Daniel 6:20

“And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel, etc.] Expressing grief and sorrow his heart was full of; it was rather like howling than speaking; thus he cried before he saw Daniel, or heard him speak: when he was near to the denf250, as it may be rendered; and he was between hope and fear about Daniel’s safety; when within sight of the den, and hearing of Daniel, should he be alive to speak: but when he came nearer and saw him, then the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God; art thou alive? this is a plain case, that the God whom thou servest is the living God, since he has saved thee; and that thou art a true and faithful servant of…”

“living God--having life Himself, and able to preserve thy life; contrasted with the lifeless idols. Darius borrowed the phrase from Daniel; God extorting from an idolater a confession of the truth. thou servest continually--in times of persecution, as well as in times of peace. is thy God . . . able--the language of doubt, yet hope.”

“He cried with a lamentable voice - A voice full of anxious solicitude. Literally, “a voice of grief.” Such a cry would be natural on such an occasion. O Daniel, servant of the living God - The God who has life; who imparts life; and who can preserve life. This was the appellation, probably, which he had heard Daniel use in regard to God, and it is one which he would naturally employ on such an occasion as this; feeling that the question of life was entirely in his hands. Whom thou servest continually - At all times, and in all circumstances: as a captive in a distant land; in places of honor and power; when surrounded by the great who worship other gods; and when threatened with death for…”

“Able to deliver - What he doubted of, we are sure of, that the servants of the living God, have a master who is able to deliver them and bear them out in his service. Daniel 6:22”

“6:20 Was your God . . . able? There was no question about whether Daniel had served God faithfully, so if God didn’t rescue him it would have told the king that God was not able to do so. • living God: The king probably knew what Daniel’s God had done during the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar. The expression living God is particularly used in the Bible to contrast the Lord with lifeless idols (see, e.g., Deut 5:26; Josh 3:10; Isa 37:17-18).”

“is: Dan 6:16, Dan 6:27, Dan 3:15, Dan 3:17, Dan 3:28, Dan 3:29 servest: Ch1 16:11; Psa 71:14-18, Psa 73:23, Psa 119:112, Psa 146:2; Pro 23:17, Pro 23:18; Hos 12:6; Luk 18:1; Act 6:4; Rom 2:7; Col 4:2; Th1 5:17, Th1 5:18; Jam 1:25 able: Dan 3:17; Gen 18:14; Num 11:23, Num 14:15, Num 14:16; Jer 32:17; Luk 1:37; Co2 1:10; Ti2 1:12, Ti2 4:16-18; Heb 7:25; Jde 1:24 Daniel 6:21”