King James Version
Daniel 1
21 verses with commentary
Daniel Taken to Babylon
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
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KJV Study Commentary
The precise dating—'third year of Jehoiakim'—grounds this prophecy in historical reality. God's sovereignty appears immediately: He 'gave Jehoiakim...into his [Nebuchadnezzar's] hand,' demonstrating divine control over kingdoms. Judah's defeat wasn't military failure but divine judgment. The partial deportation and temple vessel confiscation foreshadow complete destruction coming in 586 BC. God us...
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(1) **In the third year.**—Two questions are involved in this verse. (1) Is it historically true that Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar in the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign? (2) Does the language of the verse imply that he did so? The second question is rightly answered in the negative. The word *came* means *went,* as Genesis 45:17; 2Kings 5:5, and it is the natural word for a Hebrew to use...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. the nations--**the Chaldeans, Syrians, Moab, and Ammon (2Ki 24:2).
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.
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KJV Study Commentary
God's giving not just the king but 'part of the vessels of the house of God' emphasizes the religious dimension of judgment. These sacred items, made for Yahweh's worship, end up in Shinar (Babylon), in the house of Nebuchadnezzar's god. This desecration represents covenant cursing—Israel's God allows His temple treasures to be offered to idols, demonstrating judgment's severity. Yet 'part' (not a...
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(2) **Part of the vessels.**—Literally, *from one point to another.* He did not take them all at once, but on different occasions. (On Shinar, see Note, Genesis 10:10.)
**His god**—*i.e.,* Bel-Merodach, who was originally an Accadian deity, the signification of the second part of the name being “he that measures the path of the sun.” The planet Jupiter was worshipped under this name. He was the tu...
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**9. in chains--**(2Ch 36:6; Jr 22:18). Margin, "hooks"; perhaps referring to the hook often passed through the nose of beasts; so, too, through that of captives, as seen in the Assyrian sculptures (see on Eze 19:4).
**voice--**that is, his roaring.
**no more be heard upon the mountains--**carrying on the metaphor of the lion, whose roaring on the mountains frightens all the other beasts. The ...
Read full commentary →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;
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Nebuchadnezzar's command to Ashpenaz reveals Babylon's strategy: co-opt enemy elites through education and indoctrination. The selection criteria—'children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes'—targets the nobility who could influence the nation. This represents Satan's perennial tactic: compromise godly leadership through worldly enticement. Yet God sovereignly uses this pagan pr...
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(3) **Ashpenaz . . . his eunuchs**—*i.e.,* the courtiers or attendants upon the king. (See marginal translation of Genesis 37:36; and compare Jeremiah 39:3, where a Rab-saris, or chief of the courtiers, is mentioned. See also Isaiah 39:7.)
**The king’s seed.**—According to the story of Josephus (*Ant.* x. 10, 1), Daniel and the three holy children were all connected with Zedekiah. The context make...
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10. A new metaphor taken from the vine, the chief of the fruit-bearing trees, as the lion is of the beasts of prey (see Eze 17:6).
**in thy blood--**"planted when thou wast in thy blood," that is, in thy very infancy; as in Eze 16:6, when thou hadst just come from the womb, and hadst not yet the blood washed from thee. The Jews from the first were planted in Canaan to take root there [Calvin]. G...
Read full commentary →Children 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 to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
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KJV Study Commentary
The selection criteria emphasize excellence: no blemish (physical perfection), well-favored (attractive), skillful in wisdom, knowledgeable, understanding science, and able to stand in the king's palace. Babylon sought the best, prefiguring how God demands excellence from His servants. The purpose—teaching Chaldean learning and tongue—aimed at cultural assimilation. Daniel and friends would face p...
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(4) **Children.**—If the Babylonian customs were similar to the Persian, it is probable that the course of education would commence at an early age. So elaborate a system of science as the Babylonian, whether theological, astronomical, or magical, would naturally require an early training. It is reasonable to suppose that these “children” were quite young. So much may be inferred from Nebuchadnezz...
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**11. strong rods--**princes of the royal house of David. The vine shot forth her branches like so many scepters, not creeping lowly on the ground like many vines, but trained aloft on a tree or wall. The mention of their former royal dignity, contrasting sadly with her present sunken state, would remind the Jews of their sins whereby they had incurred such judgments.
**stature--**(Da 4:11).
*...
Read full commentary →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. the wine: Heb. the wine of his drink
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KJV Study Commentary
The 'daily provision of the king's meat' represents Babylon's generosity and the temptation it creates. Royal food was both honor and snare—honor because it elevated these captives, snare because it compromised dietary law and likely included food offered to idols. The phrase 'nourishing them three years' shows systematic preparation for service. Worldly systems offer provision and advancement, te...
