Judah’s Defeat (1:1-2)
Daniel 1:1
During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah,[a] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah,[a] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it: Jehoiakim ruled Judah from 609 to 598 B.C. after being appointed by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt (2 Kings 23:34; Jeremiah 46:2). During the spring or summer of 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar invaded the region of Palestine after defeating Egypt, an ally of Judah, at the battle of Carchemish (May – June 605 B.C.). He would defeat Jerusalem later that year (2 Kings 24:1; 2 Chronicles 36:6). After conquering Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar deported his Jewish hostages in three stages. Immediately after destroying Jerusalem, he took the elite to Babylon. Two later deportations took place in 597 and 587 BC, leaving only the poor and sick in the land.
History informs us that soon after achieving victory over Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar received the news of his father’s passing. The Monarch left Jehoiakim on the throne but took many hostages with him. Daniel and his friends were included in the captives. Nebuchadnezzar took the nobility with him as an attempt to secure the loyalty of the newly conquered people.
Daniel 1:2
The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia[b] and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.
The Lord gave him (King Nebuchadnezzar) victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah: Psalm 121:3-4 tells us that the God who watches of Israel never slumbers and is always ready to protect His people from harm. However, at first glance, it looks like God hit the snooze button one too many times on His cosmic alarm clock on the day that Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar and his army – especially when reading the Chronicler’s account where God is seemingly absent from these events (2 Chronicles 36:4-7). Yet, Daniel tells us otherwise by using the Hebrew word, adonai. This word is translated into English as the Lord. Adonai means “owner, ruler, or sovereign.” By using this expression, Daniel skillfully reminds us that Yahweh is in control. The Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar victory over His people as His means of judging His peoples’ habitual sins as He said He would (2 Chronicles 36:5; Habakkuk 1:12).
The Lord not only gave Nebuchadnezzar victory over Judah and her king but also permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from His Temple. Nebuchadnezzar came home with both captives and sacred plunder. Solomon had these furnishings built for the Temple of Yahweh, intended to worship Him alone (1 Kings 7:48-51), now Nebuchadnezzar would place them in the temple of Marduk, his god.
The Babylonian King’s confiscation of these holy items was a signal of religious dominance. By taking these items, the powerful king was communicating to the Jewish people that their God was too weak to rescue them from defeat. In ancient times to conquer a nation was also to conquer their gods.
Contrary to the message Nebuchadnezzar was trying to send to this newly defeated people, that Marduk was stronger than Yahweh, by taking some of the sacred objects from the Temple, the king proved just the opposite. Just one hundred years earlier, Judah’s King Hezekiah had foolishly shown these treasures to some Babylonian visitors and apparently, their report was not forgotten (2 Kings 20:13). The prophet Isaiah upon hearing what Hezekiah had done, told him that one day, the Babylonians would return and take away all the wealth he had gathered (2 Kings 20:16-18; Isaiah 39:5-7).
Without knowing it, Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilling prophecy. Prophecy, the telling of things before they occur is one way that proved to the Israelites that there was no other God but Yahweh. When comparing Himself to the false gods of Babylon, Yahweh declares that it is only He that can reveal the future before it even happens (Isaiah 46:10). The predictions in the book of Daniel alone are foretold with precision, this only being one occurrence as we will see. The Bible’s prophetic accuracy is one of the greatest, if not the greatest evidence of Scripture being from God to man.
Often times we view life’s events as if God isn’t present and if he isn’t present, he doesn’t care, yet no matter what happens on a personal, national, or international level, Daniel challenges us to remember that God has permitted whatever it is to happen. He is sovereign, seated on the throne, not frantic. He will cause everything to work together for the good of those who love Him according to His purposes.
Daniel also reminds us that sometimes when bad things happen, it is God’s way of judging our sin. At other times, God chooses to judge others’ sins and we happen to be caught up in their consequences like Daniel and his friends.
Babylon’s Developmental Strategy (1:3-7)
Daniel 1:3
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives.
Once the Jewish hostages arrived in their new homeland, Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to Ashpenaz, his chief of staff concerning these young captives. The NLT calls Ashpenaz the king’s chief of staff, the NIV calls him “the chief of court officials” and the KJV calls him “master of eunuchs.” The phrase carries interesting implications for the four Hebrew boys mentioned in the following verses. Some scholars view Ashpenaz’s title as simply indicating that he was a highly ranked and trusted leader in the King’s administration. Yet, others agree with the KJV’s translation as Ashpenaz being in charge over the King’s eunuchs.
