Daniel 1:10
in Daniel 1but he said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age? You would endanger my head before the king!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Daniel 1
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
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.
This site's exposition
Daniel made up his mind
on Daniel 1:8-10
The text puts the resolve first: “Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself,” then “he asked the chief official for permission”. The older commentators note that food and wine from the king's table were likely offered to idols first.
This site's exposition
You would endanger my head
Albert Barnes explains the fear. A pale and thin Daniel would be read at court as the official's own disobedience to the king's order. The objection concerns the official's safety, and Daniel's next request, made to the steward in verse 11, answers it with a short trial.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"And God gave Daniel mercy and favor before the chief eunuch. But the chief eunuch was saying to them, 'I myself fear my lord the king who has marked out your bread and your drink, lest he see that your face is sullen compared to the other youths at your assembly and you condemn my head to the king.'" [Daniel 1:9-10] And so what was spoken by Melgad was true. For he did not understand them because of their purposes, and was concerned that their appearance would seem sullen compared to the youths who were eating from the table of the king and that by this he, having been found culpable, would be put to death.
This pointless objection of the eunuch was cowardly. He [the eunuch] was a man whose spirit did not know grace but took pleasure in his own sensuality. Of this man and human morality, take heed as there is the opinion that sumptuous feeding on nutritious …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king,....
The words behind it
29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֜אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שַׂ֤ר | sar | [the] chief of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| הַסָּרִיסִים֙ | hasarisim | the officials | H5631 → | 42 times |
| לְדָ֣נִיֵּ֔אל | ledaniyel | to Daniel | H1840 → | 24 times |
| יָרֵ֤א | yare' | [am] fearing | H3373 → | |
| אֲנִי֙ | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֣י | ʾadoni | master my | H113 → | 333 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מִנָּ֔ה | minah | he has assigned | H4487 → | 28 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מַאֲכַלְכֶ֖ם | maakhalkhem | food your | H3978 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִשְׁתֵּיכֶ֑ם | mishteikhem | drink your | H4960 → | 46 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֡ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לָמָּה֩ | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| יִרְאֶ֨ה | yireh | will he see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פְּנֵיכֶ֜ם | peneikhem | faces your | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| זֹֽעֲפִ֗ים | zoafim | looking thin | H2196 → | |
| מִן־ | min- | more than | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַיְלָדִים֙ | hayladim | the youths | H3206 → | 89 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| כְּגִֽילְכֶ֔ם | kegilekhem | [are] about age your | H1524 → | |
| וְחִיַּבְתֶּ֥ם | vechiyavtem | and you will endanger | H2325 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רֹאשִׁ֖י | roshi | head my | H7218 → | |
| לַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ | lamelekh | to the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
וַיֹּ֜אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
שַׂ֤ר[the] chief of
sarH8269 →421 times
הַסָּרִיסִים֙the officials
hasarisimH5631 →42 times
לְדָ֣נִיֵּ֔אלto Daniel
ledaniyelH1840 →24 times
יָרֵ֤א[am] fearing
yare'H3373 →
אֲנִי֙I
ʾaniH589 →874 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲדֹנִ֣יmaster my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
מִנָּ֔הhe has assigned
minahH4487 →28 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מַאֲכַלְכֶ֖םfood your
maakhalkhemH3978 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
מִשְׁתֵּיכֶ֑םdrink your
mishteikhemH4960 →46 times
אֲשֶׁ֡רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לָמָּה֩<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
יִרְאֶ֨הwill he see
yirehH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
פְּנֵיכֶ֜םfaces your
peneikhemH6440 →2123 times
זֹֽעֲפִ֗יםlooking thin
zoafimH2196 →
מִן־more than
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַיְלָדִים֙the youths
hayladimH3206 →89 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
כְּגִֽילְכֶ֔ם[are] about age your
kegilekhemH1524 →
וְחִיַּבְתֶּ֥םand you will endanger
vechiyavtemH2325 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
רֹאשִׁ֖יhead my
roshiH7218 →
לַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃to the king
lamelekhH4428 →2525 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Proverbs 29:25The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.
it leads to
- Psalms 118:8
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
- Luke 12:4
I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
- Proverbs 18:10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
- Psalms 91:14
“Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him.
- Proverbs 16:20
Whoever heeds instruction will find success, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
- Psalms 118:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
On this chapter
About Daniel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 1.11.2-3; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 1:10.