1:18 When the time appointed by the king arrived, 4 the overseer of the court officials brought them into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence.
1:8 But Daniel made up his mind 5 that he would not defile 6 himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. 7 He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself.
1 tc The LXX and Vulgate lack the verb here.
2 sn The meanings of the Babylonian names are more conjectural than is the case with the Hebrew names. The probable etymologies are as follows: Belteshazzar means “protect his life,” although the MT vocalization may suggest “Belti, protect the king” (cf. Dan 4:8); Shadrach perhaps means “command of Aku”; Meshach is of uncertain meaning; Abednego means “servant of Nego.” Assigning Babylonian names to the Hebrew youths may have been an attempt to erase from their memory their Israelite heritage.
3 sn Having failed to convince the overseer, Daniel sought the favor of the warden whom the overseer had appointed to care for the young men.
4 tn Heb “at the end of the days which the king said to bring them.”
5 tn Heb “placed on his heart.”
6 tn Or “would not make himself ceremonially unclean”; TEV “become ritually unclean.”
sn Various reasons have been suggested as to why such food would defile Daniel. Perhaps it had to do with violations of Mosaic law with regard to unclean foods, or perhaps it had to do with such food having been offered to idols. Daniel’s practice in this regard is strikingly different from that of Esther, who was able successfully to conceal her Jewish identity.
7 tn Heb “with the delicacies of the king and with the wine of his drinking.”