purposed in his heart = made up his mind. Compare Proverbs 23:7 . defile himself, &c . This was because meat was killed with the blood (contrary to Leviticus 3:17 ; Leviticus 7:26 ; Leviticus 17:10-14 ; Leviticus 19:26 ), and offered to idols (Exodus 34:15 . 1 Corinthians 10:20 . Compare Acts 15:29 ). Not because they were acting on vegetarian and temperance principles. read more
"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. Now God made Daniel to find kindness and compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs. 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... read more
Daniel 1:8. Daniel purposed in his heart— Daniel had two reasons for refusing the meat from the king's table: first, because the heathens ate indiscriminately all sorts of food, and consequently such as was forbidden by the law of Moses: the second, because it was the custom of most nations before their meals, to make an offering of some part of what they were to eat or drink to their gods: so that every entertainment had something in it of the nature of a sacrifice. This practice generally... read more
8. Daniel . . . would not defile himself with . . . king's meat—Daniel is specified as being the leader in the "purpose" (the word implies a decided resolution) to abstain from defilement, thus manifesting a character already formed for prophetical functions. The other three youths, no doubt, shared in his purpose. It was the custom to throw a small part of the viands and wine upon the earth, as an initiatory offering to the gods, so as to consecrate to them the whole entertainment (compare... read more
Evidently Daniel took the initiative with this decision, and his three friends followed his lead. His decision was not to remain morally pure but to remain ceremonially pure. Ceremonial purity was something that concerned only the most faithful Jews. Jews who were careful to remain ceremonially pure would have been equally careful to preserve their moral and ethical purity. Daniel wanted to please the Lord in every respect, not just in the most important moral aspects of his life (cf. 1... read more
C. Daniel’s resolve to please Yahweh 1:8-13 read more
Introductory. The abstinence of Daniel and his Friends from Unclean FoodDaniel is introduced as one of a band of Jews taken captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in the third year of Jehoiakim (Daniel 1:1-2). Along with three of his youthful countrymen he is chosen to be trained during three years for personal attendance on the king (Daniel 1:3-7). As the food and drink provided for those in this position are ceremonially unclean Daniel resolves not to partake of them. After an unsuccessful... read more
(8) Daniel purposed in his heart.—He was cautious from the first. He feared that he might eat something that had been consecrated to idols. (See 1 Corinthians 8:0) read more
Daniel 1:2 ; Daniel 1:6 I was taken captive when nearly sixteen years of age. I did not know the true God; and I was taken to Ireland in captivity with so many thousand men, in accordance with our deserts, because we departed from God and kept not His precepts. St. Patrick's Confessions. Daniel 1:8 The strangeness of foreign life threw me back into myself. Newman, Apologia, I. Daniel's Self-denial Daniel 1:8 We are told about a great many good men in the pages of the Bible: some who were... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Daniel 1:1-21
1:1-6:28 STORIES ABOUT DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDSTraining for Nebuchadnezzar’s court (1:1-21)Babylon’s first attack on Jerusalem came in 605 BC, during the reign of the Judean king Jehoiakim. In keeping with the usual practice among conquerors in ancient times, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar plundered the temple of the conquered people, carried off its sacred objects and placed them in his own temple. In this way Nebuchadnezzar demonstrated his belief that Babylon’s gods were superior to the... read more