I think that the KJV is correct in its communicating that Ashpenaz was the king’s chief eunuch and was in charge of the others. My reason for holding this view is found in 2 Kings 20:18. We’ve already mentioned that Isaiah prophesied that Babylon would take the temple vessels (2 Kings 20:12-17) but as verse eighteen reveals, there was more to the prophecy. Isaiah tells Hezekiah that some of the sons of Judah will be taken into exile and made to become eunuchs to serve in the palace of Babylon’s king. Since Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the loss of the temple vessels was literal, it makes sense to conclude that Babylon would have humiliated and demoralized their defeated captives by castrating them. This surgical procedure would also prevent any of them becoming a threat to the king’s throne through procreation, though this seems like it would have been a very unlikely possibility.
Daniel 1:4-5
“Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.[c]” 5 The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.
God’s plans for my life didn’t require me having to stress over whether or not a certain college would accept me or reject me once applying. I was running from my call to ministry, I was having my Jonah moment when God graciously guided me to a small Christian college in High Point, NC. As a tiny college with the majority of their programs focused on ministry, I had no worries and no problem becoming one of their students. However, I had friends who rode the emotional roller coaster as they received letters from different colleges or universities they applied to containing their decisions concerning my peer’s future educational pathway. As a youth pastor and pastor, I’ve seen students (and their parents) celebrate with acceptance and experience disappointment with rejection. As I write this post I can’t help but wonder what the future holds in this area for my four children and my wife and I as their parents.
While pondering about what the future may hold for my kids in this season of life, I also became curious as to which colleges had the lowest acceptance rates. If I were to guess, I would have said Harvard would be the most difficult to get in to, yet, it was the second school on the article’s list that I found. The most difficult college to get accepted by according to collegetransitions.com is Caltech with a 2.5% acceptance rate for the class of 2027 which means on average, only 2.5 out of every 100 applicants were accepted! Needless to say, some colleges and universities have higher standards than others for prospective students.
In verse three, the king didn’t want Ashpenaz to bring just any of the captives to the palace for development. Nebuchadnezzar had Caltech type expectations for his future leaders. The king needed able bodied and energetic young men to keep his kingdom running and advance it beyond that of neighboring kings and their nations. The king wanted men who were strong and good looking. They were to be young men as well. Most scholars agree that the word young refers to someone between the ages of 14 and 17.
Plato reports that the education of Persian youth began at the age of fourteen. It is reasonable to think that the Babylonians started training their young people around this age as well. With the backdrop of this cultural practice in mind, it makes sense to think that Daniel would have been around fourteen or fifteen years of age when he was taken into captivity and started learning all the ways of the Babylonians.
Ashpenaz’s selections were to be young men both appealing to the eye and physically capable but also well versed in every kind of learning. This phrase would refer to how well they knew and excelled in their education back in Judah since they had yet to begin their learning in Babylon. Much like grades and test scores affect someone’s chances of being accepted by a choice school, Daniel’s and his friend’s prior educational achievements helped place them in this new training program.
The chosen young men were also to be knowledgeable and more importantly able to apply that knowledge in daily situations as they arose. The king wanted men with common sense, able to apply what they knew to problem solve as issues arose.
What was Ashpenaz to do with the young men, the teens that he selected? He was to train them in the language and literature of Babylon. Since these young men had been qualified to serve in their native kingdom, they would be fit to serve in the new kingdom in which they now resided. With some development and assimilation, the Babylonian kingdom would become even greater with this new group of talented recruits, well prisoners.
However, they did not understand the language and literature of the Babylonians, also known as the Chaldeans. This was the language of Abraham. In chapter 2, Daniel uses “Chaldeans” (kzasdim) to refer to a group of scholarly philosophers, but it could also refer to the entire nation. According to the NIV Study Bible, “The classical literature [was] in Sumerian and Akkadian Cuneiform, a complex syllabic writing system. In contrast, the everyday language in multi-racial Babylon was Aramaic, written in an easily learned alphabetic script.” Once the language barrier was eliminated, the king could use them in anyway he saw fit.
When my brother was in college he always kept a secret stash of Little Debbie Cakes that referred to as brain food. He would eat these sweet treats during the late or all nighters he sometimes pulled as he pursed his degree in education. I guess these cakes provided the nourishment he needed to stay awake and for his brain to function well enough to become educated to be an educator!
