1Im dritten Jahre der Regierung Jojakims, des Königs von Juda, kam Nebukadnezar, der König von Babel, nach Jerusalem und belagerte es. 2Und der Herr gab Jojakim, den König von Juda, in seine Hand, und einen Teil der Geräte des Hauses Gottes; und er brachte sie in das Land Sinear, in das Haus seines Gottes: die Geräte brachte er in das Schatzhaus seines Gottes. 3Und der König befahl dem Aschpenas, dem Obersten seiner Kämmerer, daß er von den Kindern Israel, sowohl von dem königlichen Samen als auch von den Vornehmen, Jünglinge brächte, 4an welchen keinerlei Fehl wäre, und schön von Ansehen und unterwiesen in aller Weisheit und kenntnisreich und mit Einsicht begabt, und welche tüchtig wären, im Palaste des Königs zu stehen; und daß man sie die Schriften und die Sprache der Chaldäer lehre. 5Und der König verordnete ihnen ein Tagtägliches von der Tafelkost des Königs und von dem Weine, den er trank, und daß man sie drei Jahre lang erzöge; und am Ende derselben sollten sie vor dem König stehen. 6Und es waren unter ihnen, von den Kindern Juda: Daniel, Hananja, Misael und Asarja. 7Und der Oberste der Kämmerer gab ihnen Namen; und er nannte Daniel Beltsazar, und Hananja Sadrach, und Misael Mesach, und Asarja Abednego. 8Und Daniel nahm sich in seinem Herzen vor, sich nicht mit der Tafelkost des Königs und mit dem Weine, den er trank, zu verunreinigen; und er erbat sich von dem Obersten der Kämmerer, daß er sich nicht verunreinigen müsse. 9Und Gott gab Daniel Gnade und Barmherzigkeit vor dem Obersten der Kämmerer. 10Und der Oberste der Kämmerer sprach zu Daniel: Ich fürchte meinen Herrn, den König, der eure Speise und euer Getränk verordnet hat; denn warum sollte er sehen, daß eure Angesichter verfallener wären als die der Jünglinge eures Alters, so daß ihr meinen Kopf beim König verwirktet ? 11Und Daniel sprach zu dem Aufseher, welchen der Oberste der Kämmerer über Daniel, Hananja, Misael und Asarja bestellt hatte: 12Versuche es doch mit deinen Knechten zehn Tage, und man gebe uns Gemüse zu essen und Wasser zu trinken; 13und dann mögen unser Aussehen und das Aussehen der Jünglinge, welche die Tafelkost des Königs essen, von dir geprüft werden; und tue mit deinen Knechten nach dem, was du sehen wirst. 14Und er hörte auf sie in dieser Sache und versuchte es zehn Tage mit ihnen. 15Und am Ende der zehn Tage zeigte sich ihr Aussehen besser und völliger an Fleisch als dasjenige aller Jünglinge, welche die Tafelkost des Königs aßen. 16Da tat der Aufseher ihre Tafelkost und den Wein, den sie trinken sollten, weg und gab ihnen Gemüse. 17Und diesen vier Jünglingen, ihnen gab Gott Kenntnis und Einsicht in aller Schrift und Weisheit; und Daniel hatte Verständnis für alle Gesichte und Träume. 18Und am Ende der Tage, nach welchen der König sie zu bringen befohlen hatte, brachte sie der Oberste der Kämmerer vor Nebukadnezar. 19Und der König redete mit ihnen; und unter ihnen allen wurde keiner gefunden wie Daniel, Hananja, Misael und Asarja; und sie standen vor dem König. 20Und in allen Sachen einsichtsvoller Weisheit, welche der König von ihnen erfragte, fand er sie zehnmal allen Schriftgelehrten und Beschwörern überlegen, die in seinem ganzen Königreiche waren. - 21Und Daniel blieb bis zum ersten Jahre des Königs Kores.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY BEGINS; DANIEL'S EDUCATION AT BABYLON, &C. (Dan. 1:1-21)
third year--compare
Jer 25:1, "the fourth year; Jehoiakim came to the throne at the end of the year, which Jeremiah reckons as the first year, but which Daniel leaves out of count, being an incomplete year: thus, in Jeremiah, it is "the fourth year"; in Daniel, "the third" [JAHN]. However, Jeremiah (
Jer 25:1;
Jer 46:2) merely says, the fourth year of Jehoiakim coincided with the first of Nebuchadnezzar, when the latter conquered the Egyptians at Carchemish; not that the deportation of captives from Jerusalem was in the fourth year of Jehoiakim: this probably took place in the end of the third year of Jehoiakim, shortly before the battle of Carchemish [FAIRBAIRN]. Nebuchadnezzar took away the captives as hostages for the submission of the Hebrews. Historical Scripture gives no positive account of this first deportation, with which the Babylonian captivity, that is, Judah's subjection to Babylon for seventy years (
Jer 29:10), begins. But
2.Chr 36:6-7, states that Nebuchadnezzar had intended "to carry Jehoiakim to Babylon," and that he "carried off the vessels of the house of the Lord" thither. But Jehoiakim died at Jerusalem, before the conqueror's intention as to him was carried into effect (
Jer 22:18-
Jer 22:19;
Jer 36:30), and his dead body, as was foretold, was dragged out of the gates by the Chaldean besiegers, and left unburied. The second deportation under Jehoiachin was eight years later.
