Daniel 1:11-16

1:11 Daniel then spoke to the warden whom the overseer of the court officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 1:12 “Please test your servants for ten days by providing us with some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 1:13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who are eating the royal delicacies; deal with us in light of what you see.” 1:14 So the warden agreed to their proposal and tested them for ten days.

1:15 At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies. 1:16 So the warden removed the delicacies and the wine 10  from their diet 11  and gave them a diet of vegetables instead.


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.

tn Heb “let our appearance be seen before you.”

tn Heb “the appearance of.”

tn Heb “delicacies of the king.” So also in v. 15.

tn Heb “your servants.”

tn Heb “he”; the referent (the warden mentioned in v. 11) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

tn Heb “listened to them with regard to this matter.”

sn The number ten is sometimes used in the OT as an ideal number of completeness. Cf. v. 20; Zech 8:23; Rev 2:10.

tn Heb “fat of flesh”; KJV, ASV “fatter in flesh”; NASB, NRSV “fatter” (although this is no longer a sign of health in Western culture).

10 tn Heb “the wine of their drinking.”

11 tn The words “from their diet” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.