The Book of Daniel
Daniel 1
Chapter I · Vol. III, pp. 1384–1385
1 Jehoiakim's captivity. 3 Ashpenaz taketh Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 8 They refusing the king's portion, do prosper with pulse and water. 17 Their excellency in wisdom.
1 In the third year1 of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah acame Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
A.M. cir. 3397. B.C. cir. 607.
1 Jehoiakim was raised to the throne of Judah by the king of Egypt, and remained his tributary during three years; but at the close of that period Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians, and Jehoiakim became tributary to Babylon. At the end of three years he rebelled, but Nebuchadnezzar being otherwise engaged did not depose him till three years after his rebellion, which was the eleventh and last of Jehoiakim's reign, 2 Ki. 23. 34-36; 24. 1. Je. 25. 1; 46. 2. The chronological difficulties may be solved thus. Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem in the third of Jehoiakim, and took it on the fourth. Three whole years after the fourth, Jehoiakim remained tributary to Babylon, and on the eighth rebelled; after which, during three whole years, he remained in rebellion, and in the end of the eleventh was carried captive.—C.
A.M. cir. 3398. B.C. cir. 606.
2 And the Lord bgave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, cwith part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried2 into dthe land of Shinar, to the ehouse of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god.
b Ju.2.14. Ps.106.41,42.
c Je.27.19,20. 2 Ch.36.7. 2 Ki.24.13.
2 Which he carried—that is, the vessels—not Jehoiakim, who was slain near Jerusalem, Je.22.12.—C.
d Ge.10.10; 11.2. Is.11.11. Zec.5.11.
e ch.5.2,3. Ezr.1.7,8. 1 Sa.31.9,10. Ju.16.23,24. Hab.1.16. Je.50.2; 27.16; 28.6; 51.44.
3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain3 of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;
3 Foretold, 2 Ki.20.17,18. Is.39.7.
4 Childreng in whom was no blemish, but well-favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them hto stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach ithe learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
g Ac.7.20,22. Ju.8.18. Le.21.18-20. ch.2.48,49; ver.17-20. Ex.18.21.
h 1 Ki.10.8. Pr.22.29. ver.5,19; ch.4.8.
i ver.17,20. Ac.19.9,19; 7.22.
5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat,4 and of the wine which he drank;5 so nourishing them jthree years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.
6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, kDaniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah;6
k Eze.14.14,20; 28.3. ch.2.17. Mat.24.15.
6 Daniel signifies 'God my judge.'—Hananiah, 'The grace of the Lord.'—Mishael, 'Asked of God.'—Azariah, 'The Lord is a help.'—C.
7 Unto whom the lprince of the eunuchs gave names: 7for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah of Shadrach; and to Mishael of Meshach; and to Azariah of Abed-nego.8
l ver.3,10.
7 ch.4.8,19; 5.12; 2.49; 3.12,14,19,20,22,26,28-30, with Ge.41.45. 2 Ki.24.17. Thus he named them after the Chaldean idols.
8 Belteshazzar, 'Treasurer of Bel.'—Shadrach, 'Messenger of the sun.'—Meshach, 'Property of Sheshach;' a name and, probably, a deity of the Babylonians.—Abed-nego, 'Servant of Nego;' another Babylonian idol—C.
8 But Daniel npurposed in his heart othat he would not defile9 himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
n Ac.11.23. Ru.1.18. 2 Co.9.7.
o 1 Th.5.22. Eze.4.13. De.32.38. Ho.9.3. Le.xi. Mat.18.7. Ro.14.15-17. 1 Co.8.1-13; 10.19-33.
9 It is most probable that some part of the 'king's meat' might be of animals which the Jewish law pronounced unclean: and, also, that some of it might have been offered to idols—more especially that, according to a common heathen custom, the first cup of the wine might have been poured out as a drink-offering to Bel.—C.
10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, qI fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking1 than the children which are of your sort?2 then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
11 Then said Daniel to Melzar,3 whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
3 Or, the steward.
12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us 4pulse5 to eat,6 and water to drink.
4 Heb. of pulse, i.e. pease, beans, &c., Is.61.11. De.8.3. Ro.4.18.
5 Pulse. The word applies generally to vegetable food, not reaped, but pulled or plucked, whether roots, leaves, or fruits; and this dietary did not exclude the use of milk, nor of various condiments to render their simple fare more palatable and healthful.—C.
6 Heb. that we may eat, &c.
13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat; and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared sfairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.
16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink, and gave them pulse.7
7 Pease, beans, &c.
17 As for these four 8children, tGod gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding9 in all visions and dreams.
18 Now at uthe end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
u ver.5. Mat.9.16,17. 1 Ti.3.6.
19 And the king communed with them: and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore vstood they before the king.
20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding,1 that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times2 better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
21 And3 Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.4
* 'The character of Daniel,' says Pusey, 'runs one and the same through the book, majestic in its noble simplicity. As a revealer of God in a heathen court, and as raised to high dignity in God's providence for the sake of his brethren, he occupies, in this temporary dissolution of the political existence of his people, a place somewhat corresponding to that of Moses at the beginning. Like Moses he was educated in the highest wisdom of a people famed for its wisdom. Even this likeness has its unlikeness. In Moses God manifested not his wisdom but his power. Yet, as the wise of the Egyptians were put to shame by the power of God wherewith he clothed Moses, so he paled the reputation of the wisdom of the Babylonian magi, by his Spirit which he placed in the captive boy Daniel. But the resemblance lies only in the common principles of God's providence, whereby he, at extraordinary times, raises up, singly for the most part, extraordinary instruments of his own to effect his will.'—P.
3 ch.6.28; 8.1; 10.1. He lived to see that glorious time of the return of his people from the Babylonian captivity, but he did not die then: till is used in the same sense, Ps.110.1; 112.8. Mat.1.25.
4 See note * in first column.
Notes
Ver. 19. The king communed with them—conversed with them, and examined them concerning their progress and attainments in learning—a curious and instructive, though incidental, illustration of the philosophical character of Nebuchadnezzar, in which he nearly resembled Napoleon of France—as deeply interested in the examination of a school as in the organization of an army. But such men God 'raises up to show his power in them;' such men he pulls down to 'teach the nations they are but men.' C.
Reflections.—When men profane God's temple by their sins, it is but just that he should profane it by his judgments. How exactly Hezekiah's pride is punished in the captivity of his seed! They who wish to serve their generation, must not spend their youth in idleness, but in study. And it is shameful for Christians to take less care of educating their children than heathens do of their slaves; and to show less regard to their God than heathens do to their idols. If we receive favours from men, let us always view them as the gift of God, and be the more careful to avoid every appearance of evil; and let us always be humble under humbling providences. Let us never be backward to that self-denial which tends to prevent sin: and for that end, let us improve whatever interest we have with the great. Whatever in diet, or anything else, we willingly lose for God's honour, will prove clear gain in the issue. Proper abstemiousness and temperance contribute to the improvement of our mind as well as the health of our body. God honours them that honour him, while they who despise him are lightly esteemed. And they who mourn much with Zion in her distress are, if for their good, spared to share with her in the joys of her deliverance.