2 Shinar--the old name of Babylonia (
1.Mo 11:2;
1.Mo 14:1;
Jes 11:11;
Sach 5:11). Nebuchadnezzar took only "part of the vessels," as he did not intend wholly to overthrow the state, but to make it tributary, and to leave such vessels as were absolutely needed for the public worship of Jehovah. Subsequently all were taken away and were restored under Cyrus (
Esr 1:7).
his god--Bel. His temple, as was often the case among the heathen, was made "treasure house" of the king.
3 master of . . . eunuchs--called in Turkey the kislar aga.
of the king's seed--compare the prophecy,
2.Kön 20:17-18.
4 no blemish--A handsome form was connected, in Oriental ideas, with mental power. "Children" means youths of twelve or fourteen years old.
teach . . . tongue of . . . Chaldeans--their language and literature, the Aramaic-Babylonian. That the heathen lore was not altogether valueless appears from the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses; the Eastern Magi who sought Jesus, and who may have drawn the tradition as to the "King of the Jews" from
Dan 9:24, &c., written in the East. As Moses was trained in the learning of the Egyptian sages, so Daniel in that of the Chaldeans, to familiarize his mind with mysterious lore, and so develop his heaven-bestowed gift of understanding in visions (
Dan 1:4-
Dan 1:5,
Dan 1:17).
5 king's meat--It is usual for an Eastern king to entertain, from the food of his table, many retainers and royal captives (
Jer 52:33-
Jer 52:34). The Hebrew for "meat" implies delicacies.
stand before the king--as attendant courtiers; not as eunuchs.
6 children of Judah--the most noble tribe, being that to which the "king's seed" belonged (compare
Dan 1:3).
7 gave names--designed to mark their new relation, that so they might forget their former religion and country (
1.Mo 41:45). But as in Joseph's case (whom Pharaoh called Zaphnath-paaneah), so in Daniel's, the name indicative of his relation to a heathen court ("Belteshazzar," that is, "Bel's prince"), however flattering to him, is not the one retained by Scripture, but the name marking his relation to God ("Daniel," God my Judge, the theme of his prophecies being God's judgment on the heathen world powers).
Hananiah--that is, "whom Jehovah hath favored."
Shadrach--from Rak, in Babylonian, "the King," that is, "the Sun"; the same root as in Abrech (
1.Mo 41:43, Margin), inspired or illumined by the Sun-god."
Mishael--that is, "who is what God is?" Who is comparable to God?
Meshach--The Babylonians retained the first syllable of Mishael, the Hebrew name; but for El, that is, GOD, substituted Shak, the Babylonian goddess, called Sheshach (
Jer 25:26;
Jer 51:41), answering to the Earth, or else Venus, the goddess of love and mirth; it was during her feast that Cyrus took Babylon.
Azariah--that is, "whom Jehovah helps."
