Daniel 6:14
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. | As soon as the king heard this, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel, and he labored until sundown to rescue him. | Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to rescue him. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedDarius learns that his own signed decree has trapped Daniel, whom he had made first of his three presidents and thought to set over the whole realm (6:2-3). He is deeply troubled and works all day, until sunset, to find a way to save him. His effort fails, because the law of the Medes and Persians could not be changed (6:15-16). Daniel 6:2Daniel 6:3Daniel 6:12Daniel 6:13Daniel 6:14Daniel 6:15Daniel 6:16
SpeakingThe narrator of Daniel tells this story. Chapters 1-6 speak of Daniel in the third person, while chapters 7-12 are in Daniel's own voice. Daniel overview
ToThe book is written for God's people in exile and after it. It shows them how to stay faithful under foreign rulers. Daniel overview
Also involvedKing Darius, who signed the decree, and Daniel, who kept praying to his God and now faces the lions' den. Daniel 6:9Daniel 6:10Daniel 6:14
Jealous officials could find no fault in Daniel, so they got the king to sign a 30-day ban on prayer to anyone but him (6:4-9). Daniel kept praying as before, and they reported him (6:10-13). Hearing this, the king was greatly distressed and set his heart on rescuing Daniel. He kept at it until the sun went down. Daniel 6:4Daniel 6:5Daniel 6:7Daniel 6:9Daniel 6:10Daniel 6:13Daniel 6:14
The kingdom and palace of King Darius, who ruled after Babylon's fall. Daniel served there under Babylonian and then Persian kings. Daniel 6:1Daniel 6:18Daniel overview
The eventsIn the reign of Darius, after Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians, and before the reign of Cyrus the Persian (6:28). The king's struggle lasts one day, ending at sunset. Daniel overviewDaniel 6:28Daniel 6:14
WrittenTraditional: written by Daniel in the 500s BC. Scholarly: many critical scholars date the book's final form to about 167-164 BC, while others hold to the 500s BC date. Daniel overview
HereThe verse shows that the most powerful man in the empire could not undo his own law to save Daniel. This sets up the rescue that only God could give (6:16, 6:22). Daniel 6:14Daniel 6:15Daniel 6:16Daniel 6:22
In the whole of ScriptureDaniel teaches that the most High rules over the kingdoms of men. Here a king's 'unchangeable' decree fails, and Darius ends by praising the God who delivers (6:26-27). Other rulers in Scripture also wanted to spare someone and faced pressure: Herod was exceeding sorry but kept his oath (Mark 6:26), and Pilate sought to release Jesus while the Jews cried out against it (John 19:12). Daniel overviewDaniel 6:26Daniel 6:27Mark 6:26John 19:12
For readersHuman power, even when it means well, has limits and can be caught by its own rules. Daniel's safety rested not on the king's efforts but on the God he served continually (6:16, 6:20, 6:23). Daniel 6:14Daniel 6:16Daniel 6:20Daniel 6:23
- displeasedבְּאֵשׁ
The word means to be evil, bad, or displeasing. It is the Aramaic form of a Hebrew word meaning 'to stink,' and here it is joined with a word meaning 'greatly' or 'exceedingly.' The matter was very bad in the king's eyes. Strong's H0888Strong's H7690
- heartבָּל
It means mind or heart. The king 'set his mind' on Daniel, and the verse shows this resolve held all day until sunset. Strong's H1079Strong's H7761HDaniel 6:14
- labouredשְׁדַר
It means to struggle or strive. Darius strove all day to find a way out, yet his own law bound him (6:15). Strong's H7712Daniel 6:14Daniel 6:15
- deliverנְצַל
It means to rescue or extricate. The king could not rescue Daniel, but Daniel's God did, and Darius later praised God as the one who 'delivereth and rescueth' (6:27). Strong's H5338Daniel 6:22Daniel 6:27
Takeaway
Even a king who wanted to save Daniel could not undo his own decree. The chapter shows that deliverance came from Daniel's God, not from human power. Daniel 6:14Daniel 6:15Daniel 6:22Daniel 6:27
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
The world around the text
About 605-536 BC. King of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC). Where Daniel lived and served for about seventy years. The capital of the Babylonian empire, on the Euphrates south of modern Baghdad, in the land the Bible calls Shinar and Chaldea.
