Bible Study How long was Daniel in the Lion's Den?

[Anto9us2]

Yes, it's a trick question.

 

[Luminous_Rose]

One night, right?

 

[Anto9us2]

The account in EVERYBODY's BIBLE is one night, yes.

There is another account in the "Greek only" part of Daniel wherein Daniel is in the den for a whole week, and the prophet Habakkuk is transported by an angel to bring Daniel food. Habakkuk was about a century earlier than the lion's den escapade. The commentary notes in the Orthodox Study Bible say that Habakkuk was raised from the dead to bring this food to Daniel.

The Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal parts of Daniel have this "whole week" account of Daniel in the lion's den, Orthodox and I believe Catholic bibles have it as well. I don't see how both can be true, I think Daniel was only in for one night.

 

[Luminous_Rose]

The account in EVERYBODY's BIBLE is one night, yes.

There is another account in the "Greek only" part of Daniel wherein Daniel is in the den for a whole week, and the prophet Habakkuk is transported by an angel to bring Daniel food. Habakkuk was about a century earlier than the lion's den escapade. The commentary notes in the Orthodox Study Bible say that Habakkuk was raised from the dead to bring this food to Daniel.

The Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal parts of Daniel have this "whole week" account of Daniel in the lion's den, Orthodox and I believe Catholic bibles have it as well. I don't see how both can be true, I think Daniel was only in for one night.

I have never heard of the week long account. Interesting.

As far as my understanding, I will stick to the one night as well =)

 

[JohnDB]

The account in EVERYBODY's BIBLE is one night, yes.

There is another account in the "Greek only" part of Daniel wherein Daniel is in the den for a whole week, and the prophet Habakkuk is transported by an angel to bring Daniel food. Habakkuk was about a century earlier than the lion's den escapade. The commentary notes in the Orthodox Study Bible say that Habakkuk was raised from the dead to bring this food to Daniel.

The Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal parts of Daniel have this "whole week" account of Daniel in the lion's den, Orthodox and I believe Catholic bibles have it as well. I don't see how both can be true, I think Daniel was only in for one night.

The apocryphal accounts are not accurate. That's why they are called apocrypha... meaning literally "taken away".
It was political wrangling that had these books inserted into the Bible when they failed every of the 100+ tests for being scripture to begin with.
Where some of the information contained within helps understanding of scripture these books are not scripture. We don't include sifre, talmud, or midrash in scripture either. But they have direct bearing on the interpretation of scripture.
And the very thing that you are talking about is why they never should have been included whatsoever.

It takes a LOT OF time and study to properly understand why these writings are even relevant much less their importance...and your average person doesn't need the confusion and distraction they bring.

 

[Edward]

I have heard things similar to this but never thought to give them enough validity to speak about them. I have also heard a story that Abraham was another man who went through a fiery furnace like shadrach, meshach and abednego did...is it true? Who knows? It could be. Abraham sure did have a lot of faith in God, we do know that.

And scripture says that if everything that Jesus did was written in books, that it would fill the world with books. So it stands to reason that other Patriarchs also had many more adventures than are recorded in our canonized scripture also...

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

I have heard things similar to this but never thought to give them enough validity to speak about them. I have also heard a story that Abraham was another man who went through a fiery furnace like shadrach, meshach and abednego did...is it true? Who knows? It could be. Abraham sure did have a lot of faith in God, we do know that.

And scripture says that if everything that Jesus did was written in books, that it would fill the world with books. So it stands to reason that other Patriarchs also had many more adventures than are recorded in our canonized scripture also...

Amen to that last part. To this day I still wonder what the childhood of Jesus was since the Bible doesn't really talk about this very much at all.

 

[for_his_glory]

scielo.org.za Dining in the lions den

The first version of Daniel in the lions den is found in our Bible, but few people don't know there is a second version found in the Septuagint (LXX) that is part of the apocryphal additions to the book of Daniel.

There are three additional stories in the LXX. The first is found in Daniel 3 the prayer of the three men in the fiery furnace. The second is called Suzanna and usually forms Daniel 13 in the LXX Greek version of Daniel. The third story is called Bel and the dragon and forms chapter 14 of Daniel in the LXX. There are two Greek versions of Bel and the dragon with the first one called the old Greek dating around 100BCE. The other version is the Theodotion version dating around the 2nd century.

It's like the Sirach and the Ecclesiasticus that are found in the Catholic and Orthodox Bible. The Protestants excluded it from our Bible because no Hebrew version was found and they only considered this a product of Greek culture. Later these writings were found and included in the original KJV as a Hebrew versions were found within the dead sea scrolls.

There are actually fourteen books removed from the Bible that are called the Apocrypha, but as reading a few of them parts are found within the scriptures of our Protestant Bible so I do not dismiss those writings as the Bible could not contain them all, John 21:25.

Back to the OP question Daniel 6:16-23 says one night.

 

[daninthelionsden]

Yes, it's a trick question.

I dunno. All I know is I was born into a lions' den and have been in one my whole life. I hope to be out before I die.

 

[JLB]

I have also heard a story that Abraham was another man who went through a fiery furnace like shadrach, meshach and abednego did...is it true?

He wasn’t another man, it was Abram himself.

Nimrod had him thrown in there because he found out that Abram smashed his father’s idols.


After this he fled to stay with Noah, as the story goes.


It’s in the book of Jasher.


Here is the genealogy from Shem, Noah’s son, to Abram.


This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood. After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Salah. After he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.
Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber. After he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.
Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot Peleg. After he begot Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters.
Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu. After he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.
Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Serug. After he begot Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.
Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor. After he begot Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah. After he begot Terah, Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.
Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Genesis 11:10-26






JLB

 

[Edward]

He wasn’t another man, it was Abram himself.

Nimrod had him thrown in there because he found out that Abram smashed his father’s idols.


After this he fled to stay with Noah, as the story goes.


It’s in the book of Jasher.


Here is the genealogy from Shem, Noah’s son, to Abram.


This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood. After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Salah. After he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.
Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber. After he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.
Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot Peleg. After he begot Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters.
Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu. After he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.
Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Serug. After he begot Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.
Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor. After he begot Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah. After he begot Terah, Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.
Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Genesis 11:10-26






JLB

I meant Abram himself. I meant, another man on earth in addition to the three that everyone already knows about. And it was Abram, and I had never heard that before...before I read Jasher that is. Sorry if I was too vague!

 

[for_his_glory]

I meant Abram himself. I meant, another man on earth in addition to the three that everyone already knows about. And it was Abram, and I had never heard that before...before I read Jasher that is. Sorry if I was too vague!

You can get the full details about Abraham and the fiery furnace at
thetorah.com - Why the Midrash Has Abraham Thrown into Nimrod's Furnace