Single lesson
Daniel and Habakkuk in the Lions' Den
Daniel (Greek) 14:28–42
This lesson follows Daniel (Greek) 14:28–42 in order, tracing the pressure on the king, Daniel’s time in the lions’ den, God’s provision through Habakkuk, and the king’s later words of praise.
Before you teach
In this Greek addition to Daniel, the people of Babylon react with great indignation and accuse the king of becoming a Jew. They demand Daniel, Daniel is thrown into the lions’ den, Habakkuk is sent with food, and on the seventh day the king finds Daniel alive. [Evidence: Daniel (Greek) 14:28, Daniel (Greek) 14:31, Daniel (Greek) 14:34, Daniel (Greek) 14:40]
Students will be able to sequence Daniel (Greek) 14:28–42 and identify at least two spoken responses in the passage that show pressure, provision, thanksgiving or praise.
Welcome: Trace the voices in the passage
5 minGive each student a simple note page with four names: the people of Babylon, the king, Habakkuk and Daniel. Explain that they will follow what each person says and does in the passage. Ask them to listen for pressure, provision, thanksgiving and praise as the reading unfolds. [Evidence: Daniel (Greek) 14:28, Daniel (Greek) 14:35, Daniel (Greek) 14:38, Daniel (Greek) 14:41]
Daniel (Greek) 14:28, Daniel (Greek) 14:35, Daniel (Greek) 14:38, Daniel (Greek) 14:41
Read and explain: Pressure on the king and danger for Daniel
10 minRead verses 28–32 aloud. Explain that the people react with great indignation, threaten the king and his house, and trap him so that he delivers Daniel to them. Daniel is cast into the lions’ den for six days. The text also stresses the danger by naming seven lions and withheld food. [Evidence: Daniel (Greek) 14:28, Daniel (Greek) 14:29, Daniel (Greek) 14:30, Daniel (Greek) 14:31, Daniel (Greek) 14:32]
Daniel (Greek) 14:28, Daniel (Greek) 14:29, Daniel (Greek) 14:30, Daniel (Greek) 14:31, Daniel (Greek) 14:32
Discuss: Habakkuk, the meal, and Daniel’s thanksgiving
10 minRead verses 33–39. Note that Habakkuk has prepared food for reapers, but the angel of the Lord redirects that meal to Daniel in Babylon. Habakkuk states what he does not know, then the angel carries him to the den. When Habakkuk calls out, Daniel thanks God for remembering him and not forsaking those who love him. [Evidence: Daniel (Greek) 14:33, Daniel (Greek) 14:34, Daniel (Greek) 14:35, Daniel (Greek) 14:36, Daniel (Greek) 14:37, Daniel (Greek) 14:38, Daniel (Greek) 14:39]
Daniel (Greek) 14:33, Daniel (Greek) 14:34, Daniel (Greek) 14:35, Daniel (Greek) 14:36, Daniel (Greek) 14:37, Daniel (Greek) 14:38, Daniel (Greek) 14:39
Respond: Sequence and quote chart
9 minIn pairs, students make eight small sequence cards with short labels only, such as crowd’s demand, king constrained, den, Habakkuk’s meal, angel’s command, Daniel’s thanks, king sees Daniel, king’s praise. Then they add one exact phrase from the text beside two or three cards. Handle the final judgement verse through brief written observation rather than illustration. [Evidence: Daniel (Greek) 14:29, Daniel (Greek) 14:30, Daniel (Greek) 14:34, Daniel (Greek) 14:38, Daniel (Greek) 14:40, Daniel (Greek) 14:41, Daniel (Greek) 14:42]
Daniel (Greek) 14:29, Daniel (Greek) 14:30, Daniel (Greek) 14:34, Daniel (Greek) 14:38, Daniel (Greek) 14:40, Daniel (Greek) 14:41, Daniel (Greek) 14:42
Closing: From mourning to praise
6 minRead verses 40–42 again. Ask students to summarise the final movement of the account: the king comes to mourn, sees Daniel sitting, praises the Lord as Daniel’s God, and Daniel is drawn out. Close with a sober note that the passage ends with judgement on those who caused Daniel’s destruction. [Evidence: Daniel (Greek) 14:40, Daniel (Greek) 14:41, Daniel (Greek) 14:42]
Daniel (Greek) 14:40, Daniel (Greek) 14:41, Daniel (Greek) 14:42
Questions to explore
What words show how strongly the people of Babylon reacted, and what did they demand from the king?
Use their own speech and notice both their indignation and their threat against the king and his house.
Daniel (Greek) 14:28, Daniel (Greek) 14:29
What two things did Habakkuk say he did not know when he was told to take the meal to Daniel?
Answer from Habakkuk’s reply, paying attention to the place and the den.
Daniel (Greek) 14:34, Daniel (Greek) 14:35
How do Daniel’s words and the king’s words differ at the end of the passage?
Compare Daniel’s thanksgiving for being remembered with the king’s public praise of the Lord, the God of Daniel.
Daniel (Greek) 14:38, Daniel (Greek) 14:41
Make, think or respond
Sequence and Quote Chart
What you’ll need
- Plain paper or index cards
- Pens or pencils
- Bible text
- Highlighters
Try it together
- List eight key moments from Daniel (Greek) 14:28–42 in short phrases.
- Write one moment on each card and place the cards in order.
- Choose two or three cards and add an exact quotation from the matching verse.
- Discuss which cards show pressure, provision, thanksgiving or praise, and note the final judgement soberly in words only.
This activity helps students follow the order of the account and pay close attention to what the passage actually says at each stage.
Adapt for your group
- For younger teens, give the eight event labels in advance and ask them to arrange the cards, then match each card to a verse.
- For older students, add a second column titled “spoken response” and have them record the exact words of the crowd, Habakkuk, Daniel and the king.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: “Lord, thank you for this passage. Help us remember what we have read, speak about it truthfully, and join Daniel and the king in giving thanks and praise to you.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Daniel (Greek) 14
28 When the people of Babylon heard that, they took great indignation, and conspired against the king, saying, “The king has become a Jew. He has pulled down Bel, slain the dragon, and put the priests to the sword.”
29 So they came to the king, and said, “Deliver Daniel to us, or else we will destroy you and your house.”
30 Now when the king saw that they trapped him, being constrained, the king delivered Daniel to them.
31 They cast him into the lion’s den, where he was six days.
32 There were seven lions in the den, and they had been giving them two carcasses and two sheep every day, which then were not given to them, intending that they would devour Daniel.
33 Now there was in Jewry the prophet Habakkuk, who had made stew, and had broken bread into a bowl. He was going into the field to bring it to the reapers.
34 But the angel of the Lord said to Habakkuk, “Go carry the dinner that you have into Babylon to Daniel, in the lions’ den.”
35 Habakkuk said, “Lord, I never saw Babylon. I don’t know where the den is.”
36 Then the angel of the Lord took him by the crown, and lifted him up by the hair of his head, and with the blast of his breath set him in Babylon over the den.
37 Habakkuk cried, saying, “O Daniel, Daniel, take the dinner which God has sent you.”
38 Daniel said, “You have remembered me, O God! You haven’t forsaken those who love you!”
39 So Daniel arose and ate; and the angel of God set Habakkuk in his own place again immediately.
40 On the seventh day, the king came to mourn for Daniel. When he came to the den, he looked in, and, behold, Daniel was sitting.
41 Then the king cried with a loud voice, saying, “Great are you, O Lord, you God of Daniel, and there is none other beside you!”
42 So he drew him out, and cast those that were the cause of his destruction into the den; and they were devoured in a moment before his face.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.