Abed-nego--that is, "servant of the shining fire." Thus, instead of to Jehovah, these His servants were dedicated by the heathen to their four leading gods [HERODOTUS, Clio]; Bel, the Chief-god, the Sun-god, Earth-god, and Fire-god. To the last the three youths were consigned when refusing to worship the golden image (
Dan 3:12). The Chaldee version translates "Lucifer," in
Jes 14:12, Nogea, the same as Nego. The names thus at the outset are significant of the seeming triumph, but sure downfall, of the heathen powers before Jehovah and His people.
8 Daniel . . . would not defile himself with . . . king's meat--Daniel is specified as being the leader in the "purpose" (the word implies a decided resolution) to abstain from defilement, thus manifesting a character already formed for prophetical functions. The other three youths, no doubt, shared in his purpose. It was the custom to throw a small part of the viands and wine upon the earth, as an initiatory offering to the gods, so as to consecrate to them the whole entertainment (compare
5.Mo 32:38). To have partaken of such a feast would have been to sanction idolatry, and was forbidden even after the legal distinction of clean and unclean meats was done away (
1.Kor 8:7,
1.Kor 8:10;
1.Kor 10:27-28). Thus the faith of these youths was made instrumental in overruling the evil foretold against the Jews (
Hes 4:13;
Hos 9:3), to the glory of God. Daniel and his three friends, says AUBERLEN, stand out like an oasis in the desert. Like Moses, Daniel "chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season" (
Heb 11:25; see Dan. 9:3-19). He who is to interpret divine revelations must not feed on the dainties, nor drink from the intoxicating cup, of this world. This made him as dear a name to his countrymen as Noah and Job, who also stood alone in their piety among a perverse generation (
Hes 14:14;
Hes 28:3).
requested--While decided in principle, we ought to seek our object by gentleness, rather than by an ostentatious testimony, which, under the plea of faithfulness, courts opposition.
9 God . . . brought Daniel into favour--The favor of others towards the godly is the doing of God. So in Joseph's case (
1.Mo 39:21). Especially towards Israel (
Ps 106:46; compare
Spr 16:7).
10 worse liking--looking less healthy.
your sort--of your age, or class; literally, "circle."
endanger my head--An arbitrary Oriental despot could, in a fit of wrath at his orders having been disobeyed, command the offender to be instantly decapitated.
11 Melzar--rather, the steward, or chief butler, entrusted by Ashpenaz with furnishing the daily portion to the youths [GESENIUS]. The word is still in use in Persia.
12 pulse--The Hebrew expresses any vegetable grown from seeds, that is, vegetable food in general [GESENIUS].
13 Illustrating
5.Mo 8:3, "Man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord."
17 God gave them knowledge-- (
2.Mo 31:2-
2.Mo 31:3;
1.Kön 3:12;
Hi 32:8;
Jak 1:5,
Jak 1:17).
Daniel had understanding in . . . dreams--God thus made one of the despised covenant-people eclipse the Chaldean sages in the very science on which they most prided themselves. So Joseph in the court of Pharaoh (
1.Mo 40:5;
1.Mo 41:1-
1.Mo 41:8). Daniel, in these praises of his own "understanding," speaks not through vanity, but by the direction of God, as one transported out of himself. See my Introduction, "CONTENTS OF THE BOOK."
18 brought them in--that is, not only Daniel and his three friends, but other youths (
Dan 1:3,
Dan 1:19, "among them all").
19 stood . . . before the king--that is, were advanced to a position of favor near the throne.
20 ten times--literally, "ten hands."
magicians--properly, "sacred scribes, skilled in the sacred writings, a class of Egyptian priests" [GESENIUS]; from a Hebrew root, "a pen." The word in our English Version, "magicians," comes from mag, that is, "a priest." The Magi formed one of the six divisions of the Medes.
astrologers--Hebrew, "enchanters," from a root, "to conceal," pactisers of the occult arts.
21 Daniel continued . . . unto . . . first year of Cyrus-- (
2.Chr 36:22;
Esr 1:1). Not that he did not continue beyond that year, but the expression is designed to mark the fact that he who was one of the first captives taken to Babylon, lived to see the end of the captivity. See my Introduction, "SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY." In
Dan 10:1 he is mentioned as living "in the third year of Cyrus." See Margin Note, on the use of "till" (
Ps 110:1,
Ps 112:8).