Today’s bible study is a Daniel chapter 1 commentary about Daniel’s diet and training in Babylon.
Click here for a previous study: Introduction to the prophecies of Daniel.
Daniel Chapter 1 Commentary: Daniel’s Diet and Training in Babylon
Below is the Daniel 1 commentary that deals with the type of diet that Daniel and his friends requested during their training in Babylon. Why did Daniel and friends request such a diet? And why did they request a vegetarian diet? These and various questions will be answered in the following paragraphs.
1 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. Daniel 1:1,2. King James Version (KJV).
The book of Daniel opens with the story of how the true God of Heaven had chosen a people to be His special representatives upon the earth. They were to share what they knew, so that all nations and peoples could learn the wonderful news of God’s salvation for all people.
What a pity, then, that the people of the one true God were conquered and taken captive by heathen people from Babylon! How those heathen soldiers must have laughed, and mocked the religion of God’s people because of this! Despite the efforts of Jerusalem to defend themselves, their cause was hopeless, because the LORD himself allowed King Jehoiakim and his people to captured by Nebuchadnezzar’s army. ‘Except ….the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.’ Psalm 127:1.
This disaster was the fulfillment of repeated warnings by prophets sent by God to His people, Israel. Moses had warned that if they disobeyed the commandments of God they would be carried captive into foreign heathen lands (See Leviticus 26:33-39; Deuteronomy 28:64). Jeremiah reminded them (Judah) that, if they had been faithful to God and kept the Sabbath day holy, Jerusalem would have stood forever (see Jeremiah 17:24-27; 2 Chronicles 36:20,21).
Ahijah, in Jeroboam’s day, repeated the prophetic warning (1 Kings 14:15), as did Amos the prophet (Amos 5:27), Isaiah made it clear 120 years before it took place, that Jerusalem would be taken by the Babylonians. These were the very people to whom King Hezekiah had foolishly shown his royal treasures (Isaiah 39:3-7). It is because God’s people refused to heed the warnings of His prophets that they ended up in this dreadful predicament!
Parents would do well to consider that it was largely because of the wickedness of King Manasseh, Hezekiah’s improperly trained and unconverted son, that all this evil befell Judah. Manasseh led the whole nation so deeply into idolatry and heathenism that they were not able to recover until after the seventy years of captivity in Babylon (see Jeremiah 15:4). Children can be a blessing or curse to the world; therefore parents should do all they can to train them right.
3 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-favored, 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.
5 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. Daniel 1:3-5 KJV.
King Nebuchadnezzar’s plan was to use the talents and labor of these boys to enrich the kingdom of Babylon. He also hoped to convert them gradually to the religion of the Chaldeans. They were 18 to 20 years of age at this time and had done well in their studies.
6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Daniel 1:6 KJV
The Hebrew name Daniel signified ‘God is my Judge’; Hananiah, ‘gift of the Lord’; Mishael, ‘who is what God is’; and Azariah, ‘whom Jehovah helps’. On the other hand, the Chaldean names given to them by their Chaldean supervisor honored various heathen deities, thus Belteshazzar meant ‘prince of Bel’; Shadrach, ‘servant of the moon god’; Meshach, ‘who is what the moon god is’; and Abednego, ‘servant of Nebo’ (see verse 7). The Chaldeans hoped to cause these Jewish youths to forget their early training in the love and service of Jehovah, and worship their pagan idols.
Thank God that, in the middle of the wickedness and apostasy in Judah and Jerusalem in those evil days, there were a few homes where the fear of God was preserved! Though we do not know her name, Daniel’s mother deserves great honor. Her boy was now far away from home, in the middle of a wicked and degraded court life, but he remained true to her teachings. His courageous and firm stand for the truth put heart into his three companions to be faithful also. Modern Christianity needs more parents like Daniel’s mother!
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. Daniel 1:8 KJV.
Daniel had always followed a temperate diet of healthful and nourishing food. He recognized what the apostle Paul taught many years later, that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. He knew that to defile it with improper food or drink is hurtful to ourselves and a sin against our Creator (see 1 Corinthians 3:16,17; 10:31).
Daniel’s strength of character was the result of his strong determination. He knew how to say ‘No!’ to Satan so definitely that the tempter had to flee from him. Daniel’s remarkable clearness of mind and strength of body were the result of his faithful obedience to right ways of eating and drinking. We too can enjoy the same blessings.
