Daniel 1

1-21 Four Young Israelites in the Babylonian Court

1-2 In King Jehoiakim of Judah’s 3rd year, Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem, takes Jehoiakim’s authority as well as temple vessels, which he brings to Shinar and places in his own treasury. The beginning of Daniel (3rd year of Jehoiakim, c. 605 B.C.) takes place before the beginning of Ezekiel (5th year of Jehoiachin, aka Jeconiah, Jehoiakim’s son, c. 593). This is also the first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign (Jeremiah 25:1). Shinar is the area where Babylon was built (Genesis 11:2)

3-7 Nebuchadnezzar tells his palace commander to bring the best and brightest noble young Israelites to Babylon to learn the Chaldean language and be educated for three years, fed from the royal table. Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, re-named Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

8-17 Daniel refuses the royal rations of food and wine, but the palace master is afraid he will seem in poorer condition than the other captives. So they agree to give it a 10-day test – a diet of only vegetables and water. The other three men also eat the vegetable-only diet, and at the end of the test period, the four men are in better condition than those on royal food. God gives all four “knowledge and skill in every aspect of literature and wisdom”; Daniel also has “insight into visions and dreams.”

18-21 At the end of the three years they are brought before the king, found to be far above all the others and stationed in the king’s court. The king finds them “ten times” better than the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom. Daniel remains in his court until the first year of King Cyrus. In other words, he is in Nebuchadnezzar’s court until the end of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, the end of Jewish captivity.