The Meaning of Daniel 6:2 Explained

Daniel 6:2

KJV: And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.

YLT: and higher than they three presidents, of whom Daniel is first, that these satraps may give to them an account, and the king have no loss.

Darby: and over these, three presidents of whom Daniel was one to whom these satraps should render account, and that the king should suffer no loss.

ASV: and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account unto them, and that the king should have no damage.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And over  these  three  presidents;  of whom  Daniel  [was] first:  that  the princes  might  give  accounts  unto them, and the king  should have  no  damage. 

What does Daniel 6:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 6:1-15 - Fidelity In Worship
Though he was the most distinguished man of his day, and full of public business, Daniel managed to find time for prayer, in the evening, morning, and at noon, according to the Hebrew custom, Psalms 55:17. He was outwardly a great magnate of the Persian court, but inwardly he was as true as ever to the city of his fathers and to the Temple now in ruins, Daniel 6:10. What a marvelous tribute was afforded to his saintly character by his foes, when they could find no fault in him except as concerned his religious life! Time spent in prayer is not lost time to the suppliant. Luther used to say: "I have so much to do today that I cannot get through with less than three hours of prayer." It was customary for the Jews to turn the face toward the Holy City, which for so long had been the center of their great religious system, 1 Kings 8:44; Jonah 2:4. With us, the upturned face and the references we make to the great High Priest, are significant of a posture of soul analogous and yet superior to the open window. See to it that your windows are always open towards the New Jerusalem, of which you are a citizen, but from which for a little while you are exiled. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 6

1  Daniel is made chief of the presidents
4  They, conspiring against him, obtain an idolatrous decree
10  Daniel, accused of the breach thereof, is cast into the lion's den
18  Daniel is saved;
24  his adversaries devoured;
25  and God magnified by a decree

What do the individual words in Daniel 6:2 mean?

and over these governors three of whom Daniel [was] one of whom that might satraps these give to them account so that king the no would suffer loss
וְעֵ֤לָּא מִנְּהוֹן֙ סָרְכִ֣ין תְּלָתָ֔א דִּ֥י דָנִיֵּ֖אל חַֽד־ מִנְּה֑וֹן דִּֽי־ לֶהֱוֺ֞ן אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֣א אִלֵּ֗ין יָהֲבִ֤ין לְהוֹן֙ טַעְמָ֔א וּמַלְכָּ֖א לָֽא־ לֶהֱוֵ֥א נָזִֽק

וְעֵ֤לָּא  and  over 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עֵלָּא  
Sense: above.
מִנְּהוֹן֙  these 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: מִן  
Sense: from, out of, by, by reason of, at, more than.
סָרְכִ֣ין  governors 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: סָרַךְ  
Sense: chief, overseer.
תְּלָתָ֔א  three 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: תַּלְתָּא  
Sense: three.
דִּ֥י  of  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
דָנִיֵּ֖אל  Daniel  [was] 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּנִיֵּאל  
Sense: 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.
חַֽד־  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: חַד  
Sense: one (number).
מִנְּה֑וֹן  of  whom 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: מִן  
Sense: from, out of, by, by reason of, at, more than.
דִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֣א  satraps 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural determinate
Root: אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפַּן  
Sense: satrap, a governor of a Persian province.
אִלֵּ֗ין  these 
Parse: Pronoun, common plural
Root: אִלֵּין  
Sense: these, those.
יָהֲבִ֤ין  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יְהַב  
Sense: to give, provide.
לְהוֹן֙  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
טַעְמָ֔א  account 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: טְעֵם  
Sense: taste, judgment, command.
וּמַלְכָּ֖א  so  that  king  the 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
לָֽא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: לָא 
Sense: no, not, nothing.
נָזִֽק  suffer  loss 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נְזַק  
Sense: to suffer injury.