In verse five we see that Nebuchadnezzar also wanted to make sure his newest freshmen had the brainfood they needed as well to help them excel in their educational endeavors.The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. We will later see that this food was unacceptable for Daniel and his friends to eat. Daniel and his friends were determined not to eat the king’s food not because it was poor in quality but for religious purposes. There is no reason to doubt that the quality of food coming from the king’s own kitchens were second to none.
Once again we see the king acting like any wise leader would. He is giving his leaders in training all the resources they need to achieve the goals he has for them, here the nourishment needed to help them be focused and effective in their studies. Serving these young men the choicest of foods may also have been another way of keeping these men content or winning their favor to keep unity among the ranks and to develop the loyalty of his newly acquired subjects. Whatever the reason or reasons for serving them food from his own kitchens, the king was providing everything needed for them to be successful in their three year educational program and then thrive in their royal service.
Daniel 1:6-7
6 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 7 The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names:
Daniel was called Belteshazzar.
Hananiah was called Shadrach.
Mishael was called Meshach.
Azariah was called Abednego.
Until now, Daniel hasn’t introduced the four young men, so he does so here in verse six. As you’ll see, each of the boys’ names honor the LORD, given to them by their parents, parents who no-doubt honored God. In another attempt to assimilate the Jewish captives into the Babylonian culture, they are given new names by their captors. Their new names are affiliated to Babylonian gods instead of Yahweh.
In Hebrew, Daniel means “God is judge” and is a name used for other people in the Bible (1 Chronicles 3:1; Ezra 8:2; Nehemiah 10:6). Ezekiel also mentions this Daniel (Ezekiel 14:14, 20, 23). Hananiah means “Jehovah is gracious” and appears in other parts of the Old Testament (1 Chronicles 25:23; 2 Chronicles 26:11; Jeremiah 36:12). Mishael means “Who is what God is?” highlighting that the Hebrew God has no equal, which is an important point in a land full of idols. Azariah means “The Lord helps,” and like Mishael, this name is found elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Daniel’s new name, Belteshazzar, was similar to Belshazzar and meant “May Bel protect his life,” referring to the Babylonian god Bel (Marduk) (Daniel 4:8). This name is similar to Baal, the chief god of the Canaanites. Hananiah was renamed Shadrach, after the Sumerian moon god, meaning “command of Aku.” The official got creative with Mishael, changing his name from “Who is what God is?” to Meshach, meaning “Who is what Aku is?” Some scholars think Meshach could also mean “salvation by Aku.” Azariah was given the name Abednego, meaning “servant of Nebo,” another pagan god.
Nebuchadnezzar hoped that by indoctrinating these young men with Babylonian culture and beliefs that they would forget about Jerusalem, the Temple, and their God. Yet, though their new world was trying to conform them to its image, Daniel and his friends were being continually transformed by the renewing of their minds by the perfect written will of God so that they knew the practical ways of God for living in a culture opposed to them and their God.
Daniel’s Determination (1:8-21)
8 But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.
But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king: Throughout history, Jews living in foreign lands or those oppressed by another power in their own homeland have struggled to follow the Mosaic law about food (Tobit 1:10–12; 1 Maccabees 1:62–63). Now, Daniel and his three friends faced this challenge. Daniel decided not to defile himself with the king’s food and wine, and his friends agreed (1:11–16). The word “defile” (Gāʾal) appears eleven times in the Old Testament and refers to moral or ceremonial impurity (Malachi 1:7, 12; Ezra 2:62; Nehemiah 7:64; Isaiah 59:3). Eating the king’s food would have made Daniel impure in both ways.
There were two main reasons for their reluctance to eat the king’s food. First, many foods at the Babylonian court, like pork and horseflesh, were considered unclean under Mosaic law (Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14), either because they were inherently unclean or improperly prepared, such as not draining the blood (Leviticus 17:13–14). Consuming these foods would be a sin for an Israelite and would render them ceremonially unclean.
Second, the meat and wine were often offered to Babylonian gods before being served to the king, linking them to idolatry. While wine itself is not forbidden by Jewish law, Daniel likely avoided it because of its use in pagan rituals. Consuming the king’s food could be seen as indirectly worshiping Babylonian gods.
To avoid defilement, Daniel politely asked Ashpenaz, the chief official, for a different diet. His request was respectful and tactful, setting an example for believers today. While it’s common to disagree with political policies or have general disagreements among ourselves, we can learn from Daniel’s way of expressing disagreement politely.
