Daniel 6:18

Fasting Worry and anxiety

¹⁶ Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

¹⁷ And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.

¹⁹ Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.

²⁰ And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him.
KJV: Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
WEB: Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting. No musical instruments were brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.
ASV: Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep fled from him.
DARBY: Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were concubines brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.
BLB: Then the king went to his palace, and spent the night fasting, and entertainments were not brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.

ÅB: Deretter gikk kongen hjem til sitt palass og fastet hele natten, og han lot ikke noen av sine medhustruer komme inn til seg, og søvnen flyktet fra ham.
OTB: Kongen vendte tilbake til sitt palass og tilbrakte natten fastende; han avslo all underholdning, og selv søvnen unngikk ham.
B1930: Derefter gikk kongen hjem til sitt palass og fastet hele natten, og han lot ikke nogen av sine medhustruer komme inn til sig, og søvnen flydde fra ham.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Esther 6:1
On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
Read in context
Daniel 2:1
And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
Read in context
2 Samuel 12:16–17
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
Read in context
Psalms 77:4
Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
Read in context
Jonah 3:3–9
So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.
Read in context
Amos 6:4–6
That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
Read in context
Isaiah 24:8–9
The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
Read in context
Psalms 137:2
We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
Read in context