Daniel 6:19

At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrator describes King Darius rising at dawn after a sleepless, fasting night to go to the lion’s den. The account precedes his direct address to Daniel in Daniel 6:20.

The words — בֵּ/אדַ֣יִן (be./Da.yin) means "then" or "at that time," marking the transition from the king’s restless night to his urgent action. יְק֣וּם (ye.Kum) translates as "he arose," paired with בְּ/נָגְהָ֑א (be./na.ge.Ha/), literally "at daylight."

The thread — The dawn motif appears in Matthew 28:1 and Mark 16:2 when women visit the tomb, and in 1 Thessalonians 3:5 regarding urgent spiritual inquiry. Daniel 6:19 uses the same early morning timeframe to highlight the king’s immediate response.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that the king’s physical urgency follows his spiritual anxiety. It requires the reader to note that divine intervention is evaluated through human action, not abstract speculation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

בֵּאדַ֣יִןbe./Da.yin<in>/ then מַלְכָּ֔אmal.Ka/'king/ the בִּשְׁפַּרְפָּרָ֖אbi/sh.par.pa.Ra/'at/ <the>/ dawn יְק֣וּםye.Kumhe arose בְּנָגְהָ֑אbe./na.ge.Ha/'at/ daylight/ the וּבְהִ֨תְבְּהָלָ֔הu./ve./Hit.be.ha.Lahand/ in/ haste לְגֻבָּ֥אle./gu.Ba/'to/ den/ the דִֽי־di-of אַרְיָוָתָ֖א'ar.ya.va.Ta/'lions/ the אֲזַֽל׃'a.Zalhe went

King James Version

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

Cross-references

1 Thessalonians 3:5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter had somehow tempted you and that our labor might have been in vain.
Matthew 28:1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
Mark 16:2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they went to the tomb.
2 Corinthians 2:13 I had no peace in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.