What happened to Daniel in the lions’ den?
When a Persian decree forbade prayer to anyone but the king, Daniel kept praying to God three times a day. He was thrown to the lions, but God shut their mouths and Daniel emerged unharmed.
Daniel was a high official in the Persian empire. Jealous rivals tricked Darius into signing a decree forbidding prayer to anyone but the king — meant to trap Daniel.
Daniel kept praying openly. Caught, he was thrown to the lions overnight. At dawn the king ran to the den and found Daniel alive: "My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions."
The story is more than a children’s tale. It teaches that faithfulness costs, that God can save in the den when he does not save us from it, and that earthly powers ultimately bow to him.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.