Who ruled
- King of BabylonNebuchadnezzar605-562 BC
The king who besieged Jerusalem, carried Daniel and the temple vessels to Babylon, and later destroyed the city and temple. His own building inscriptions boast of the Babylon he built. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 24:12 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 25:1Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- Last king of Babylon, and his son who ruled in his placeNabonidus and Belshazzar556-539 BC
Nabonidus spent about ten years at the oasis of Tema in Arabia and left his son Belshazzar to rule in Babylon. That is why Belshazzar could only offer Daniel the place of "third ruler in the kingdom": he was himself second. Daniel 5:1Daniel 5:7Daniel 5:29Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Verse Account of Nabonidus
- Received the kingdom after Babylon fellDarius the MedianFrom 539 BC
Daniel says he "took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old" and set 120 princes over it. Records outside the Bible do not name him; he has been identified with Gubaru, the governor Cyrus set over Babylon, or with Cyrus himself. Daniel 5:31Daniel 6:1Daniel 9:1Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)
- King of PersiaCyrus559-530 BC
He united the Medes and Persians, took Babylon in 539 BC, and let the exiles go home to rebuild the temple, as Isaiah had named him beforehand. Daniel 1:21Daniel 6:28Daniel 10:1Ezra 1:1-4Isaiah 44:28-45:1Cyrus Cylinder
- King of JudahJehoiakim609-598 BC
Judah's king when Daniel was taken. Jeremiah warned him and his people that the land would serve Babylon seventy years. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 23:36-24:6Jeremiah 25:1-11
What was happening, 612 BC to 167 BC
- 612 BCWarNineveh falls
Babylon and the Medes destroyed Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, as Nahum and Zephaniah had foretold. Babylon became the great power of the region. Nahum 3:7Zephaniah 2:13Fall of Nineveh Chronicle (ABC 3)
- 605 BCWarBattle of Carchemish
Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho of Egypt at Carchemish on the Euphrates, in Jehoiakim's fourth year. The same year he came against Jerusalem and took the first captives, Daniel among them. Jeremiah 46:2Daniel 1:1-4Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- 597 BCWarJerusalem surrenders
Nebuchadnezzar took King Jehoiachin, his nobles and craftsmen to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel went into exile with them. 2 Kings 24:10-17Ezekiel 1:2Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- 586 BCWarJerusalem and the temple destroyed
Babylon's army burned the temple and the city and broke down its walls. Daniel later prays over "the desolations of Jerusalem" and asks God to shine on his "sanctuary that is desolate." 2 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 52:12-14Daniel 9:2Daniel 9:17
- c. 575 BCBuildingBabylon rebuilt in splendor
Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon with great walls, palaces and the blue-glazed Ishtar Gate, and his inscriptions praise his own work. Compare his boast: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?" Daniel 4:30Nebuchadnezzar's East India House InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 1.178-183
- 562 BCRulersNebuchadnezzar dies
His son Evil-merodach became king and released Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. 2 Kings 25:27-30Jeremiah 52:31-34
- c. 553-543 BCRulersNabonidus leaves Babylon to Belshazzar
King Nabonidus stayed at Tema in Arabia for about ten years, and the yearly New Year festival in Babylon was not held. Belshazzar governed in Babylon. Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Daniel 5:1Daniel 7:1
- 550 BCWarCyrus unites the Medes and Persians
Cyrus of Persia defeated Astyages king of the Medes, joining the two peoples in one kingdom. Daniel's vision names the ram's two horns as "the kings of Media and Persia," the higher coming up last. Daniel 8:3Daniel 8:20Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.127-130
- October 539 BCWarBabylon falls to Cyrus
Cyrus's army entered Babylon without a long siege. Herodotus says the people were feasting when the city was taken. Daniel records that "in that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain." Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.191Cyrus Cylinder
- 538 BCGod's peopleCyrus lets the exiles return
In his first year over Babylon, Cyrus proclaimed that the Jews could go back and build the LORD's house in Jerusalem. Daniel "continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus." Ezra 1:1-42 Chronicles 36:22-23Daniel 1:21Cyrus Cylinder
- c. 536 BCGod's peopleThe temple's foundation is laid
The returned exiles rebuilt the altar and laid the foundation of the temple. In the third year of Cyrus, Daniel was still in the east, mourning and praying. Ezra 3:1-11Daniel 10:1-3
- 334-331 BCWarAlexander the Great conquers Persia
Alexander of Macedon crossed into Asia and overthrew the Persian empire within four years. Daniel 8:21 names the rough goat as "the king of Grecia" and its great horn as "the first king." Daniel 8:5-8Daniel 8:21Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 1-3
- 323-301 BCWarAlexander's empire is divided
Alexander died young, and after twenty years of war his generals divided his empire, chiefly into four kingdoms. Daniel 8:22 says "four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." Daniel 8:8Daniel 8:22Daniel 11:4Diodorus Siculus, Library 18-20Plutarch, Demetrius 28-30
- 167 BCWarAntiochus IV defiles the temple
The Greek king Antiochus IV banned Jewish worship and set up a pagan altar on the altar of burnt offering. 1 Maccabees calls it "the abomination of desolation." Two centuries later Jesus spoke of "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" as still to come. 1 Maccabees 1:54-59Josephus, Antiquities 12.5.4Matthew 24:15
The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records of these years (the Babylonian Chronicles, the Cyrus Cylinder, Nebuchadnezzar's inscriptions) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Diodorus, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.
