But Daniel made up his mindDaniel's resolve is a key theme, highlighting his commitment to God's laws despite being in a foreign land. This decision reflects the importance of personal conviction and faithfulness. Daniel's determination is reminiscent of
Joshua 24:15, where a choice to serve the Lord is emphasized. His resolve sets a precedent for believers to stand firm in their faith.
that he would not defile himself
The concept of defilement is rooted in the Jewish dietary laws found inLeviticus 11 andDeuteronomy 14. These laws were given to maintain the Israelites' holiness and separation from pagan practices. Daniel's concern was likely both religious and cultural, as consuming the king's food could imply participation in idolatrous practices or eating unclean foods.
with the king’s food or wine
The king's food and wine were likely offered to Babylonian gods, making them ceremonially unclean. This reflects the broader theme of maintaining purity in a pagan environment. The refusal to partake in the king's provisions can be seen as a type of Christ, who remained sinless and pure despite being in a world tainted by sin.
So he asked the chief official for permission
Daniel's approach is marked by wisdom and respect. Instead of outright rebellion, he seeks permission, demonstrating a balance between conviction and diplomacy. This approach aligns withRomans 13:1-2, which encourages respect for authority while maintaining one's faith.
not to defile himself
Reiterating his commitment, Daniel's request underscores the importance of maintaining spiritual integrity. This phrase connects to1 Peter 1:15-16, which calls believers to be holy in all conduct. Daniel's example serves as an encouragement to remain faithful to God's standards, regardless of external pressures.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
DanielA young Hebrew man taken into Babylonian captivity, known for his unwavering faith and commitment to God.
2.
BabylonThe empire that conquered Judah and took many Israelites, including Daniel, into exile.
3.
King's Food and WineThe royal provisions offered to Daniel and his friends, which they chose to avoid to remain ceremonially clean according to Jewish law.
4.
Chief OfficialThe Babylonian officer responsible for overseeing the young captives, including Daniel and his friends.
5.
DefilementThe act of becoming ceremonially unclean, which Daniel sought to avoid by not partaking in the king's provisions.
Teaching Points
Commitment to God's StandardsDaniel's decision to avoid defilement shows the importance of adhering to God's standards, even when faced with pressure to conform.
Courage in ConvictionDaniel's request to the chief official demonstrates the courage needed to stand by one's convictions in challenging environments.
Influence through IntegrityDaniel's integrity and respectful approach gained him favor, illustrating how living out one's faith can positively influence others.
Faithfulness in Small ThingsDaniel's faithfulness in dietary matters reflects the broader principle of being faithful in all areas of life, no matter how small they may seem.
God's Provision and ProtectionDaniel's account shows that when we honor God, He provides and protects, as seen in the favor Daniel found with the chief official.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Daniel 1:8?
2.How does Daniel 1:8 demonstrate the importance of personal conviction in faith?
3.What can we learn from Daniel's resolve to not "defile himself"?
4.How does Daniel 1:8 connect with Romans 12:2 about not conforming?
5.In what ways can we apply Daniel's example of purity in our lives?
6.How can Daniel's decision inspire us to uphold biblical principles in challenging environments?
7.Why did Daniel resolve not to defile himself with the king's food and wine in Daniel 1:8?
8.How does Daniel 1:8 demonstrate the importance of personal conviction in faith?
9.What cultural or religious reasons might have influenced Daniel's decision in Daniel 1:8?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Daniel 1?
11.What is the Daniel Fast?
12.Can Christians ethically engage in boycotts?
13.Do you eat or drink for God's glory?
14.How do I resist peer pressure?What Does Daniel 1:8 Mean
But Daniel made up his mindDaniel, a teenager torn from Jerusalem and dropped into Babylon’s royal academy, settled the issue in his heart before the first platter arrived. Scripture pictures a deliberate, settled resolve—“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15).
• Resolve always precedes resistance; without it, pressure wins (James 1:8).
• Daniel’s decision shows that holiness is not bound by geography. Even in exile, he kept God’s standards (Psalm 119:9–11).
• The same determination is urged on believers today: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed” (Romans 12:2).
that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine.The royal menu likely contained meats first offered to idols and wines poured out to pagan gods (Exodus 34:15). Eating would blur the line between covenant loyalty and cultural assimilation (Leviticus 20:24–26).
• Daniel saw compromise for what it was—defilement, not diplomacy (2 Corinthians 6:17).
• He recognized small concessions lead to larger ones; if Babylon shaped his appetite, it could soon shape his allegiance (Proverbs 23:1–3).
• God had warned His people that purity mattered even in diet (Deuteronomy 14:3–21), so Daniel treated that word as non-negotiable.
So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself.Respectful courage shines here. Daniel does not riot or sulk; he appeals through proper channels, trusting God to sway the official (Proverbs 21:1).
• Obedience married to humility invites divine favor—“When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to live at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7).
• Daniel’s faith sought a creative alternative, opening the door for the ten-day vegetable test (Daniel 1:12–16).
• His approach mirrors the apostles’ later stance: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29), yet without needless offense (1 Peter 2:13–17).
summaryDaniel 1:8 shows a young believer who pre-decides to honor God, identifies compromise as spiritual pollution, and seeks a respectful path of obedience. His quiet resolve in a hostile culture assures us that unwavering loyalty to God can coexist with gracious interaction. The Lord still honors such faith, preserving His people and proclaiming His glory through them.
(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 Danielדָּנִיֵּאל֙(dā·nî·yêl)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1840:Daniel -- 'God is my judge', the name of several Israelitesresolvedוַיָּ֤שֶׂם(way·yā·śem)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7760:Put -- to put, place, setinעַל־(‘al-)Preposition
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, againsthis heartלִבּ֔וֹ(lib·bōw)Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3820:The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centrethatאֲשֶׁ֧ר(’ă·šer)Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834:Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order thathe would notלֹֽא־(lō-)Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808:Not, nodefileיִתְגָּאַ֛ל(yiṯ·gā·’al)Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1351:To soil, desecratehimself with the king’sהַמֶּ֖לֶךְ(ham·me·leḵ)Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428:A kingfoodבְּפַתְבַּ֥ג(bə·p̄aṯ·baḡ)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6598:Portion, delicaciesor wine.וּבְיֵ֣ין(ū·ḇə·yên)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3196:Wine, intoxicationSo he askedוַיְבַקֵּשׁ֙(way·ḇaq·qêš)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1245:To search out, to strive afterthe chiefמִשַּׂ֣ר(miś·śar)Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8269:Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, princeofficialהַסָּרִיסִ֔ים(has·sā·rî·sîm)Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5631:A eunuch, valet, a minister of statefor permissionאֲשֶׁ֖ר(’ă·šer)Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834:Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order thatnotלֹ֥א(lō)Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808:Not, noto 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) 
