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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 1
Daniel and certain Hebrews are trained in the court of
Nebuchadnezzar—They eat plain food and drink no wine—God gives
them knowledge and wisdom beyond all others.
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In the third year* of the reign of King Jehoiakim, Daniel and other
Hebrews are carried away to Babylon to be trained in the court of king
Nebuchadnezzar for the purpose of communications with the Hebrew
people—Daniel and others refuse the meats and wine of the king's
menu for the plain foods sanctioned by Jehovah—God gives Daniel and
others knowledge and wisdom beyond that of those of Babylon.
*[606 B.C. or 609 B.C. Book of Mormon time (about two or three
years after the time of Nephi's birth)]
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1 IN the third year of the reign of
aJehoiakim king of Judah came
bNebuchadnezzar king of
Babylona unto Jerusalem, and
besieged it.
2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his
hand, with part of the avessels of the house of God: which
he carried into the land of bShinar to the house of his
god; and he brought the cvessels into the treasure house of
his god.
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1a Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon At this day of the first siege by Nebuchadnezzar of
Jehoiakim's Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar's father was still King in Babylon,
but as the heir-apparent, the ruling prince of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, had
already taken on much power and authority and could well have been referred
to as Babylon's king meaning its next ruling king already appointed to be
so and acting in such an authority.
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3 ¶ And the king spake unto Ashpenaz
athe master of his eunuchs, that he should bring
certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's
bseed, and of the princes;
4 Children in whom was no blemish, but
awell favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in
knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them
to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the
tongue of the Chaldeans.
5 And the king appointed them a daily
aprovision of the king's bmeat, and of
the wine which he drank: so nourishing them
three* years, that at the end
thereof they might cstand before the king.
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6 Now among these were of the children of Judah,
aDaniel, bHananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for
he gave unto Daniel the aname of Belteshazzar; and
to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of
Abed-nego.
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8 ¶ But Daniel apurposed in his
heart that he would not bdefile himself with the portion of
the king's meat, nor with the cwine which he drank:
therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile
himself.
9 Now God had brought Daniel into
afavour and btender love with the prince
of the eunuchs.
10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I
afear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and
your drink: for why should he see your faces bworse liking
than the children which are of your csort? then
shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
11 Then said Daniel to aMelzar, whom
the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah,
12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and
let them give us apulse to eat, and water to drink.
13 Then let our acountenances be
looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the
portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
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14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.
16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
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17 ¶ As for these four children, God gave them
aknowledge and skill in all blearning and
wisdom: and Daniel had cunderstanding in all
dvisions and dreams.
18 Now at the end of the
days* that
the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
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19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.
20 And in all matters of wisdom and
understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better
than all the amagicians and astrologers
that were in all his realm.
21 And Daniel continued even unto the first
year of king Cyrus.
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* [Three years from the date of the third year
of King Jehoiakim when the Hebrews were taken to Babylon would have been
about 603 B.C. or 606 B.C Book of Mormon time. This would mean that Daniel's
first audience before King Nebuchadnezzar as a young man would have been
5 years before the fall of King Jehoaikim and the instillation of King
Zedekiah in Jerusalem.]
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