Daniel 1:10

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. WHY SHOULD HE SEE YOUR FACES WORSE LIKING - looking less healthy. THAN THE CHILDREN WHICH ARE OF YOUR SORT? - of your age or class; literally, circle. THEN SHALL YE MAKE ME ENDANGER MY HEAD. An arbitrary Oriental despot would, in a fit of wrath at his orders having been disobeyed, command the offender to be instantly decapitated....

Daniel suffers a repulse from the prefect; and truly, as I have lately remarked, his humanity is not praised through his listening to Daniel’s wish and prayer; but through his burying in silence whatever might have brought him into difficulties. And his friendship appears in this; for although he denies his request, yet he does so mildly and civilly, as if he had said he would willingly grant it unless he had feared the king’s anger. This, therefore, is the meaning, — the prefect, though he did not dare to comply with Daniel’s request, yet treated both him and his companions kindly by not endangering their lives. He says, — he _was afraid of the king who had ordered the food _He is not to be blamed as if he feared man more than the living God, for he could not have any knowledge of God. Although he may have been persuaded that Daniel made his request in the earnest, pursuit of piety, yet...

AND THE PRINCE OF THE EUNUCHS SAID UNTO DANIEL, I FEAR MY LORD THE KING - He was apprehensive that if Daniel appeared less healthful, or cheerful, or beautiful, than it was supposed he would under the prescribed mode of life, it would be construed as disobedience of the commands of the king on his part, and that it would be inferred that the wan and emaciated appearance of Daniel was caused by the fact that the food which had been ordered had not been furnished, but had been embezzled by the officer who had it in charge. We have only to remember the strict and arbitrary nature of Oriental monarchies to see that there were just grounds for the apprehensions here expressed. FOR WHY SHOULD HE SEE YOUR FACES WORSE LIKING - Margin, “sadder.” The Hebrew word (זעפים _zo‛ăpı̂ym_) means, properly, angry; and then morose, gloomy, sad. The primary idea seems to be, that of “any”

EXPOSITION DANIEL 1:1-27 OCCASION OF DANIEL BEING IN BABYLON. DANIEL 1:1 IN THE THIRD YEAR OF THE REIGN OF JEHOIAKIM KING OF JUDAH. After the defeat and death of Josiah, the people of the land put on the throne Jehoahaz, or Shallum (Jeremiah 22:11), one of the sons of their late monarch (2 Kings 23:30). We see, by comparing 2 Kings 23:31 with 2 Kings 23:36, that in taking Jehoahaz to be their king they had passed over the law of primogeniture. The reason of this would not unlikely be that he represented the policy of his father Josiah, which may have meant the preferenc

AND THE PRINCE OF THE EUNUCHS SAID UNTO DANIEL, I FEAR MY LORD THE KING,.... This he said, not as refusing and denying the request of Daniel; but as hesitating about it, divided in his own mind, between love and tenderness to Daniel, and fear of the king: it is as if he should say, I could freely out of respect to you grant you your request; were it not for duty to my lord the king, reverence of him, and especially fear of his wrath and displeasure: who hath appointed your meat and your drink; has ordered it himself, both the quality and quantity, both what and how much; whose will is his law, and cannot be resisted, but must be obeyed; and though I should indulge you in this matter, and it may be concealed for a while, yet it cannot be always a secret, your countenance will betray it: FOR WHY SHOULD HE SEE YOUR FACES WORSE LIKING THAN THE CHILDREN WHICH ARE OF YOUR SORT? than the other...

Daniel 1:1. _In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it._ Sin always brings its punishment. King Jehoiakim did evil in the sight of the Lord, so God used Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to be the rod in his hand to scourge his sinful people and their wicked king. Daniel 1:2. _And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand,_ It was not merely that Nebuchadnezzar was strong enough to overcome the Jews; but God handed over his people into Nebuchadnezzar's hand. The enemy cannot touch the Church of God without the divine permission. Daniel 1:2. With part of the vessels of the house of God: which

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. DANIEL IN BABYLON, NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM, AND HISTORICAL EVENTS CHAPTER 1 Daniel and His Companions in Babylon _ 1. The introduction (Daniel 1:1)_ 2. The king's command (Daniel 1:3) 3. Daniel and his companions (Daniel 1:6) Daniel 1:1. Divine judgment, which had threatened so long, had finally fallen upon Jerusalem. It was executed by the divinely chosen instrument, Nebuchadnezzar. Three times he came against Jerusalem. In 606 B.C. he appeared the first time. This is the visitation mentioned here. In 598 he came again and carried away more captives, including Ezekiel. In 587 he burn

DANIEL 1. DANIEL AT THE COURT OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR. This introductory chapter describes the circumstances which brought Daniel to Babylon, introduced him into the Court, and gained him favour with the king. The writer's purpose is to enforce the duty of loyalty to the Law and the principles of religion, and he illustrates his point by describing Daniel's refusal to defile himself with the king's meat and wine (Daniel 1:8). There can be little doubt that his object in this chapter is to appeal to the Jews of his own day to resist the s to compel them to eat forbidden food. Daniel is held up as an example to the Jews of the Maccabean age. NEBUCHADNEZZAR (the name is more correctly spelt Nebuchadrezzar) was king of Babylon from 604 to 561 B.C. (pp. 60f.). Under his rule Babylon reached the summit of its power. The picture of the splendour and prosperity of his empire which is drawn in...

FEAR MY LORD THE KING WHO HATH APPOINTED YOUR MEAT AND DRINK. The fear of the officer was that if these young Hebrews lived so abstemiously, their emaciation and pale countenances would indicate it. Inquiry would be made, and if he had permitted. change of the food appointed by the king, his own head would be in danger for disobedience to the royal orders. It was placing him in. dangerous position to grant the request. For slighter matters than this caused. man to lose his head in those days.. monarch, in in angry mood, or at any caprice, would order. man to death without. trial. This reply must be looked upon as. kind but not very positive refusal to grant the request, so gentle that Daniel was persuaded that if he secured the favor of Melzar,. subordinate officer, the chief would not interfere....

AND: or, Yet. WORSE LIKING. sadder: i.e. thin and sad-looking. Compare Matthew 6:16. YOUR SORT. your own age....