Daniel 1:8–21, KJV

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8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile 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.

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Following the defeat of Judah, Daniel and his friends (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) were among the young men taken into exile in Babylon. The deportation of these young men fulfilled the warning Isaiah had given King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:17–18. Going into captivity meant that the people of Judah would be subjected to the traditions and practices of Babylon, a pagan nation. Daniel 1 records that these young men were given new Babylonian names. The scholar W. VanGemeren (1990:339), presented the changes of names this way: “Daniel ‘My judge is God’ to Belteshazzar ‘May he [a god] protect his life’; Hananiah ‘Yahweh has been gracious’ to Shadrach ‘I am fearful’ [of god]; Mishael ‘Who is what God is’ to Meshach ‘I am of little account’; Azariah ‘Yahweh has helped’ to Abednego ‘Servant of the shining one.’”

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It was forbidden by the Law of Moses for God’s people to eat certain foods or participate in pagan rituals and practices. To do so was to be “defiled” (Heb. yit ga’al,gah-AL), or declared ceremonially unclean for worship. As a captive, Daniel was subject to Babylonian law, but he loved God and decided firmly to remain loyal to worship Him. Daniel refused to let anything defile his heart. One way to remain ceremonially pure was to refuse to eat the king’s “meat” (Heb. pathbag, path-BAG). This meat was probably first offered to idols, and Daniel and his friends were determined to avoid the sin of idolatry, which was why Judah was now in captivity. Also, God’s Law prohibited meat consumption from certain kinds of “unclean” animals (Genesis 9:3–4; Leviticus 7:26–27, 11:3–8, 26–39).

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Daniel also refused to drink the king’s wine (vs. 8). The Hebrew word for wine is yayin (yah’- yin). The feasts or banquets held by kings were not mere meals but an indication of the king’s wealth and generosity. Consequently, wine and food were abundant, and drunkeness was common. For the Israelites, drunkenness is considered a moral failure and to be avoided (Deuteronomy 21:20; Isaiah 5:11).

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9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

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The word for “favour” (Heb. chesed, KHEH-sed) means “goodness,” “mercy,” or “kindness.” It is often translated as “loving-kindness” in the Old Testament to describe God’s gracious acts to preserve and redeem His people. In a few other places in the Old Testament, chesed is used together with racham (Heb. RAH-kham, here “tender love”) to form an expression that describes God’s feelings toward His children (see Psalm 103:4; Hosea 2:19; Jeremiah 16:5).

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God gave Daniel such favor with the “prince of the eunuchs.” Although we typically consider this story concerning Daniel’s courage to stand up for his convictions, this passage points out God’s faithfulness. Daniel and his friends were experiencing the consequences of Judah’s disobedience. By causing the eunuch to be sympathetic toward Daniel, God was faithful to His promise and honored the prayers of the righteous from ages past.

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10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

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The chief eunuch believed that changing the diet of those under his care would directly disobey the king’s orders. This was no trivial matter because the king had absolute power! During the chief eunuch’s service, he had no doubt seen what happened to people who dared to contradict the king.

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The Hebrew verb za‘af (zah-AF) translates as “to fret, to be sad, or to be angry.” The chief eunuch’s concern was that Daniel’s health would suffer compared to the health of the other young men who would remain on the king’s diet. He fears that the change of diet would “endanger” his head.

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The Hebrew word for endangering is chûwb (khoob); this word also could be translated as “make guilty.” The chief eunuch could have been an extremely conscientious man who really didn’t want to act on his own initiative without authorization from his superior, or he might have been intimidated by the thought of capital punishment. The latter seems most likely, given the conspicuous use of the word “head.” In this text, the eunuch believed that giving in to Daniel would be putting his “head” (in English, we might say “neck”) on the line.

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11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

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The chief eunuch did not deny Daniel’s request outright but indicated he was uncomfortable with the proposition. Daniel then made his request to the steward assigned to him. Melzar was a Babylonian title, perhaps meaning “guardian.” Modern English translations interpret the word as a title, not a name. Regardless of whether Melzar was actually his name, he was obviously charged with caring for Daniel and his friends.

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Daniel asked Melzar to “prove” (Heb. nasah, nah-SAH) or perform a test to see how well Daniel and his comrades would survive on a more fitting diet. The Hebrew word nâ’ (naw), understood as “I beseech,” “please,” or “now,” shows that Daniel is emphasizing his request. He was appealing to Melzar’s high opinion of him, and he did so in a respectful and courteous manner. 

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Daniel wanted a diet of only vegetables. While Daniel’s concern appears religious and not motivated by health purposes, it is still notable to realize that few people—probably only the king and members of the nobility— would have owned enough land to produce meat for consumption regularly. The meat was a luxury. The average person may have eaten meat as little as once or twice yearly, primarily on special religious observances.

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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.

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Daniel likely asked for the ten-day test as a way to acknowledge the eunuchs’ concerns. Daniel’s faith was in God; in ten days, he knew that God would make a difference and give them a favor. If the Lord wanted him to stand for righteousness by abstaining from the king’s food, God would direct the heart of the men who could make it possible for him. Daniel could only have faith to believe that God would reveal Himself amid the test, proving to all that He was God Almighty.

