Daniel 6:24 (ASV)

Passage

And the king commanded, and they brought those men that had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den.

Nearby Context

Daniel 6:22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions` mouths, and they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

Daniel 6:23 Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God.

Daniel 6:24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men that had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den.

Daniel 6:25 Then king Darius wrote unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.

Daniel 6:26 I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, And his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "king", "commanded", "brought", "accused", "daniel", "cast", "lions", and "children". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "king" and "commanded", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "Then was the king exceeding glad and..." into verse 25's "Then king Darius wrote unto all the...", so "king" and "commanded" belong inside that flow. In Daniel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "king" and "commanded" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.