Daniel 1:8
New International Version
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

New Living Translation
But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.

English Standard Version
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.

Berean Standard Bible
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself.

King James Bible
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

New King James Version
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

New American Standard Bible
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

NASB 1995
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

NASB 1977
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

Legacy Standard Bible
But Daniel set in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

Amplified Bible
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile (taint, dishonor) himself with the king’s finest food or with the wine which the king drank; so he asked the commander of the officials that he might [be excused so that he would] not defile himself.

Christian Standard Bible
Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief eunuch not to defile himself.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official not to defile himself.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Daniel set in his mind that he would not eat from the delicacies of the King, and he would not drink from the wine that he drinks, and he begged of the High Eunuch that he would not feed him

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Daniel purposed in his heart, that he would not defile himself with the king's table, nor with the wine of his drink: and he intreated the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Contemporary English Version
Daniel made up his mind to eat and drink only what God had approved for his people to eat. And he asked the king's chief official for permission not to eat the food and wine served in the royal palace.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not be defiled with the king's table, nor with the wine which he drank: and he requested the master of the eunuchs that he might not be defiled.

English Revised Version
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Daniel made up his mind not to harm himself by eating the king's rich food and drinking the king's wine. So he asked the chief-of-staff for permission not to harm himself in this way.

Good News Translation
Daniel made up his mind not to let himself become ritually unclean by eating the food and drinking the wine of the royal court, so he asked Ashpenaz to help him,

International Standard Version
Daniel determined within himself not to become defiled by the king's menu of rich foods or by the king's wine, so he requested permission from the chief officer not to defile himself.

JPS Tanakh 1917
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's food, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the officers that he might not defile himself.

Literal Standard Version
And Daniel purposes in his heart that he will not defile himself with the king’s portion of food, and with the wine of his drinking, and he seeks of the chief of the eunuchs that he may not defile himself.

Majority Standard Bible
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself.

New American Bible
But Daniel was resolved not to defile himself with the king’s food or wine; so he begged the chief chamberlain to spare him this defilement.

NET Bible
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself.

New Revised Standard Version
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the royal rations of food and wine; so he asked the palace master to allow him not to defile himself.

New Heart English Bible
But Daniel determined in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's royal food, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Webster's Bible Translation
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's food, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

World English Bible
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Young's Literal Translation
And Daniel purposeth in his heart that he will not pollute himself with the king's portion of food, and with the wine of his drinking, and he seeketh of the chief of the eunuchs that he may not pollute himself.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Daniel's Faithfulness
8But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself. 9Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official,…

Cross References
Acts 10:14
"No, Lord!" Peter answered. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

Acts 15:20
Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.

Leviticus 11:47
You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between animals that may be eaten and those that may not.'"

Deuteronomy 32:38
which ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you; let them give you shelter!

Psalm 141:4
Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing or take part in works of wickedness with men who do iniquity; let me not feast on their delicacies.

Proverbs 23:3
Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.

Ezekiel 4:13
Then the LORD said, "This is how the Israelites will eat their defiled bread among the nations to which I will banish them."


Treasury of Scripture

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

purposed.

Ruth 1:17,18
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me…

1 Kings 5:5
And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name.

Psalm 119:106,115
I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments…

defile.

Leviticus 11:45-47
For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy…

Deuteronomy 32:38
Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.

Psalm 106:28
They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

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Allow Captain Chief Choice Commander Dainties Daniel Decision Defile Delicate Drank Drinking Eunuchs Food Heart King's Meat Mind Officers Official Officials Permission Pollute Portion Prince Purposed Purposeth Request Requested Resolved Rich Royal Seeketh Servants Sought Unsexed Way Wine
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Allow Captain Chief Choice Commander Dainties Daniel Decision Defile Delicate Drank Drinking Eunuchs Food Heart King's Meat Mind Officers Official Officials Permission Pollute Portion Prince Purposed Purposeth Request Requested Resolved Rich Royal Seeketh Servants Sought Unsexed Way Wine
Daniel 1
1. Jehoiakim's captivity.
3. Ashpenaz takes Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
8. They refusing the king's portion do prosper with pulse and water.
17. Their proficiency in wisdom.