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14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days, their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.

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At the end of the test, Daniel and his friends looked better than the children who had eaten from the king’s table. The Hebrew word nir’ah (nir-AH), can be translated as “to be seen, visible, seem, or appear.” The test of ten days ended with a close inspection of the progress made by Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

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Their countenances were “fairer” (Heb. tov, TOVE), a common Old Testament word generally translated as “good.” Some English translations render it “better” (ESV, NASB). The word “fatter” (Heb. bari’, bah-REE) seems to imply that they had not wasted away, but instead fared well, looking more stout and healthy than their counterparts. In the ancient Near East, weight was a sign of wealth. The common people worked too hard and had too little food available to gain weight. In the ancient world, like in underdeveloped regions today, food was scarce, and malnourishment threatened fitness. If Daniel and the others gained weight, God did it!

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16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

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Until now, the text has only indicated that vegetables and water were added to Daniel’s food supply. The king’s meat was undoubtedly delivered daily, even if it wasn’t eaten. Now, Melzar took away the meat and wine. He took action to completely fulfill Daniel’s wish.

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17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

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Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah received “knowledge” (Heb. madda‘, mad-DAH)—also translated “science” and “skill” (Heb. sâkal, sah-KAL) also understood as to “have insight.” Their knowledge and skill came from learning and wisdom. “Learning” (Heb. sefer, SEH-fer) can also be translated as “book, scroll or letter.”

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“Wisdom” (Heb. chokmah, khoak-MAH) is a common word in the Old Testament with various possible connotations, including skill or aptitude, experience, good sense, shrewdness, intellectual capacity, and godly insight. The Hebrew words used here for “knowledge,” “skill,” “learning,” “wisdom,” and “understanding” are the words used in Daniel 1:3–4 when Nebuchadnezzar outlined his goals for the young captives. God gave Daniel and his friends exactly what the king sought when establishing their training program. Daniel was also especially blessed to understand visions and dreams—an indication that God was indeed with him and would speak through him (see Numbers 12:6), as he did in several instances recorded in this book (see 2:19, 7:1, 8:1).

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18 Now at the 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.

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The eunuchs honored Daniel’s dietary wishes. The moment of truth, however, came when Daniel and his friends were to stand before the king. Would the Hebrew youth meet the king’s expectations after three years of first-class education and accommodations (see 1:4)? Their future—perhaps even their lives and the lives of the men who cared for and trained Daniel and his friends—depended on the outcome.

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19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

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The king likely interrogated the young men individually or in groups to discern the depth of their understanding. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah stood head and shoulders above the rest of the captives.

While these four young men distinguished themselves before Nebuchadnezzar, they also distinguished themselves before God through their courage and faithfulness to God’s commands. Many other Jewish youth were enrolled in the same education and leadership development program. But only these four—certainly a minority—are recorded to have maintained steadfast loyalty to their God. The conversation with the king combined a final exam and a job interview.

The Hebrew word ‘âmad (aw-mad’) translates as “stood” is not just a literal standing before the king, but indicates that the Hebrew boys were now in the service of the king.

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Here, we see a principle of privilege coupled with responsibility. God entrusted Daniel and his friends with great gifts, but those gifts came with an obligation. God repeatedly called them to stand with courage and conviction throughout their service. As the rest of the book shows, the king was a demanding and unjust man at times. God gives good gifts, but not necessarily to make our lives easier or more comfortable. He frequently calls His most gifted servants to exercise great courage and count any present happiness as a loss to advance His eternal kingdom.

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20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. 21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of King Cyrus.

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Daniel and his three friends were wiser than all their peers and outdid even the king’s diviners. “The magicians and astrologers” refers to those who sought secret knowledge through communication with the spirit world. The diviners believed these spirits to be gods or the spirits of deceased people. It was common in the ancient world for rulers to consult experts in the occult.

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The Scriptures do not allow the practice of divination by God’s people. Rather, we are to listen to those through whom He has chosen to speak (Deuteronomy 18:10–15). God calls His people to live in faith, trusting that whatever He ordains is right and that He will tell us what we need to know at the right time. The Bible is our guide.

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We later learn that Daniel was appointed chief of the magicians and wise men because Nebuchadnezzar realized that Daniel was filled with the Spirit of God and that he was actually correct in his interpretations and predictions, unlike the king’s magicians (Daniel 2:24, 5:11). Of course, Daniel disavowed the techniques and beliefs of the pagan magicians entirely. He explains that only God can reveal mysteries, and men can only have access to divine knowledge when God chooses to reveal Himself (Daniel 2:27–30). Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) were “rising stars” in Babylon after their interview with the king. At the time of their exile, no one would have predicted their ascent to the upper echelons of Babylonian government in the next three years. After all, they were basically prisoners of war. But God called them to act courageously, and He honored their faithfulness by using them to leave a powerful and lasting testimony of the one true, living God. By sticking to their convictions, they experienced the power of God in incredible ways.