The Meaning of Daniel 6:4 Explained

Daniel 6:4

KJV: Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

YLT: Then the presidents and satraps have been seeking to find a cause of complaint against Daniel concerning the kingdom, and any cause of complaint and corruption they are not able to find, because that he is faithful, and any error and corruption have not been found in him.

Darby: Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a pretext against Daniel with respect to the kingdom; but they could not find any pretext or fault; inasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

ASV: Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault, forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  the presidents  and princes  sought  to find  occasion  against Daniel  concerning  the kingdom;  but  they could  find  none  occasion  nor  fault;  forasmuch  as he [was] faithful,  neither  was there any  error  or fault  found  in him. 

What does Daniel 6:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The text does not say why the other officials wanted to get rid of Daniel. Perhaps his integrity made it difficult for them to get away with graft and political corruption. Maybe since he was quite old they wanted to eliminate him so someone from a younger generation could take his place. Anti-Semitism appears to have been part of their reason (cf. Daniel 6:13; Daniel 3:12). The text stresses the outstanding personal integrity and professional competence of Daniel.
"It is known in advance what an honest man will do in certain circumstances. Control the circumstances and you control him!" [1]

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 6:4 mean?

Then governors the and satraps sought - [some] charge to find against Daniel concerning kingdom the but charge or fault no they could find all forasmuch because faithful he [was] and was there any error or fault nor was there found in him
אֱדַ֨יִן סָֽרְכַיָּ֜א וַאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֗א הֲו֨וֹ בָעַ֧יִן עִלָּ֛ה לְהַשְׁכָּחָ֥ה לְדָנִיֵּ֖אל מִצַּ֣ד מַלְכוּתָ֑א וְכָל־ עִלָּ֨ה וּשְׁחִיתָ֜ה לָא־ יָכְלִ֣ין לְהַשְׁכָּחָ֗ה כָּל־ קֳבֵל֙ דִּֽי־ מְהֵימַ֣ן ה֔וּא וְכָל־ שָׁלוּ֙ וּשְׁחִיתָ֔ה לָ֥א הִשְׁתְּכַ֖חַת עֲלֽוֹהִי

סָֽרְכַיָּ֜א  governors  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural determinate
Root: סָרַךְ  
Sense: chief, overseer.
וַאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּ֗א  and  satraps 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural determinate
Root: אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפַּן  
Sense: satrap, a governor of a Persian province.
הֲו֨וֹ  sought 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הֲוָה  
Sense: to come to pass, become, be.
בָעַ֧יִן  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בְּעָה  
Sense: to ask, seek, request, desire, pray, make petition.
עִלָּ֛ה  [some]  charge 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִלָּה  
Sense: matter, affair, occasion.
לְהַשְׁכָּחָ֥ה  to  find 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שְׁכַח  
Sense: to find.
לְדָנִיֵּ֖אל  against  Daniel 
Parse: Preposition-l, 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.
מִצַּ֣ד  concerning 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צַד  
Sense: side.
מַלְכוּתָ֑א  kingdom  the 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: מַלְכוּ  
Sense: royalty, reign, kingdom.
עִלָּ֨ה  charge 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִלָּה  
Sense: matter, affair, occasion.
וּשְׁחִיתָ֜ה  or  fault 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: שְׁחַת  
Sense: to corrupt.
לָא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: לָא 
Sense: no, not, nothing.
יָכְלִ֣ין  they  could 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יְכִל  
Sense: to be able.
לְהַשְׁכָּחָ֗ה  find 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שְׁכַח  
Sense: to find.
קֳבֵל֙  forasmuch 
Parse: Preposition
Root: קֳבֵל  
Sense: front prep.
דִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
מְהֵימַ֣ן  faithful 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: אֲמַן  
Sense: to confirm, support.
ה֔וּא  he  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וְכָל־  and  was  there  any 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, whole, the whole.
שָׁלוּ֙  error 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁלוּ  
Sense: neglect, remissness.
וּשְׁחִיתָ֔ה  or  fault 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: שְׁחַת  
Sense: to corrupt.
לָ֥א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: לָא 
Sense: no, not, nothing.
הִשְׁתְּכַ֖חַת  was  there  found 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שְׁכַח  
Sense: to find.
עֲלֽוֹהִי  in  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל  
Sense: upon, over, on account of, above, to, against.