Daniel 1:5
in Daniel 1The king assigned them daily provisions of the royal food and wine. They were to be trained for three years, after which they were to enter the king’s service.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the king appointed for them a daily portion of the king’s dainties, and of the wine which he drank, and that they should be nourished three years; that at the end thereof they should stand before the king.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Daniel 1
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And the king appointed them - Calvin supposes that this arrangement was resorted to in order to render them effeminate, and, by a course of luxurious living, to induce them gradually to forget their own country, and that with the same view their names were changed. But there is no evidence that this was the object.
This site's exposition
unto Ashpenaz
on Daniel 1:3-5
Ashpenaz the master of the eunuchs receives Nebuchadnezzar's order for youths of Israel's own royal and noble line, chosen for a body without blemish and a mind trained in every science the empire prized. The king's meat and the king's wine were themselves a mark of high favor at a Babylonian table, and the three years of nourishing set the length of Daniel's own coming test. Gill reads the aim as assimilation by kindness rather than force, a gentler conquest of the mind to match the harder conquest already made of the land.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
So here he informs us of the king's generosity in providing them with nourishment that was not of an ordinary kind fit for captives and slaves; instead, he gave orders for them to share in the king's table. Shortly afterward he mentions their self-control and …
And Scripture says, "And the king told Ashpenaz the chief of the eunuchs to bring in some of those from the sons of the captivity of Israel and from the seed of the king and from the princes, young men, who have no blemish, who are beautiful in appearance and are understanding in all wisdom, being well versed in knowledge, disposed to prudence, and who have in themselves the strength to stand in the house of the king, and to teach them the letters and the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them on that very day to be nourished from the table of the king and from the wine which he drank in order for them to be nourished three years, and after these things to stand before the king. And there was among them from the sons of Judah, Daniel and Hanniah, Mishael, and Azariah." [Daniel 1:3-7] It is necessary that those who love learning to not read these things cursorily, but to prepare the mind for the things that lie before us. For the divine writings do not idly preach to us, but their admonition is meant for us and also the blessing of these prophets and the demonstration of all the things which are spoken by them are for us as well. For when Hezekiah king of Judah was sick unto death, then "Isaiah the prophet came to him and told him 'Set in order your sons and your daughters and your father's house, for you will die and you will not live.'" [2 Kings 20:1, also see Isaiah 38:1] Having been grieved at this word, "Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord saying, 'Lord remember me just as I have walked before you in truth and in faith and with a full heart and I have done what is pleasing in your presence.' And Hezekiah wept with great weeping." [2 Kings 20:1-3] After this occurred, Isaiah was sent to him a second time and he said to him, "The Lord the God of David your father says this, 'I have heard your prayer and have seen your tears. […]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Their Hebrew names, which they received at their circumcision, had something of God, or Jah, in them: Daniel--God is my Judge; Hananiah--The grace of the Lord; Mishael--He that is the strong God;
And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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, 34). The Hebrew for "meat" implies delicacies. stand before the king--as attendant courtiers; not as eunuchs.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A daily provision - Athenaeus, lib. iv., c. 10, says: The kings of Persia, (who succeeded the kings of Babylon, on whose empire they had seized), were accustomed to order the food left at their own tables to be delivered to their courtiers. So nourishing them three years - This was deemed a sufficient time to acquire the Chaldee language, and the sciences peculiar to that people. I suppose they had good introductory books, able teachers, and a proper method; else they would have been obliged, like us, to send their children seven years to school, and as many to the university, to teach them any tolerable measure of useful and ornamental literature! O how reproachful to the nations of Europe, and particularly to our own, is this backward mode of instruction. And what is generally learned after this vast expense of time and money? A little Latin, Greek, and mathematics; perhaps a little moral philosophy; and by this they are entitled, not qualified, to teach others, and especially to teach the people the important science of salvation! To such shepherds, (and there are many such), the hungry sheep look up, and are not fed; and if all are not such, no thanks to our plan of national education.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְמַן֩ | vayman | and he assigned | H4487 → | 28 times |
| לָהֶ֨ם | lahem | to them | ||
| הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| דְּבַר־ | devar- | [the] matter of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| י֣וֹם | yom | a day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| בְּיוֹמ֗וֹ | beyomo | in day its | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| מִפַּת־ | mipat- | some of [the] deli- | H6598 → | 8 times |
| בַּ֤ג | bag | -caci[es] of | H6598 → | 8 times |
| הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וּמִיֵּ֣ין | umiyein | and some of [the] wine of | H3196 → | 141 times |
| מִשְׁתָּ֔יו | mishtav | drink his | H4960 → | 46 times |
| וּֽלְגַדְּלָ֖ם | ulegadelam | and to bring up them | H1431 → | 117 times |
| שָׁנִ֣ים | shanim | years | H8141 → | 877 times |
| שָׁל֑וֹשׁ | shaloosh | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| וּמִ֨קְצָתָ֔ם | umiktzatam | and from [the] end their | H7117 → | 7 times |
| יַֽעַמְד֖וּ | yaamdu | they will stand | H5975 → | 521 times |
| לִפְנֵ֥י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
וַיְמַן֩and he assigned
vaymanH4487 →28 times
לָהֶ֨םto them
lahem
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
דְּבַר־[the] matter of
devar-H1697 →1440 times
י֣וֹםa day
yomH3117 →2304 times
בְּיוֹמ֗וֹin day its
beyomoH3117 →2304 times
מִפַּת־some of [the] deli-
mipat-H6598 →8 times
בַּ֤ג-caci[es] of
bagH6598 →8 times
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וּמִיֵּ֣יןand some of [the] wine of
umiyeinH3196 →141 times
מִשְׁתָּ֔יוdrink his
mishtavH4960 →46 times
וּֽלְגַדְּלָ֖םand to bring up them
ulegadelamH1431 →117 times
שָׁנִ֣יםyears
shanimH8141 →877 times
שָׁל֑וֹשׁthree
shalooshH7969 →432 times
וּמִ֨קְצָתָ֔םand from [the] end their
umiktzatamH7117 →7 times
יַֽעַמְד֖וּthey will stand
yaamduH5975 →521 times
לִפְנֵ֥י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Daniel 1:8But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself.
it leads to
- Psalms 141:4
Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing or take part in works of wickedness with men who do iniquity; let me not feast on their delicacies.
- Leviticus 11:45–47
For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.
- 1 Corinthians 10:18–21
Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar?
- Ezekiel 4:13–14
Then the LORD said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their defiled bread among the nations to which I will banish them.”
- 1 Corinthians 7:37
But the man who is firmly established in his heart and under no constraint, with control over his will and resolve in his heart not to marry the virgin, he will do well.
- Psalms 141:4
Through
2 Kings 25:30And the king provided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life.
it leads to
- Luke 11:3
Give us each day our daily bread.
- Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread.
- Luke 11:3
Through
1 Kings 10:8How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
it leads to
- Proverbs 8:34
Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my doorway.
- Proverbs 8:34
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Daniel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 1.7.1-10.1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 1:5-6.