(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)

Verse 8. - But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wins which he drank, therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. The Septuagint renders the first clause somewhat paraphrastically, "Daniel desired in his heart," led possibly to this by the more limited meaning assigned to "heart" in the psychology of ordinary Greek speech. Theodotion is, as usual, in close harmony with the Massoretic text. The Peshitta, instead of "heart," has r'ina, "mind." As before noticed, the G reek versions here render פּת־בג by δεῖπνον. Jerome renders it mensa In the Syriac the word is present, as we before said. We have above indicated that it is possible that the original word was not path-bag, but pathura. In regard to the Massoretic text as compared with the Greek and Latin versions, it seems certain that path-bag, if belonging to the text, was only understood in the East - a phenomenon that would be intelligible if this chapter be a condensation and translation of an original Aramaic text, especially if the Aramaic were Eastern, not Western. An ancient feast had always the nature of a sacrifice. It was the case with the Jews: thus in Deuteronomy 12:11, 12, directions are given for sacrificing in the place which the Lord should choose, and they and all their household rejoicing. But if the place chosen were too far, then permission was given them to eat flesh, only they were to be careful not to eat with the blood. It was the characteristic of the classic nations all through their whole history, that the feast should be consecrated by the offering of something of it to the Deity. The immense probability was that this was the case also among the Babylonians. It may be that this consecration of the feast arose from the same justifiable religious feeling which leads us to ask a blessing on our meals. The habit of the African Church to celebrate the Lord's Supper at every supper, was probably connected with this offering to God of what the guests were about to partake. This fact, that every feast had the character of a sacrifice, might easily make these Hebrew youths refuse the royal dainties. So far as animal food was concerned, the careful directions as to not eating with blood made partaking of the feasts of the Babylonian monarch peculiarly liable to bring on them defilement. The fact that Evil-Merodach provided Jeconiah with a portion from his table, and that Jeconiah did not refuse it, does not necessarily militate against the early date of Daniel. Jeconiah probably was not as conscientious as those youths, and, on the other hand, Daniel's influence by this time may have arranged some consideration for Jewish scruples. It is certain that in 2 Maccabees 5:27 Judas and his brethren are represented as living in the mountains on herbs, after the manner of beasts, that they might not be defiled; but as there is nothing parallel to this in 1 Maccabees, we may dismiss the statement as probably untrue. So the whole idea of this action on the part of Judas and his nine companions may have arisen from the case recorded before us. It has all the look of a rhetorical addition to the narrative, and the differences of the circumstances were not such as would strike a rhetorical scribe; but as this abstinence appeared to add to the sanctity of these four Hebrew youths, would it not add to the sanctity of Judas also? 'In the Assyrian feasts the guests do not seem to have sat at one long table or several long tables, as is usual with us. The guests were divided into sets of four, and had provisions served to them, and it is to be observed that the youths before us would have exactly occupied one of those tables. The word used for "defile" (ga'al) occurs in Isaiah, Lamentations, Zephaniah, Malachi, Ezra, and Nehemiah. It is an Exilic and post-Exilic word mainly; the old priestly word lama had not disappeared - it is used in Haggai. It is to be observed that there is nothing about defilement in the Peshitta; it is not impossible that the word is a later addition, only its presence both in Theodotion and the Septuagint renders the omission improbable. There is nothing in the passage here which makes it necessary for us to maintain that the principle of action followed by those youths was one which was generally acknowledged to be incumbent on all Jews. It may simply have been that, feeling the critical condition in which they were placed, it was well for them to erect a hedge about the Law. There may even have been an excess of scrupulosity which is in perfect dramatic suitability to the age of the youths. Such abstinence may well have occasioned the regular abstinence of the Essenes, but this state-merit concerning Daniel and his friends can scarcely have originated from the Essene dietary. It has been noted, as a proof of Daniel's courtesy and docility, that he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. But to have refused the food provided by the king might have been construed as an insult to the king, and anything of that sort had swift and severe punishment meted out to it. Daniel's request was simply due to the necessities of the situation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But Daniel
דָּנִיֵּאל֙ (dā·nî·yêl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1840: Daniel -- 'God is my judge', the name of several Israelites

resolved
וַיָּ֤שֶׂם (way·yā·śem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

in
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

his heart
לִבּ֔וֹ (lib·bōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

that
אֲשֶׁ֧ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

he would not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

defile
יִתְגָּאַ֛ל (yiṯ·gā·’al)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1351: To soil, desecrate

himself with the king’s
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

food
בְּפַתְבַּ֥ג (bə·p̄aṯ·baḡ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6598: Portion, delicacies

or wine.
וּבְיֵ֣ין (ū·ḇə·yên)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3196: Wine, intoxication

So he asked
וַיְבַקֵּשׁ֙ (way·ḇaq·qêš)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1245: To search out, to strive after

the chief
מִשַּׂ֣ר (miś·śar)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

official
הַסָּרִיסִ֔ים (has·sā·rî·sîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5631: A eunuch, valet, a minister of state

for permission
אֲשֶׁ֖ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

to defile himself.
יִתְגָּאָֽל׃ (yiṯ·gā·’āl)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1351: To soil, desecrate


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OT Prophets: Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that (Dan. Da Dn)
Daniel 1:7
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