One of the ways that I have seen Christians not follow Daniel’s example with this current administration is by adorning their cars, social media, and bodies with the phrase “Let’s go, Brandon!” It is alright for you to disagree with any administration, but as a follower of Jesus, it is wrong to show such disrespect for a man that God has chosen to be our current president. Such a phrase communicating such vulgar language is also a misrepresentation of the Jesus whom you call Lord, for it goes against the way He has called you to live. It takes His name in vain because you do not reflect Him for all to see by voicing your opinion about a president in such a way.
Like Daniel, as believers, we are first and foremost citizens of God’s Kingdom. We can disagree with our government and even refuse to obey it when doing so causes us to sin. A good Christian will be a good citizen until being a good citizen makes him a bad Christian. But if a time like this ever does come for us to refuse our nation’s leadership direction, we must do so like Daniel – in a steadfast but respectful way. But until that time comes, if it ever does arrive, Christians must engage in politics respectfully and legally.
He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods: At first glance, this seems like a simple request by Daniel. But when we think about it, just approaching the chief of staff to express his concern and solution required Daniel and his friends to be willing to risk and sacrifice the following as determined youth to be people of integrity and faithfulness in their relationship with their God.
- Refusing the royal diet could be seen as insulting to the king and directly disobeying Nebuchadnezzar’s orders.
- Peer pressure would have made this decision challenging, as everyone else was conforming. By choosing differently, Daniel and his friends stood out, making them appear strange.
- Such unconventional behavior could jeopardize their chances for advancement.
- The royal food was appealing, as it was the best available.
- Being far from home—Judah was nine hundred miles away—might have tempted them to abandon their faithfulness, knowing that parents and friends wouldn’t know if they broke God’s laws. However, Daniel and his friends understood an important truth: while others might not see their actions, God would, and everyone would ultimately be accountable to Him.
- They could have reasoned that since God allowed them to be taken captive, they didn’t need to adhere strictly to His commands. They might have even grown bitter during this time, which can happen to believers when going through hard times.
Despite these challenges that might have led others to compromise, Daniel and his friends remained steadfast in their commitment to God.
9 Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. 10 But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”
Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel: In presenting his request, Daniel had a chance to share his faith with Ashpenaz. Throughout the book, it’s clear that Daniel acted as a witness to Yahweh, likely influencing the spread of the knowledge of Yahweh throughout the region. The effects of Daniel’s faithful witness is most likely what had given the magi their knowledge of a coming Messiah and a star as a sign for His birth.
Though Ashpenaz was not a follower of Yahweh, he was impressed by Daniel. The writer tells us that God influenced Ashpenaz’s favorable attitude, emphasizing that God was in control of the situation and could guide the hearts of the captors to fulfill His will (Proverbs 21:1).
But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”: How else would we have expected Ashpenaz to answer? As we will see for ourselves in chapter two, the king tended to act harshly and quickly. He had been put in charge of the nutrition portion of the King’s developmental strategy, he has one job and he better not mess it up. If Ashpenaz let Daniel and his friends try their own meal plan and they looked malnourished compared to the others then he could be executed.
11 Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.12 “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. 13 “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” 14 The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.
After getting nowhere with Ashpenaz, Daniel went to the attendant to see if he would be willing to take the risk and allow he and his to experiment with their preferred diet for ten days. The attendant (guard, in some translations) agreed to the ten day test. Again, we see Daniel determined but respectful in trying to balance being a good citizen with being a good follower of God.
15 At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. 16 So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.
At the end of this period, the young men looked “healthier” (literally, “better”) and “better nourished” (literally, “fatter of flesh”) than the other youths who ate the king’s rich food. Because of this, the overseer allowed Daniel and his friends to continue their new diet. Today, nutrition experts suggest eating mostly fruits and vegetables for good health, so it’s no surprise that Daniel and his friends appeared noticeably healthier after just ten days on this diet.
17 God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.
God gave these young men gifts because of their faithfulness. All abilities and talents ultimately come from the Lord, who is the source of all blessings (James 1:17; 1 Peter 4:10). While each of the four youths had sharp minds, the writer highlights that Daniel had a special gift that set him apart. The phrase “And God gave Daniel” could be better read as “But God gave Daniel,” showing the contrast between him and the other three.
Daniel was uniquely gifted with the ability to understand “visions and dreams,” a highly valued skill in Babylon.