9 Now God had brought Daniel into favor 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. Daniel 1:9,10 KJV.
We see that there were others of the children of Judah in this same company who did not obey the principles of temperance and righteousness which were taught to the people of God. They may even have ridiculed and persecuted Daniel because of his desire to be faithful to God, even in a foreign land.
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.
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.
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.
16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. Daniel 1:11-16 KJV
In the original language of the book of Daniel, ‘pulse’ (Hebrew: zero’im) meant ‘food derived from plants’, the kind that God gave to our first parents in the Garden of Eden. God said to them, ‘….I have given you every herb bearing seed,…. and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat [food].’ Genesis 1:29.
The food that Daniel chose was, therefore, fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetables, and the wonderful drink that God has given us for our health – pure water.
As Daniel expected, after ten days of eating this simple but nourishing food, his health was excellent, and that of his companions also. They were able to study easily. It is just as true today that a healthy diet and proper physical habits are the most wonderful aid to mental and moral strength. Students in school would be wise to follow the youthful Daniel’s example.
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.
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.
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 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. Daniel 1:17-21 KJV
The prophet Ezekiel speaks of the great need for strong, wise men and women in these last days (Ezekiel 14:20). Great events will take place in heaven and earth, and we must know how to understand what they mean. For this reason, God requires His people to live in a healthful and temperate way, as Daniel did in the king’s palace.
By the grace of Christ, we can overcome the temptation to eat the wrong way and to weaken ourselves by overindulgence. Jesus was tempted more than we can be tempted on this point because He fasted for forty days. You can say, by faith, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ Philippians 4:13.
What reward for such temperance and godly living do we see? Daniel and his companions far excelled all the other students at the end of their three years’ course of study. Are you interested in further education? Here is something for you to notice. God was preparing these youths to do a wonderful work for Him, for through them He would give a knowledge of the truth of the Gospel to all the world.
Where are the youth of today who will follow the example of Daniel and his three companions, that God may equip them to be a great blessing to the world?
What Subjects did Daniel Study in School? – Daniel 1 Commentary
The Babylonians enjoyed a civilization notably advanced in many ways. Mathematics was a specialty. For a thousand years prior to Daniel’s arrival, they had solved problems using quadratic equations, and they used tablets of reciprocals, squares, and square roots. They employed both the base-10 (decimal) system and the base-60 (sexagesimal) system. They divided the hour into sixty minutes and the circle into 360 degrees, units we still recognize.
According to The Exact Sciences in Antiquity by Otto Neugebauer, their greatest contribution in mathematics was their development of a form of the “place-value” system so important to mathematics today, in which, for example, “57” is not 5+7=12 but (5×10) + (7×1) =57.
Although their most brilliant period in astronomy was a few centuries yet in the future, in Daniel’s time the Babylonians had long (since 747 B.C.) been recording eclipses and sometimes predicting them – so accurately that their records are of great value to astronomers and archaeologist today.
Their architects employed the brick arch, invaluable for the construction of public buildings, mansions, and bridges in a land that abounded in clay but offered no readily available stone or steel. Their surveyors laid out irrigation canals and right-angle street patterns. Their businessmen were adept at bills, receipts, promissory notes, letters of credit, a kind of check-writing system, and (thanks to their knowledge of mathematics) compound interest.
On the darker side, the Babylonians studied divination, magic, a form of astrology, and pagan mythology.
Click here for next study- Daniel 2 Commentary: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Pt 1
I hope you have been blessed by today’s post, Daniel Chap. 1 Commentary: Daniel’s Diet and Training in Babylon. Please share it with your friends and relatives.
Daniel 1 Commentary and Bible Study Video – Daniel’s Diet
Below are two videos featuring another bible study on Daniel Chapter 1 obtained from Youtube and are 3ABN broadcasts. It is a very eye-opening bible study by two of the most eloquent teachers of the word of God, Ty Gibson and James Rafferty.
Recently there has been a lot of renewed interest in Daniel’s diet and this study will help you understand this diet from a biblical perspective.
Related Posts:
Prophet Daniel: Studies into Book of Daniel 8 by Dr William H Shea
Who Is The King of The North in Daniel 11 – Dwight Nelson Sermon
