3, 4. Why did Darius favor Daniel, and to what position did the king appoint him?

³ Where would Daniel fit into this new arrangement? Would Darius the Mede retire this aged Jewish prophet who was now in his nineties? By no means! Darius no doubt realized that Daniel had accurately foretold the downfall of Babylon and that such a prediction required superhuman discernment. In addition, Daniel had decades of experience in dealing with the varied captive communities in Babylon. Darius was intent on keeping peaceful relations with his newly conquered subjects. Therefore, he would certainly want someone with Daniel’s wisdom and experience close to the throne. In what capacity?

⁴ It would have been startling enough if Darius had appointed the Jewish exile Daniel to be a satrap. But just imagine the commotion when Darius announced his decision to make Daniel one of the three high officials who would oversee the satraps!

Daniel 6:2,