“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 1:20 – 2:1
Note: In Biblical days, people kept their calendar by the number of years a ruler was in power. They did not count the days consecutively through the reigns of multiple kings. Therefore, their calendars started over each time a king came to power. It is through the Scripture and through archaeological findings that support Scripture that dates have been assigned, those dates either being years before Christ (BC) or years after Christ (AD).
Verses 1-2 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
Jehoiakim, whose name means “Jehovah raises up” was the third from the last king to rule the nation Judah. His original name was Eliakim and he was the son of king Josiah. See 2 Kings chapter 23-24 for the story of his rise and fall from power. According to 2 Kings 23:36, he was twenty five years old when he began to reign and his reign lasted eleven years. During his reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Judah and Jehoiakim became subject to him for three years and then he rebelled. When he died, his son Jehoiachin took over the throne of Judah. When he died, the next king of Judah was a man named Mattaniah whose name means “gift of Jehovah”. His name was changed to Zedekiah, which means “Jehovah is righteous”, by king Nebuchadnezzar and this king was eventually carried captive to Babylon after he was made blind by having his eyes gouged out. During these “visits” by king Nebuchadnezzar and his army, the vessels from the Temple were slowly removed and taken to Babylon, including the Ark of the Covenant which, as far as is known, never returned to Jerusalem.
Application: All these battles and changes of kings and the pillaging of Jerusalem and the Temple were part of the judgement of God brought upon a people who were rebellious and evil and who refused to submit to the lordship of their God. 2 Kings 24:1-4 states, “In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; and also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.” Notice the meaning of the names of the last three kings of Judah: Jehovah raises up, gift of Jehovah, and Jehovah is righteous. The LORD God was reminding the Hebrew people through these names of His mercy and grace. The LORD raised up a nation unto Himself, a nation blessed with prosperity and divine protection. The LORD gave the Hebrew people the gift of the Law and of eternal life if they would obey and follow Him. The LORD is righteous and cannot allow sin, therefore His judgement is right and just. The prophets told the people what to expect if they obeyed or if they disobeyed. The people made their choice and received judgement from a righteous God.
The name, Shinar, means “country of two rivers”. Babylon has the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers running through it, the Tigris originating in the mountains of Turkey and flowing 1,150 miles, passing through Baghdad in modern day Iraq to join the Euphrates River which flows into the Persian Gulf.
Verses 3-4 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; 4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
Eunuchs were usually men who had been castrated for one reason or another. Injury, illness, a birth defect, fighting, or a surgical procedure would all produce men who could not reproduce or father children. Often men holding positions in a ruler’s house or court would be eunuchs as there would be no worries of them having sexual relations with the king’s wives and/or concubines or daughters. But the word here also means an official.
It is not known if Daniel was connected to the kings of Judah, but he was one of the young men (his exact age also unknown) who were chosen for their good looks, for their intelligence, and for their knowledge, as well as for their social position. It is doubtful that boys from the farms or the streets of Judah would have been chosen. King Nebuchaddnezar wanted only the best for his program of indoctrination for the purpose of turning these Hebrew boys into good citizens of Babylon that would be useful to him and therefore useful to his government.
Chaldeans were people living around the lower Euphrates and Tigris Rivers who were considered to be the wisest people in the area, often involved in magic and occult activities.
Verses 5-7 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. 6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego.
Meat in the Bible usually means food of all types. The king’s food and wine would have been the best in the land and the boys taken from Judah would have received that which the ordinary Babylonian would not have had on their tables. Apparently, the king and his servants understood the link between good food and good mental and physical development. At the end of this three year program, the children of Judah would be presented to the king for his approval or disapproval.