There are two reasons for focusing on Daniel’s gift at this point. First, interpreting dreams was a crucial part of Babylonian wisdom, as they believed that the gods spoke through dreams. Daniel’s gift was significant in this context. Second, this sets the stage for the dreams and visions that will come later.
18 When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar.19 The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. 20 Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.
At the end of the three year training period, all the young men were presented to the king. It seems that the king took the time to interview and assess his newly trained servants. Upon talking to and interacting with the graduated class, Daniel and his friends impressed him the most. The four Hebrews entered Nebuchadnezzar’s royal service and they quickly demonstrated their superior wisdom and judgment in the king’s matters.
The book uses six different words to refer to the king’s counselors, and we’ll look at them when they first appear. Two of these terms are in verse 20.
The term “magician” comes from the Hebrew (and later Aramaic) word ḥarṭōm (1:20; 2:2, 10, 27; 4:7; 5:11). This word also describes the Egyptian magicians during the times of Joseph (Genesis 41:8) and Moses (Exodus 7:11). Literally, ḥarṭōm means “engraver” or “writer,” and it later came to mean “diviner” or “magician.” The root of the word means “to cut” or “scratch,” which relates to engraving or writing with a stylus. A related Hebrew word, ḥereṭ, means “graving tool” or “stylus.”
In short, ḥarṭōm refers to people who wrote on clay tablets, especially religious scribes who documented Babylonian religious practices. These wise men carefully recorded things like the movements of celestial bodies to gain religious understanding.
The Babylonian magicians had important roles. They were believed to connect with spirits and gods, advising the king on many issues. They performed rituals and spells to heal, exorcise demons, or break evil curses. They studied omens to predict the future, with astrology being a key part of this process. Techniques like examining a sheep’s liver (hepatoscopy) were also used for decision-making (Ezekiel 21:21). Additionally, dream interpretation was a significant task for these wise men, as shown in ancient writings and the Book of Daniel.
The official magicians aimed to protect the king and the kingdom from various dangers and to interpret messages from the gods. However, there were also unofficial sorcerers who practiced black magic and were thought to work with evil forces. Daniel and his companions, on the other hand, were among the benevolent “magicians”. No doubt instead of studying the stars for insight from the gods, Daniel and his friends sought the God who created the stars for wisdom and direction when counseling the king in matters. It’s important to note that any form of sorcery is considered demonic and condemned in Scripture (Leviticus 19:26).
“Enchanters” (also translated as “astrologers” in the NRSV and “conjurers” in the NASB) comes from the Hebrew word ʾaššāp (1:20; 2:2) and the Aramaic word ʾāšap (2:10, 27; 4:7; 5:7, 11, 15). Both words mean “conjurer” or “necromancer” and are derived from the Akkadian term as̆ipu, which means “incantation priest.” The Akkadian root implies “to conjure.” Therefore, enchanters were thought to use magic spells to communicate with the spirit world.
While these pagan practices may seem strange or crazy to many today, there have always been people devoted to such activities. Recently, some modern religious movements have revived interest in communicating with spirits through mediums, often called witches or sorcerers in the Bible.
Though Daniel and his friends served in the king’s court, they did not participate in these occult practices. These young men risked their positions and lives to honor God by refusing the king’s food, so they would not have engaged in paganism or witchcraft. Similarly, Moses, who grew up in Pharaoh’s court and learned Egyptian wisdom (Exodus 2:10; Acts 7:22), also recorded laws against magical practices (Leviticus 19:26, 31; 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:10–11).
21 Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus.[d]
Daniel lived to see Cyrus, the Persian leader, conquer Babylon. The Persians defeated the Babylonians in October of 539 BC, sixty-six years after Daniel had been taken captive. At the time of Babylon’s defeat, Daniel was probably 80 years old. He had lived for decades in the public eye, and not one negative thing had been written about him. Through all Daniel suffered, he remained faithful to the LORD and represented Him well in a land and culture opposed to his faith and God. God is looking for people to use in every age who will remain loyal to Him despite resistance and temptation (2 Chronicles 16:9).
Footnotes
- 1:1 This event occurred in 605 B.c., during the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign (according to the calendar system in which the new year begins in the spring).
- 1:2 Hebrew the land of Shinar.
- 1:4 Or of the Chaldeans.
- 1:21 Cyrus began his reign (over Babylon) in 539 B.c.
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