The Strand Study Bible

DANIEL 1:8

DANIEL 2:7

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of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. 8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself 1 with the por- tion 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. 9 Now God had brought Daniel into 2 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. 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 3 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 mat- ter, and proved them ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their coun- tenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the por- tion 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. 17 As for these four children, God 4 gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understand- ing in all visions and dreams. READ NEXT - Jeremiah 36:9-32 Daniel and his three friends stand before King Nebuchadnezzar (Note - This event took place in the 7th year 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: of King Jehoiakim’s reign) Date - 602 BC/AM 3398

5 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. Religious Note - The religion of Atheism began c. 600 BC when Thales of Miletus, considered the father of Atheism, taught his Ionian science of Nature to the men of Greece. His theory is considered the germ from which all European science has since developed. Al- though atheists claim science as their proof as to why they believe what they believe, Atheism appears to be the result of a desire to kill the father figure because one desires to be autonomous. Famous atheists such as Karl Marx, Ludwig Feurerbach, Sigmund Freud, and Ber- trand Russel all had fathers who were either absent or passive. No doubt, one of the key psychological causes for why people deny a Heavenly Father is due to absent and/or passive fathers. READ NEXT - II Kings 24:5-9 Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams (Note - This event took place in the 3rd year 1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. 2 Then the king commanded to call the 6 magicians, and the 7 astrologers, and the 8 sorcerers, and the 9 Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was trou- bled to know the dream. 4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in 10 Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. 5 The king answered and said to the Chal- deans, The thing is gone fromme: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. 6 But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. 7 They answered again and said, Let the of King Jehoiakim’s reign) Date - 603 BC/AM 3397

1. Lev 11:46-47 2. Prov 16:7 3. or, “vegetables”

4. I Cor 12:8 5. Prov 22:29

6. or, “those who practiced magic; fortune tellers” 7. or, “those who pretended to foretell future events by the study of the stars” 8. or, “those who pretended to communicate with the dead” 9. or, “those who studied the sciences and were philosophers” Note – Daniel and his three friends belonged to this group – Dan 1:4. 10. or, “Aramaic”

1:8 Daniel knew, for a number of reasons, why he would purpose in his heart not to defile himself : 1. He knew to refuse the food that would make him appear special, thus exposing him to criticism and ridicule 2. He knew to refuse the food that, at times, would be forbidden by Jewish law to eat (Lev 11)