these words appear

“petition” Hebrew H1159 · 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.

“captivity” Hebrew H1547 · used in 4 verses

  • Ezra 6:16 And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,
  • Daniel 2:25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
  • Daniel 5:13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?

“Judah” Hebrew H3061 · used in 6 verses

  • Ezra 5:1 Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.
  • Ezra 5:8 Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.
  • Daniel 2:25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.

“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 6:12 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.