When the monarch heard these words, he saw at once the snare that had been set for his faithful servant. He saw that it was not zeal for kingly glory and honor, but jealousy against Daniel, that had led to the proposal for a royal decree. "Sore displeased with himself" for his part in the evil that had been wrought, he "labored till the going down of the sun" to deliver his friend. The princes, anticipating this effort on the part of the king, came to him with the words, "Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed." The decree, though rashly made, was unalterable and must be carried into effect.

Da monarken hørte disse ord, indså han øjeblikkelig, at der var sat en fælde for hans trofaste tjener. Han var klar over, at embedsmændene ikke havde stillet forslaget om det kongelige dekret, fordi de var interesseret i hans ære, men fordi de var misundelige på Daniel. Kongen blev "såre nedslået" fordi han havde haft en andel i det ulykkelige, der var sket, "og lige til solens nedgang søgte han at finde en udvej" for at redde sin ven. satraperne havde i forvejen regnet med denne mulighed og hen-vendte sig derfor til ham med ordene: "Vid, o konge, at det er medisk og persisk ret, at intet forbud og ingen lov, som kongen udsteder, kan tages tilbage!" Skønt dekretet var blevet til i hast, kunne det ikke ændres.