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(5) **A daily portion.**—(Comp. Jeremiah 52:34.) The meat was solid food, as opposed to the wine and vegetables which formed so important a part of Babylonian diet. The food appears to have been sent from the king’s table.
**Three years.**—The king appears to have had sufficient insight into the extraordinary character of these youths, to enable him to prescribe not only the subjects of their stud...
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**12. plucked up--**not gradually withered. The sudden upturning of the state was designed to awaken the Jews out of their torpor to see the hand of God in the national judgment.
**east wind--**(See on Eze 17:10).
Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
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KJV Study Commentary
The naming of the four youths—Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah—preserves their Hebrew identity. Their names incorporate 'El' (God) and 'Yah' (Yahweh), bearing witness to covenant faith: Daniel (God is my judge), Hananiah (Yahweh is gracious), Mishael (Who is what God is?), Azariah (Yahweh has helped). These theophoric names publicly proclaimed faith in Yahweh, setting up the coming conflict when...
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(6) **Now among these . . .**—Four persons only are mentioned here, because the narrative of the book is only concerned with four. Daniel calls our attention to the fact that the very four whom Providence had endowed with the greatest natural gifts were those by whose constancy and example the king was converted. The names of these four were subsequently changed, with the view of showing that they...
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**13. planted--**that is, transplanted. Though already "dried up" in regard to the nation generally, the vine is said to be "transplanted" as regards God's mercy to the remnant in Babylon.
**dry ... ground--**Chaldea was well-watered and fertile; but it is the condition of the captive people, not that of the land, which is referred to.
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 Abednego.
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KJV Study Commentary
The prince of eunuchs changing their names represents Babylon's attempt to reshape identity. Daniel becomes Belteshazzar (Bel protect his life—invoking Babylon's god). Hananiah becomes Shadrach, Mishael becomes Meshach, Azariah becomes Abednego—all incorporating Babylonian deity names. This assault on identity through renaming attempts to erase covenant faith and replace it with pagan religion. Ye...
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**14. fire ... out of a rod of her branches--**The Jews' disaster was to be ascribed, not so much to the Chaldeans as to themselves; the "fire out of the rod" is God's wrath kindled by the perjury of Zedekiah (Eze 17:18). "The anger of the Lord" against Judah is specified as the cause why Zedekiah was permitted to rebel against Babylon (2Ki 24:20; compare Jud 9:15), thus bringing Nebuchadnezzar ag...
Read full commentary →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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KJV Study Commentary
The Hebrew phrase "purposed in his heart" (<em>yasem al-libo</em>, יָשֶׂם עַל־לִבּוֹ) literally means "set upon his heart" or "determined in his inner being," indicating a deliberate, firm decision rooted in Daniel's deepest convictions. The word "defile" (<em>yitgaal</em>, יִתְגָּאַל) comes from the root meaning "to pollute" or "make ceremonially unclean." Daniel recognized that eating the king's...
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(8) **Daniel purposed in his heart.—**He was cautious from the first. He feared that he might eat something that had been consecrated to idols. (See 1 Corinthians 8)
Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
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KJV Study Commentary
God's bringing Daniel 'into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs' demonstrates divine providence working through pagan authorities. God can turn hearts toward His servants (Prov. 21:1), creating favor even in hostile environments. This wasn't Daniel's manipulation but God's sovereign grace, preparing the way for Daniel's request about food. The phrase 'tender love' (Hebrew: racham...
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(9) **Into favour.**—The close correspondence between Daniel and Joseph has been frequently remarked. Each finds favour with his master, and afterwards with a foreign monarch. The grace of God enables each to overcome the temptations into which his circumstances lead him. The acute natural faculties of each are miraculously increased by God; and, lastly, each is sent into a foreign land to comfort...
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CHAPTER 20 Eze 20:1-49. Rejection of the Elders' Application to the Prophet:
Exposure of Israel's Protracted Rebellions, notwithstanding God's Long-suffering Goodness: Yet Will God Restore His People at Last.
**1. seventh year, &c.--**namely, from the carrying away of Jeconiah (Eze 1:2; 8:1). This computation was calculated to make them cherish the more ardently the hope of the restoration...
Read full commentary →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. worse: Heb. sadder sort: or, term, or, continuance?
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KJV Study Commentary
The prince of eunuchs' response reveals the tension between personal favor and professional duty. He fears 'my lord the king' seeing the youths worse than their peers, resulting in his own execution ('make me endanger my head'). This shows the real cost of standing for convictions—others risk consequences for helping us. His legitimate concern demonstrates that faith sometimes requires us to reque...