Original Aramaic words
This passage was written in Aramaic, the common language of the Babylonian and Persian empires, which the Jews of the exile also spoke. It uses the same alphabet as Hebrew.
| English | Aramaic | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| then | אֱדַ֨יִן | 'e-DA-yin | H0116 | thenאֱדַ֫יִן (e.da.yin) then, afterwards, thereupon, from that time Aramaic of az (אָז "then" H0227A) |
| king the | מַלְכָּ֜א | mal-KA' | H4430 | kingמֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) king Aramaic of me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4428) § 1) king |
| as that | כְּדִ֧י | ke-DI | H1768 | thatדִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because |
| word the | מִלְּתָ֣א | mi-le-TA' | H4406 | wordמִלָּה (mil.lah) 1) word, thing 1a) word, utterance, command 1b) thing, affair, matter |
| he heard | שְׁמַ֗ע | she-MA' | H8086 | to hearשְׁמַע (she.ma) 1) to hear 1a) (P'al) to hear, have a sense of hearing 1b) (Ithpael) to show oneself obedient |
| exceedingly | שַׂגִּיא֙ | sa-GI' | H7690 | greatlyשַׂגִּיא (sag.gi) adj 1) great, much 1a) great 1b) much, many adv 2) exceedingly |
| it was displeasing | בְּאֵ֣שׁ | be-'ESH | H0888 | be displeasedבְּאֵשׁ (be.esh) (P'al) to be evil, be bad, be displeasing Aramaic of ba.ash (בָּאַשׁ "to stink" H0887) |
| to him | עֲל֔וֹהִי | a-LO-hi | H5922 | sinceעַל (al) 1) upon, over, on account of, above, to, against 1a) upon, over, on account of, regarding, concerning, on behalf of 1b) over (with verbs of ruling) 1c) above, beyond (in comparison) 1d) to, against (of direction) |
| and concerning | וְעַ֧ל | ve-'AL | H5922 | sinceעַל (al) 1) upon, over, on account of, above, to, against 1a) upon, over, on account of, regarding, concerning, on behalf of 1b) over (with verbs of ruling) 1c) above, beyond (in comparison) 1d) to, against (of direction) |
| Daniel | דָּנִיֵּ֛אל | da-ni-YEL | H1841H | Danielדָּנִיֵּאל, דָּנִאֵל (da.niy.yel) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.8.2 § Daniel = "God is my judge" 1) the 4th of the greater prophets, taken as hostage in the first deportation to Babylon, because of the gift of God of the interpretation of dreams, he became the 2nd in command of the Babylon empire and lasted through the end of the Babylonian empire and into the Persian empire. His prophecies are the key to the understanding of end time events. Noted for his purity and holiness by contemporary prophet, Ezekiel 1a) also, 'Belteshazzar' (H01095 or H01096) |
| he set | שָׂ֥ם | sam | H7761H | to set: makeשׂוּם (sum) 1) to set, make, appoint 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to make, make decree, setout (decree) 1a2) to make, appoint 1a3) to set, fix 1b) (Ithp'al) to be made, be set, be laid |
| mind | בָּ֖ל | bal | H1079 | mindבָּל (bal) mind, heart Aramaic of lev (לֵב "heart" H3820A) |
| to deliver him | לְשֵׁיזָבוּתֵ֑הּ | le-shei-za-vu-TEH | H7804 | to rescueשֵׁיזִב (she.zav) (Peel or Peil) to deliver Aramaic of shuv (שׁוּב ": return" H7725) |
| and until | וְעַד֙ | ve-'AD | H5705 | tillעַד (ad) prep 1) even to, until, up to, during conj 2) until, up to the time that, ere that |
| [the] goings in of | מֶֽעָלֵ֣י | me-'a-LEI | H4606 | going downמֶעָל (me.al) 1) going in 1a) sunset (of sun) |
| sun the | שִׁמְשָׁ֔א | shim-SHA' | H8122 | sunשְׁמַשׁ (she.mesh) sun Aramaic of she.mesh (שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ "sun" H8121) |
| he was | הֲוָ֥א | ha-VA' | H1934 | to beהֲוָא (ha.va) 1) to come to pass, become, be 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to come to pass 1a2) to come into being, arise, become, come to be 1a2a) to let become known (with participle of knowing) 1a3) to be |
| striving | מִשְׁתַּדַּ֖ר | mish-ta-DAR | H7712 | to striveשְׁדַר (she.dar) (Ithpael) to struggle, strive |
| to rescue him | לְהַצָּלוּתֵֽהּ׃ | le-ha-tza-lu-TEH | H5338 | to rescueנְצַל (ne.tsal) (Aphel) to rescue, extricate, deliver Aramaic of na.tsal (נָצַל "to rescue" H5337) |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.