The Bible Book

164

T

he eventful Book of Daniel

celebrates people of vision

and courage—those who

dare to stand steadfast in their faith

in the Lord, whoever the adversary

and no matter how bad the situation.

In 586 bce, Nebuchadnezzar II

of Babylon destroys Jerusalem

and deports many of its citizens

to Babylon. Several of the exiled

aristocrats are given official

positions, including the Judean

Daniel. Despite being offered choice

food and wine from the royal table,

Daniel remains true to his religion,

resolving to “not defile himself”

(Daniel 1:8) by eating food the

Israelites considered unclean.

Although he is a Judean exile,

Daniel is made “ruler of the entire

province of Babylon” (2:48) after

he interprets a mystifying dream

of Nebuchadnezzar’s. Daniel’s

elevated status lasts into the reign

of the king’s successor, Belshazzar.

Writing on the wall

In Daniel 5, a hand appears from

thin air to write on the wall as

King Belshazzar holds a banquet.

Daniel is brought in to translate

and interpret the four Hebrew

words for the astonished king:

“God has numbered the days

of your reign ... You have been

weighed on the scales and found

wanting ... Your kingdom is

divided” (5:26–28). Daniel is again

rewarded for his efforts and

becomes the third highest ruler

in the kingdom. King Belshazzar

is slain “that very night” (5:30).

Darius the Mede becomes the new

IN BRIEF

PA S SAGE

Daniel 1–12

THEME

God’s protection

SETTING

c. 605–538 bce Babylon.

KEY FIGURES

Daniel Wise man and prophet

in exile from Judea and

interpreter of dreams.

Nebuchadnezzar II King

of Babylon, patron of Daniel,

and destroyer of Jerusalem.

Belshazzar Son of King

Nabonidus and the final

documented ruler of Babylon.

Darius the Mede Successor

to Belshazzar as King of

Babylon, according to the

Book of Daniel. His historical

existence is doubted by

most researchers.

Blessed with the protection of

an angel of the Lord, Daniel is saved

from the lions’ mouths in the den. He

is replaced by King Darius’s jealous

advisers, who are all eaten alive.

MY GOD SENT HIS

ANGEL, AND HE

SHUT THE MOUTHS

OF THE LIONS

DANIEL 6:22, DANIEL IN BABYLON

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WISDOM AND PROPHETS 165

king. Advisers jealous of Daniel’s

growing power dupe King Darius

into decreeing that all should pray

only to him, knowing that Daniel

would refuse. When Daniel violates

the decree by continuing to pray

to God, Darius reluctantly has him

thrown into the lion’s den overnight

as punishment. The king returns to

his palace and frets over Daniel’s fate.

When Darius returns the next

morning, he finds Daniel unharmed.

Daniel tells him, “My God sent

His angel, and He shut the mouths

of the lions. They have not hurt me,

because I was found innocent in His

sight” (6:22). Darius issues a decree

that praises both God and Daniel.

The episode of Daniel in the lions’

den is thus seen as proof that God

protects those who honor Him.

Purpose and meaning

After Daniel 6, the book shifts and

becomes apocalyptic in tone. Daniel

interprets his visions and describes

events in which empires will fall

and the kingdom of heaven will

be established forever. For many

readers, this signifies the literal

end of the world.

Notably, in the Hebrew canon

Daniel is not regarded as a prophet.

However, in the Christian Bible the

book of Daniel is included among

the Major Prophets. As the Book

of Daniel was largely written in

Aramaic, and explicitly describes the

coming of Alexander (10–12) and

the wars that followed, scholars date

it to the period after the region was

conquered by Alexander the Great.

For this reason, some believe the

Book of Daniel essentially functions

as propaganda, describing the fall

of an oppressive empire and the

rise of an Israelite kingdom. ■

Daniel

The name Daniel means

“God is my Judge.” He is said

to have been selected to be

an official for Nebuchadnezzar

because he was handsome,

without blemish, and “quick

to understand” (Daniel 1:4).

However, Daniel believes he

derives all of his abilities from

the Lord. As an interpreter

of dreams for a foreign king,

Daniel’s experience echoes

that of Joseph in Genesis

(37–50), who interprets

dreams for Pharaoh in Egypt.

Daniel is considered a

prophet by Christians and

his apocalyptic visions are

mentioned in the Apocryphal

book 2 Esdras and in Matthew

24. In Judaism, Daniel is often
    represented as a wise man,
    but his book is not included
    in those of the prophets in the
    Jewish canon. In pre-Israelite
    Canaanite literature, there
    was a figure named Daniel,
    who was a wise man and
    adjudicator of justice. Scholars
    liken the biblical Daniel to
    this figure.
    Regardless of the slightly
    differing views of his status,
    Daniel is consistently described
    as being devout, morally
    astute, and unwavering in his
    devotion to God.

See also: ■ Joseph the Dreamer 58–61 ■ The Fall of Jerusalem 128–31 ■

The Prophet Jeremiah 156–59 ■ Lament for the Exiles 160–61

Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a

statue made of various materials that

crumbled as a rock struck its base.

Daniel interpreted the dream as the

impending destruction of all kingdoms.

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream

Head

(Babylonian

empire)—gold

Chest and arms

(Medo Persian

empire)—silver

Belly and

thighs (Grecian

empire)—bronze

Legs (Roman

empire)—iron

Feet (divided

kingdoms)—iron

and clay

Rock—God

No wise man,

enchanter, magician,

or diviner can explain to

the king the mystery he

has asked about, but

there is a God in heaven

who reveals mysteries.

Daniel 2:27–28

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