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(10) **Of your sort,** *i.e.,* of your contemporaries, those who are of the same age with you.
Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Melzar: or, the steward
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KJV Study Commentary
Daniel's approach to Melzar (likely a title: steward or guardian) shows wisdom in working within the system. Rather than demanding rights, he proposes a test. This demonstrates spiritual wisdom: seeking alternative solutions that honor both conscience and authority. Daniel doesn't rebel against the system but finds a way to maintain convictions while respecting structure. The specific approach to ...
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(11) **Melzar.**—(See *Introduction,* § VI.) Not a proper name (Hamelsar), but a *cellarman.* The appeal of Daniel to the chief chamberlain having proved insufficient, he applies to the man with whom he was on more familiar terms.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
3. The chapter falls into two great parts: Eze 20:1-32, the recital of the people's rebellions during five distinct periods: in Egypt, the wilderness, on the borders of Canaan when a new generation arose, in Canaan, and in the time of the prophet.
**I will not be inquired of by you--**because their moral state precluded them from capability of knowing the will of God (Psa 66:18; Pr 28:9; Joh 7:1...
Read full commentary →Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. pulse: Heb. of pulse to eat: Heb. that we may eat, etc
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KJV Study Commentary
Daniel's proposal—'Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days'—demonstrates faith willing to be tested. The request for pulse (vegetables/legumes) and water represents the simplest diet, avoiding meat possibly offered to idols and rich foods violating dietary law. Ten days provides sufficient time to observe results without extended risk to Melzar. The humble 'I beseech thee' shows respectful pe...
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(12) **Ten days.—**The number “ten” is treated as a round number here, and in Daniel 1:20. (Comp. Genesis 31:41.) By adopting this mode of life, Daniel resumes the simple diet commonly used by his ancestors previously to their entering Canaan (Deuteronomy 12:15-16; Deuteronomy 26:5; Deuteronomy 26:9). This simplicity of life prevailed till the early times of David (1Samuel 17:17-18). At the Persia...
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**4. Wilt thou judge? ... judge--**The emphatical repetition expresses, "Wilt thou not judge? yes, judge them. There is a loud call for immediate judgment." The Hebrew interrogative here is a command, not a prohibition [Maurer]. Instead of spending time in teaching them, tell them of the abomination of their fathers, of which their own are the complement and counterpart, and which call for judgmen...
Read full commentary →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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KJV Study Commentary
Daniel's proposal continues: 'let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat.' He proposes objective comparison—appearance would testify to wisdom or folly of the request. The appeal to visual evidence shows confidence that God blesses obedience with tangible results. The word 'countenance' emphasizes overall health a...
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5-6. The thrice lifting up of God's hand (the sign of His oath, Re 10:5, 6; Ex 6:8, Margin; Nu 14:30; to which passages the form of words here alludes) implies the solemn earnestness of God's purpose of grace to them.
**made myself known unto them--**proving Myself faithful and true by the actual fulfilment of My promises (Ex 4:31; 6:3); revealing Myself as "Jehovah," that is, not that the name ...
Read full commentary →So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
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KJV Study Commentary
Melzar's consent—'So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days'—shows God's providence. The steward took a risk based on Daniel's reasonable proposal. The word 'proved' (Hebrew: nasah, test, try) indicates a legitimate trial period. God's work in Melzar's heart overcame fear of consequences, demonstrating divine sovereignty in opening doors for faithful obedience. This consent ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5-6. The thrice lifting up of God's hand (the sign of His oath, Re 10:5, 6; Ex 6:8, Margin; Nu 14:30; to which passages the form of words here alludes) implies the solemn earnestness of God's purpose of grace to them.
**made myself known unto them--**proving Myself faithful and true by the actual fulfilment of My promises (Ex 4:31; 6:3); revealing Myself as "Jehovah," that is, not that the name ...
Read full commentary →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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KJV Study Commentary
The results vindicate faith: '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.' God honored obedience with observable superiority—not merely equality but superior health. This demonstrates a consistent biblical principle: God's ways, though they may seem restrictive, produce better outcomes than worldl...
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(15) **Appeared fairer.—**Thus was God beginning to assert His power among the Babylonians. This change in the appearance of Daniel was the effect of his free grace, not of the meat that came from the king’s palace. May it not have been that the young exiles thought of the words of Isaiah (Isaiah 52:11), “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out thence, touch no unclean thing”?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
7. Moses gives no formal statement of idolatries practised by Israel in Egypt. But it is implied in their readiness to worship the golden calf (resembling the Egyptian ox, Apis) (Ex 32:4), which makes it likely they had worshipped such idols in Egypt. Also, in Le 17:7, "They shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils (literally, seirim, 'he-goats,' the symbol of the false god, Pan), after wh...
