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 6:8KJV
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Daniel 6:8 (KJV)

What does Daniel 6:8 mean?

Daniel 6:8 describes how the officials urge King Darius to formally establish and sign a decree, making it unchangeable according to the unalterable laws of the Medes and Persians. The verse emphasizes that once the king signs this law, it cannot be revoked or modified.

In this scene, the royal advisors are speaking to King Darius, pushing him to make an official law that would trap Daniel. The historical context is that the Medo-Persian empire was known for its strict legal system, where a law signed by the king could not be undone, even by the king himself. This sets up the dramatic tension in the story, showing how Daniel’s enemies use the legal system against him.

The Aramaic behind Daniel 6:8

  • "Decree" (גְּזֵרָה, gezērāh): This word means an official command or decision. Here, it highlights the seriousness and authority of what the officials want the king to enact.
  • "Law" (דָּת, dāth): This term refers to a binding legal statute. The verse stresses that the law of the Medes and Persians, once established, is absolute and cannot be changed.
  • "Changed" (שְׁנָא, shenā’): This word means to be altered or modified. The verse repeats that the law must not be changed, underlining the trap being set for Daniel.

Why Daniel 6:8 matters

  • Daniel 6:8 clarifies that the officials are not just making a suggestion but are pushing for a law that even the king cannot undo, which is crucial for understanding why Daniel ends up in the lions’ den.
  • The verse shows the cunning of Daniel’s adversaries, who use the legal customs of the empire to achieve their goal.
  • This verse helps explain the tension in the rest of the chapter, as it makes clear that King Darius’s hands are tied by his own law, even when he regrets it.

Where else these words appear

“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 6:12 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.

“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 6:9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
  • 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.

“Persians” Hebrew H6540 · used in 6 verses

  • Ezra 4:24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
  • Ezra 6:14 And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
  • 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.

“sign” Hebrew H7560 · used in 7 verses

  • Daniel 5:24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
  • Daniel 6:9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
  • 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.