Daniel 6:17 (KJV)

Passage

And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

Nearby Context

Daniel 6:15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

Daniel 6:16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

Daniel 6:17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

Daniel 6:18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.

Daniel 6:19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "purpose", "stone", "brought", "laid", "upon", "mouth", "king", and "sealed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "purpose" and "stone", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "Then the king commanded and they brought..." into verse 18's "Then the king went to his palace...", so "purpose" and "stone" 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 "purpose" and "stone" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.