Read full commentary →Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
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KJV Study Commentary
The outcome—'Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse'—shows complete victory. The test became permanent policy. God's vindication of faithfulness convinced pagan authority to accommodate conscience. This represents the ideal outcome: maintaining convictions while fulfilling institutional requirements, with authority's blessing. The ...
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**8-9. then I said, I will ... But, &c.--**that is, (God speaking in condescension to human modes of conception) their spiritual degradation deserved I should destroy them, "but I wrought (namely, the deliverance 'out of ... Egypt') for My name's sake"; not for their merits (a rebuke to their national pride). God's "name" means the sum-total of His perfections. To manifest these, His gratuitou...
Read full commentary →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. Daniel: or, he made Daniel understand
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KJV Study Commentary
The phrase "God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom" reveals the source of the young men's excellence. The Hebrew <em>natan</em> (נָתַן, "gave") emphasizes divine gifting rather than mere natural talent. While they applied themselves diligently to their studies, God sovereignly blessed their efforts with supernatural insight. This demonstrates that true wisdom begins with fear...
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(17) **Learning and wisdom.—**These appear to be contrasted in this verse. The former refers to literature, and implies the knowledge of secular subjects; the latter implies philosophy and theology, and perhaps, also, an acquaintance with the meaning of portents. Abundant instances of the latter may be found in the *Records of the Past* (see vol. v., p. 167).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-9. then I said, I will ... But, &c.--**that is, (God speaking in condescension to human modes of conception) their spiritual degradation deserved I should destroy them, "but I wrought (namely, the deliverance 'out of ... Egypt') for My name's sake"; not for their merits (a rebuke to their national pride). God's "name" means the sum-total of His perfections. To manifest these, His gratuitou...
Read full commentary →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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KJV Study Commentary
The phrase "at the end of the days" refers to the completion of the three-year training period (v. 5), demonstrating God's faithfulness in preserving the four Hebrew youths through their trial. The Hebrew <em>miqtsath hayamim</em> (מִקְצָת הַיָּמִים) emphasizes the divinely appointed time—neither shortened nor extended, but exactly as predetermined. Their presentation "before Nebuchadnezzar" marks...
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(18) **At the end of the days,** *i.e.,* the three years specified in Daniel 1:5. Before the conclusion of this time, it appears (Daniel 2:1), Daniel was enabled to give a proof of his wisdom. (See Daniel 2:28.)
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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KJV Study Commentary
The king's personal examination—"communed with them"—used the Hebrew <em>davar</em> (דָּבַר), meaning thorough conversation or interrogation, not casual chat. Nebuchadnezzar tested their knowledge, wisdom, and suitability for royal service. The dramatic result: "among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah." The emphatic negative construction stresses absolute superior...
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**11. which if a man do, he shall ... five in them--**not "by them," as though they could justify a man, seeing that man cannot render the faultless obedience required (Le 18:5; Ga 3:12). "By them" is the expression indeed in Ro 10:5; but there the design is to show that, if man could obey all God's laws, he would be justified "by them" (Ga 3:21); but he cannot; he therefore needs to have justific...
Read full commentary →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. wisdom: Heb. wisdom of understanding
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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</strong>—The phrase "ten times better" (<em>eser yadot</em>, עֶשֶׂר יָדוֹת) literally means "ten hands," an idiom for exceptional superiority. The word "wisdom" (<em>chokmah</em>, חָכְמָה) refers to practical skill ...
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**12. sabbaths, ... a sign between me and them--**a kind of sacramental pledge of the covenant of adoption between God and His people. The Sabbath is specified as a sample of the whole law, to show that the law is not merely precepts, but privileges, of which the Sabbath is one of the highest. Not that the Sabbath was first instituted at Sinai, as if it were an exclusively Jewish ordinance (Ge 2:2...
Read full commentary →And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse summarizes Daniel's extraordinary longevity in public service—"continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus" spans from 605 BC (Nebuchadnezzar's accession) to 539 BC (Cyrus's conquest of Babylon), over 66 years. The Hebrew <em>hayah</em> (הָיָה, "continued") implies not merely surviving but actively serving throughout multiple regime changes. Daniel outlasted the Babylonian Empire i...
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(21) **Continued.**—(See *Introduction,* § I.) The phrase does not mean that “he prophesied,” but that he lived until the time specified; by no means implying that he died in the first year of Cyrus. This year is specified on account of its importance to the Jewish people as the year of their deliverance. We are led to think of Daniel during this period holding high positions in the courts of Nebu...
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**13. in the wilderness--**They "rebelled" in the very place where death and terror were on every side and where they depended on My miraculous bounty every moment!