Daniel 1:13

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. THEN LET OUR COUNTENANCES BE LOOKED UPON BEFORE THEE ... AND AS THOU SEEST, DEAL WITH THY SERVANTS - illustrating , "Man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord....

THEN LET OUR COUNTENANCES BE LOOKED UPON - One of the “objects” to be secured by this whole trial was to promote their personal beauty, and their healthful appearance Daniel 1:4, and Daniel was willing that the trial should be made with reference to that, and that a judgment should be formed from the observed effect of their temperate mode of life. The Hebrew word rendered countenance (מראה _mar'eh_) is not limited to the “face,” as the word countenance is with us. It refers to the whole appearance, the form, the “looks;” and the expression here is equivalent to, “Then look on us, and see what the result has been, and deal with us accordingly” The Greek is, αἱ ἰδέαι ἡμῶν _hai_ _ideai_ _hēmōn_ - our appearance. Of the

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

THEN LET OUR COUNTENANCES BE LOOKED UPON BEFORE THEE,.... And be thoroughly examined, whether any alteration is made therein for the worse: AND THE COUNTENANCE OF THE CHILDREN THAT EAT OF THE PORTION OF THE KING'S MEAT; who were either Chaldean youths brought up in this manner; or rather young men of the Jews, who were not so scrupulous as Daniel and his companions, and made no objection to eating the king's food; let their countenances and ours be compared together: AND AS THOU SEEST DEAL WITH THY SERVANTS: if there is no difference, or we are not the worse for abstaining from the king's meat, then grant us our request, and continue to indulge us in this manner; but, if otherwise, do as thou wilt. Daniel, no doubt, in putting the matter on this issue, as it should turn out at the end of ten days, had a revelation or assurance from God how it would be, or he would never have ventured t...

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...

LET OUR COUNTENANCE BE LOOKED UPON BEFORE THEE. One great object was to promote beauty. Only fair and unblemished youths had been selected, and it was desired to develop handsome men. "In all uncivilized countries stateliness and beauty of the body is held in high estimation, nor do they think him capable of great services or action to whom nature has not given. beautiful form or countenance. It has always been the custom of eastern nations to choose such for their principal officers, or to wait on princes or great personages."--_ Curtius._ Among the Jews the stateliness of Saul was his most kingly quality, the ruddy countenance of David was often praised, and the beauty of Absalom was the admiration of Israel. "From the sole of his feet, even to the crown of his head, there was no blemish upon him" (2 Samuel 14:25). Daniel asks that after the ten days' experiment the cold-wat

The loyalty to their faith shewn by the four Jewish youths....

II. PERSEVERANCE ACTUATED TEXT: Daniel 1:8-16 8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's dainties, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God made Daniel to find kindness and compassion in the sight of 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 food and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse looking than the youths that are of your own age? so would ye endanger my head with the king. 11 Then said Daniel to the steward whom the prince of the enuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananhia, Mishael, and Azariah: 12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink....