Daniel 1:1

This chapter gives the historical setting (Daniel 1:1,2), introduces the four Hebrew young men whose deeds are featured in Daniel (Daniel 1:3-7), tells how these "four" did not wish to violate God's dietary rules and requested that they may eat only those things which God allowed (Daniel 1:9-13), reports how after an experimental period often days, the steward complied with their request (Daniel 1:14-16), and relates that as a result of their loyalty to God, they were blessed exceedingly and were granted the right to "stand before the king" (Daniel 1:17-21).

Daniel 1:1-2

"In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim King of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god: and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god."

It is easily observed that the volume of comments against a given passage of God's Word on the part of Bible critics often exhibits an inverse ratio to the reasonableness of their arguments. The more unbelievable their arguments are, the greater is the volume of them. Nothing could be any more certain than the historical accuracy of the passage before us, but reminding us of that "river" out of the serpent's mouth (Revelation 12:15), Biblical enemies have literally tried to wash this passage away with their denials.

The first attack is based on the fact that Jeremiah placed this event in "the fourth year of Jehoiakim" (Jeremiah 25:1). "Daniel, however, evidently employed the Babylonian method of reckoning, in which the first year is regarded as following the year of the king's accession to the throne."[1] "Jehoiakim came to the throne at the end of a year, which Jeremiah reckoned as a year; but Daniel did not count it as it was an incomplete year."[2] Dummelow allowed that both statements were "correct" because the first year of Nebuchadnezzar lay partially in both the third and fourth years of Jehoiakim.[3] Of course, this variation of a single year in the sacred records, however it can be explained, is of no consequence. As Barnes put it, "It is not material."[4]

Another objection raised against this first verse is that the first expedition against Jerusalem by Nebudchadnezzar took place about the time of the battle of Carchemish (May or June, 605 B.C.);[5] and the fact of Nebuchadnezzar's being here called "king of Babylon" is labeled as an "error," because Nebuchadnezzar did not actually become king of Babylon until 604 B.C.[6] As anyone should know, "This is a prolepsis."[7] Here is another example: President Eisenhower was born in Dennison. President Eisenhower led the invasion of Europe, etc. Critics are hard pressed for an error to focus upon something like this.

We appreciate the words of Owens who said: "All the bits of information given here are individually true; but they are put together in a general sense."[8]

All such quibbles about the alleged "errors" are pointless. The big point of the passage is that because of the repeated and continuing rebellions of Israel and her kings against the will of God, God at last sent the whole nation into captivity exactly as the prophet Jeremiah had foretold (Jeremiah 4-6). There were in fact no less than three expeditions of Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem, in all three of which captives were carried away; and the passage before us refer to the first of these occasions, which was not documented on pagan records. On this pretext, up until very recently, as late as 1956, critics were boldly claiming the account here was "a historical blunder."[9] That slander, however, has been laid to rest; because, "As recently as February, 1956, the ancient documents were first published which now proved full historical support for Nebuchadnezzar's presence in Judah at exactly this time."[10]

We have explored this far enough to see that the arrogant charge which denies any historical accuracy to verses like this is a gross and irresponsible error. Arthur Jeffery stated that, "Daniel 1:1 is only a literary device; strict historical accuracy is not important. It is here to prove a setting for the story, not to provide historical information!"[11] We reject such views.

It is of interest that Nebuchadnezzar's name, as found here and occasionally in other parts of the Old Testament, is alleged to be misspelled, the true spelling being Nebuchadnezzar. Our usage will conform to the spelling in Daniel. Owens stated that, "There are various spellings of this name in the Old Testament."[12] In light of this, therefore, how weak is the allegation of the same author that, "the Daniel of Ezekiel 14:14,20 cannot be the youth of the Book of Daniel," evidently basing his argument upon the fact that "the names are spelled differently."[13] If the misspelling of a name in the Old Testament is grounds for such conclusions, then we may have half a dozen Nebuchadnezzar's!

"Shinar ..." (Daniel 1:2) is a very ancient name for Babylon (Genesis 10:10; 11:2); and the appearance of that name here makes it certain that no forger of the times of the Maccabees wrote this book. People in that age did not use this name for Babylon.