Daniel 1:8-16

DANIEL—NOTE ON Daniel 1:8 Daniel and his three friends kept their original names and resolved not to defile themselves with the king’s food and drink (v. Daniel 1:8). They avoided the rich diet as a way of protecting themselves from being tempted by Babylonian culture. Their restricted diet continually reminded them that they were the people of God in a foreign land. They were dependent for their food, indeed for their very lives, upon God, not King Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord gave Daniel favor with his captors (v. Daniel 1:9), and the steward honored their request for a special diet. At the end of a trial period, Daniel and his friends looked fitter than those who had consumed a high-calorie diet.