Scripture · Daniel 5:25-28
Daniel 6:22 · Daniel with his back to the viewer
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
“My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king.”
Daniel stands with his back to us, his bound wrists visible against a dark robe. The lions fill the space beside him, and scattered bones leave little doubt about the danger of this room.
What does Daniel in the Lions’ Den show?
Rivière places the white-haired figure toward the right and gathers the lions across the lower half of the painting. Some crouch close to the floor; others lift their heads or bare their teeth. The heavy stone wall and its carved relief enclose both man and animals.
We cannot read Daniel’s face from this position. His upright stillness has to carry the scene, set beside the animals’ tense bodies and open jaws. Painted in 1872, this is the version held by the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.
What does Daniel 6:22 mean?
Daniel 6 connects the night in the den to an established habit of prayer. After the king signs the decree forbidding petitions to anyone else, Daniel continues kneeling and praying three times a day. His accusers use that faithfulness to secure his punishment.
The next morning, Daniel tells Darius that God sent His angel and prevented the lions from hurting him. Verse 22 records his testimony after the danger has passed. Rivière’s scene lets the threat remain visible, so that Daniel’s calm and the words of his deliverance can be considered together.
Daniel 6:22 brings the testimony of deliverance into a painting where the animals remain visibly dangerous and the prisoner’s face is hidden from us.
Sources
Walker Art Gallery on Art UK — Daniel in the Lion’s Den. The collection’s painting image, date, material, and dimensions.
Daniel 6 — Berean Standard Bible. The habit of prayer that leads to the den, and Daniel’s testimony afterward.
Also from Daniel:The Archangel Michael