After a miraculous rescue from certain death, the tables completely turn on the men who originally plotted the downfall of an innocent man. The king orders the execution of the very informers who orchestrated the scheme. A question arises regarding the severity of this punishment: since the informers did not actually lie and the accused man indeed violated the royal decree, why did the king condemn them to death [מלבי״ם]? The answer lies in their malicious methods. These men used smooth, manipulative words to back the king into a corner, intentionally leaving him no legal way to save his loyal servant. Once the miraculous survival occurred, the king unleashed his pent-up fury directly upon them [אלשיך].
The informers, along with their wives and children, are thrown into the lions' den. The physical structure of the pit played a role in their immediate demise. Dropped through the narrow upper opening, the victims never even reached the wide floor of the den [אלשיך]. Before they could hit the ground, the lions overpowered them, devouring them while they were still falling through the air [מצודת דוד].
The brutal nature of the attack, where the lions completely crushed the victims' bones, serves a greater purpose in the narrative. The primary approach among commentators is that the lions had been intentionally starved beforehand to ensure they would consume their initial target. Frustrated, ravenous, and thirsty, they attacked the new victims instantly. This vicious reaction highlights the sheer magnitude of the previous night's miracle. The fact that these beasts were hungry enough to pulverize the informers proves just how supernatural it was that they did not touch their first captive at all [מלבי״ם].
From the perspective of divine providence, this event illustrates the principle that God ensures every creature receives its due reward. Similar to the dogs in Egypt that were rewarded for remaining silent, these lions were compensated for suppressing their natural hunger and sparing an innocent life. As a reward for their restraint, God placed the idea in the king's mind to throw the informers and their families into the pit. Consequently, the lions received many lives in exchange for the one life they left unharmed [אלשיך].