The Book of Daniel: Chapter 1 Chapter 1:1-2 "In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim" Jehoiakim was the third from the last king that reigned over Judah. He reigned from 609 to 597 B.C. The statement would place the coming of Nebuchadnezzar in 606 B.C.. The question is raised concerning the supposed conflict of the dating with that found in Jeremiah 25:1; 46:2. However, we find a different method used for reckoning the beginning date of Jehoiakim’s reign. Jehoiakim came to the throne at the end of the year. Jehoiakim was an unworthy son of Josiah. He was one of the worst kings of Judah. He reigned for eleven years. Jeremiah includes this part as a whole; whereas, Daniel does not. "Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem and besieged it." Nebuchadnezzar is also called Nebuchadrezzar and Rezzar. The city of Jerusalem was a strongly fortified city. It was nearly impossible to take by direct assault. How long the siege, here mentioned, took place is not stated. "And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand." We see an indication of the sovereignty of God and his judgment upon Judah for their sin. Nebuchadnezzar took part of the vessels of the temple. In that day a conquering nation would take the religious objects that were portable and transport them back to their land. This was done for two reasons. One obvious reason was that fact that these objects would be made of precious metals. Secondly, the conqueror would incorporate these new symbols into his existing form of polytheistic worship. Shinar is the ancient name used for Babylonia as seen in Gen. 10:10; 11:2; 14:1. Chapter 1:3-5 Nebuchadnezzar took certain of the Jews back to Babylon in his first deportation. Daniel and his three friends were taken at this time. These were to be select individuals some of the kings children and some of the nobles. The "and" found between "the children of Israel" and "of the kings seed" should be translated "even". These captives were to be physically perfect and those who had been well educated. The age of these captives cannot be shown conclusively. The words "children of Israel" refers simply to descendants of Israel; however, in verse four the word "children" refers to one recently born. This word refers to those in early life or young men possibly in their teens. The three years of preparation would also seem to indicate that they were young. They were to be taught the Chaldean language that they might serve in the king’s court. Nebuchadnezzar appointed them the meat and wine which he used himself. The word "meat" means food; it does not refer only to the flesh of animals. The word "wine" refers to what the king regularly drank. And so the king gave them of the dainties of his table and the best wine to drink. Chapter 1:6-7 "Among these" indicates that there were more captives than these four Hebrew children and also that their were more in training. "Of the children of Judah," this indicates that these three were Hebrews of the tribe of Judah. The prince of eunuchs gave the four Hebrew children new Chaldean names. The question may be asked as to why they received these new names. It may have been to make them feel more a part of their new homeland. The Chaldeans may have hoped that this would help these Hebrew children to forget their homeland, its culture, and religion. It could have been to make them more acceptable among other rulers. There is doubtless a reference to the Chaldean divinities in these four names that were given. The meaning of the names cannot be determined exactly and were not given to teach a message in the Bible, since they were given by a gentile man. Chapter 1:8-14 "Daniel purposed in his heart" Daniel decided that he could not obey the kings command. His decision carried the intention of seeing a fulfillment. The fact of his purposing in his heart indicates that Daniel was a young man with religious standards who would stand for what he believed. "that he would not defile himself with the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank." The contest does not explicitly tell us what their was about the kings food that would cause it to defile Daniel. Some have suggested that the food was not properly prepared or was not nourishing, but the king of that day undoubtedly had the best available. Others have suggested that he did not want to eat such fancy food, but there is no command not to eat fancy food, nor any defilement connected with it. A more logical interpretation would seem to lie in the prevailing heathen custom of dedicating their food to the gods. Daniel may have felt that to eat the food which was dedicated would connect him with idolatry. Daniel then followed the accepted patterns of courtesy by going to the prince of the eunuchs and requesting that he might not have to defile himself, "God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love." First we notice the power of God in controlling even the affections of a pagan individual. We can see that God uses those who do not worship Him to help his children. The prince of the eunuchs was afraid that these Jewish young men might be harmed by what he considered to be possibly an inferior diet. No positive answer is given by the prince of the eunuchs. Daniel approached Melzar, the man whom the prince of the eunuchs put over Daniel. Daniel asks for a ten day trial. He asks for "pulse to eat, and water to drink". Pulse refers to vegetables. Daniel was asking for that type of food which would not be offered to the idols. The ten days asked for would be sufficient to show some change and yet not so long as to leave any permanent damage. They were to be checked concerning their physical appearance at the end of the experiment. Melzar agreed to this proposal. Chapter 1:15-16 At the end of the ten days the test showed that these four Jewish children were "fairer and fatter in flesh." Their faces were fairer and more pleasant and their bodies filled out better than those who ate the king’s food. There is a question as to who the "their meat" refers to in verse sixteen. It would appear that it refers solely to the four Hebrew children, because they alone are found to be superior at the end of the three year period. If all of the young men in training had received the same diet, then there should not have been such a great difference. Also, Melzar was placed over these four Hebrew children, not over all the children. Chapter 1:17-21 "God gave them knowledge and skill". We see an indication of the sovereignty and love of God in this statement. God gave them these gifts but they were as a reward for their faithfulness unto the Lord. The learning and wisdom referred to seems to be literary knowledge. These four Hebrew children were brought before the king. He questioned them, and in all matters where one had to exercise wisdom, they were found to be "ten times" or many times better than the kings magicians and astrologers. In verse twenty-one we see an indication that this book was written late in the life of Daniel. The fact that it states that, "Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus," does not mean necessarily that Daniel died then. It only indicates that he lived at least that long without stating the date for his death. |