The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions mauled them and broke all their bones in pieces before they came to the bottom of the den.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 24. Accused. They were punished as false witnesses; ( Calmet.) and the king justly made them suffer what they would have inflicted on the innocent, being convinced that Daniel had only acted according to his devotion. Worthington.—These wretches deserved to perish, though they had spoken nothing but the truth. Bible.—Wives. Many examples of such punishments occur, ( Calmet.) as it was presumed that children and wives were infected by the bad example, and would imitiate it, (Jun.) if they had not concurred already. Menochius.—This must have been the case, to make it just. Bible. See Joshua 7.—Abominandœ leges, says Ammianus, (23) speaking of the customs of Persia, per quas ob noxam unius omnis propinquitas perit. Calmet.