Discovery BoxDaniel 1:13 
Context1:13 Then compare our appearance 1 with that of 2 the young men who are eating the royal delicacies; 3 deal with us 4 in light of what you see.”
Daniel 1:15
Context1:15 At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier 5 than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies.
Daniel 1:8
Context1:8 But Daniel made up his mind 6 that he would not defile 7 himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. 8 He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself.
1 tn Heb “let our appearance be seen before you.”
2 tn Heb “the appearance of.”
3 tn Heb “delicacies of the king.” So also in v. 15.
4 tn Heb “your servants.”
5 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).
6 tn Heb “placed on his heart.”
7 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.
8 tn Heb “with the delicacies of the king and with the wine of his drinking.”