Daniel’s name means “God is my judge” and this was very appropriate as the visions God gave to Daniel were all about God’s judgement being poured out upon the Hebrew nation through the rise and fall of pagan, one world governments. Daniel’s new name, Belteshazzar, means “lord of the straitened’s treasure”. Hananiah means “God has favored”, and his given name, Shadrach, means “the great scribe”. Mishael means “who is what God is”. His given name, Meshach, means “guest of a king”. Azariah means “Jehovah has helped”, and his given name, Abed-nego, means “servant of Nebo”. So the original Hebrew names all reference God. The new names given to these boys by the eunuch are secular in their meaning. This writer believes that part of the programming of the Hebrew children was the giving of new names so that their birth identity as Hebrews could be psychologically removed from their personal identity. King Nebuchadnezzar wanted to make these boys into Babylonians, and removing their names with their spiritual meanings was all part of their reprogramming. However, as will be seen later in the book, this brain washing technique did not work with these particular Hebrew children.
Verse 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.
The Scripture does not explain why the king’s food would defile (pollute, stain) Daniel, but a review of the dietary laws given by Moses shows that the Hebrews had a strict list of things they could eat and of things they could not, and it is most likely that the king’s food contained some of those forbidden foods.
Application: Daniel had character. He could have lived the life of luxury in the king’s court and enjoyed all the fine food and wine, but he chose to follow his God. He made up his mind what course of action he would take, he stood up for his beliefs, and he would not compromise. Unfortunately, this type of character is missing in many people today, particularly in government leaders and especially in the Church. Most pastors today contract with the secular government to obtain tax exempt status rather than rely on God to provide the necessary funds. As a result, in the US these pastors are muzzled and cannot preach against things sanctioned by the government. They face consequences if caught preaching against abortion, same sex marriage, or any other topic that is an abomination to God but that is acceptable by the government. Pastors have compromised in order to have the luxuries offered by Satan’s system. Think about it.
Verses 9-10 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. 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.
The phrase “tender love” simply means compassion. Daniel and his friends were just children and this eunuch had compassion for them. They had been taken away from their country, their culture, their religion, their families, and their physical homes. Having compassion would have been a normal reaction to the plight of these boys. There was no guarantee, as far as the eunuch would know, that these boys would be pleasing to the king at the end of the three years. From the eunuch’s perspective, their future was questionable and uncertain.
It was a capital offense with a capital punishment to go against the dictates of the king, and the eunuch was understandably worried that he would be beheaded for not following the orders he had received regarding the king’s diet that was to be given to the captives.
Verses 11-13 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. 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.
Daniel offers to participate in a test that would be between himself and his three friends and the rest of the captive boys. They would eat the food that was pleasing to God, and at the end of ten days, they would be compared to those eating the king’s food. If they fared well physically on their diet of beans and vegetables, then they could continue to refuse the king’s food. As long as they did not loose weight or become visibly pale and weak from their diet, no one would be the wiser and they could obey God rather than the king of Babylon, and Melzar would not loose his head.
Verses 14-16 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. 16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
Daniel and his friends did better than the other captive boys, and so they were allowed to keep their dietary wishes and to refrain from accepting the king’s food. This first recorded test of the faith of these Hebrew boys shows the reader their strength of character and the unquestionable belief these children had that God was with them and that He would guide and keep them in these difficult times of captivity.
Verses 17-21 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.
Because of their faith and obedience to God and their witness to the eunuch, God rewarded these four boys by having them excel in their knowledge and wisdom. This would place them “at the top of the class” and bring them into favor with King Nebuchaddnezar and allow them to be placed in positions of honor and power in the kingdom. This was the divine plan of God.
Application: So often Christian believers feel inadequate and useless in the Kingdom of God. Looking at Daniel and his friends, the lesson can be learned that through faith and obedience the believer can and will be used by God in whatever capacity He chooses. No true believer is without value in God’s Kingdom and in His divine plan.
Verses 18-21 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. 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. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired 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.
To “stand before the king” means that they were allowed to be in the king’s presence on a regular basis. Notice that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah participated in a ten day test to see if their diet would be sufficient for their growth and development and then God made them ten times better than all the other Chaldeans and wise men in the entire nation.
The Hebrew word translated as “magicians” is “chartom” and it means one possessed of occult knowledge or a diviner. The Hebrew word translated as “astrologers” is “ashshaph” and it means astrologer, necromancer, conjurer, enchanter, or exorcist. The thing to understand here is that King Nebuchadnezzar’s government and the nation of Babylon ran on occult power from Satan and his fallen angels.