Introduction to DanielDaniel Chapter 1

Danielדניאל

Introduction to Daniel

• Daniel connects the Old and New Testaments. Through Daniel, perhaps God revealed the exact time of the birth of Christ to the Magi from the East.

• Daniel demonstrates God’s sovereign control over all time and nations.

• Biblical skeptics date the book to the second century B.C. to avoid the prophetic implications.

• Daniel is also important for anybody who wants to understand Bible prophecy. Not only does Daniel give significant insights into the book of Revelation, but it also relates back too prophecies given to Israel in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Chronicles and Jeremiah.

Chronology

•  The book of Daniel takes place from 605 to 530 B.C.

• Babylonian and Persian kingdom’s ruled over Judea

• Babylon was once dominated by the Assyrian Empire.

• In 621 B.C., Nabopolassar became the king of Babylon by 612 B.C., Nabopolassar sacked the Assyrian capital of Nineveh.

Chronology

• Egypt allied itself with Assyria against Babylon • Pharaoh Neco, (2 Kings 23:28-30) on his way through

Israel was intercepted by the armies of Josiah (640-609 B.C.).  Josiah was killed in battle and Assyria became part of the Neo Babylonian Empire.

• Jehoahaz, Josiah’s 2nd son, was installed in his father’s place, he ruled for 3 months till Pharaoh Neco returned from Haran, Jehoahaz was taken as a captive to Egypt and replaced with his brother Eliakim renamed Jehoiakim (608-598 B.C.) by Pharaoh Neco. Judah became a vassal of Egypt.

Chronology

• In 605 B.C. at the battle of Carchemish Egypt’s lost control of the Middle East. Nabopolassar died and his son Nebuchadnezzar took his place.

• Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem took hostages and looted treasures from the Temple. Hostages secured Jerusalem’s surrender, among them were included Daniel, Shadrach, Mishach and Abendgo.

• Daniel was a contemporary of Ezekiel and Jeremiah all three being in Jerusalem when Daniel and his friends were taken captive to Babylon. – In 605 B.C. Daniel, was a young man probably about 14 to 15

years of age.  – Jeremiah was probably 36 (Jeremiah 1:1-2; 14+22)– Ezekiel was 22 (Ezekiel 1:1-2; 30-8).

612 b.c.     

605 b.c.     

603 b.c.     

586 b.c.     

c. 580 b.c.     

c. 550 b.c.     

539 b.c.     

538 b.c.     

c. 537 b.c.     

The Nelson Study Bible

Authorship

• Daniel is the author, throughout the contents of the book of Daniel.  (Daniel 12:4, 9).

• Jesus also attributes the book’s authorship to Daniel in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:15, Mark 13:14).

• Conservative Christians and Jews, who accept the supernatural aspect of Scripture have no problem with dating the book from 605 to 536 B.C, during the time of Daniel.

The Jewish Bible is divided into three sections,

• The Law, • the Prophets • and the Writings. • In the Hebrew Bible, Daniel is included in the third

section known as the writings or Kethubim (Writings) or Hagiographa. 

• The Septuagint, Vulgate and Josephus include Daniel in the second section of the Jewish cannon.

Languages

• Aramaic and Hebrew are the two languages used in Daniel. 

• Hebrew is used in Daniel 1:1 to Daniel 2:4a then again in 8 – 12.

• Aramaic is used from Daniel 2:4a to 7:28. The Aramaic language was the common language or lingua franca, used in Assyrian, Babylonian and Persian communication.  Aramaic is found also in Ezra 4:8-6:18, 7:12-26 and Jeremiah 10:11.

• Daniel 2:4 to 7:28 would be accessible to any literate Greek, Babylonian or Jew in Daniel’s day and later.

Defending Daniel Against the Critics

• The Jewish Talmud agrees with Daniel’s testimony. • Jerome (A.D. 347-420) in his introduction to his

Commentary on Daniel said this, I wish to stress in my preface this fact, that none of the prophets has so clearly spoken concerning Christ as has this prophet Daniel.  For not only did he assert the he would come, a prediction common to the other prophets as well but also he set forth the very time at which he would come….. For so striking was  the reliability of what the prophet foretold, that he could not appear to unbelievers as a predictor of the future, but rather a narrator of things already past. [2]  

Defending Daniel against the Critics

• Daniel is also mentioned in the book of Ezekiel three times (Ezekiel 14:14,20, 28:3). Daniel and Ezekiel lived at the same time, in 605 B.C. When Ezekiel penned the name of Daniel in chapters 14 and 28, Daniel exploits of rising to the level of prime minister under Nebuchadnezzar would have been well known.

• Jesus in the Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24:15 specifically brings attention to the book of Daniel referencing the Abomination of Desolation.  Jesus calls Daniel a prophet and verifies the book as part of Holy Scripture.

Alleged historical inaccuracies

• Some have felt the writing of Ben Sirach excluded Daniel because Daniel was written later. In recent times, however, five Hebrew fragments have been discovered in the Cairo Geniza that preserve about two-thirds of the book, and Geniza Hebrew manuscript B of Ben Sira exhibits instances of dependence upon the Hebrew portions of Daniel. Though the Geniza documents appear to have been copied in the medieval period, Sir 39:27–44:17 was found at Masada, and other fragments were found at Qumran, all dating to the first century B.C. A comparison of these texts with the medieval manuscripts confirms the antiquity of the corresponding readings in the Geniza finds. If Ben Sira alluded to the Book of Daniel, these referenced portions could have been written before 180 B.C

•Miller, Stephen R. Vol. 18, Daniel. Includes indexes. electronic ed. Logos Library System; The New American Commentary, Page 25. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1994.companies

Outline

• Introduction 1:1–2:3• God’s judgment on the Gentile nations 2:4–7:28• God’s ultimate restoration of Israel 8:1–12:13

Introduction to DanielDaniel Chapter 1

Danielדניאל

Daniel 1

• Introduction: The Personal History of Daniel (1:1–21)–      I.  The Deportation of Daniel to Babylon  1:1–7–      II. The Faithfulness of Daniel in Babylon  1:8–16–      III. The Reputation of Daniel in Babylon   1:17–

21

•Thomas Nelson Publishers. Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Maps & Charts : Old and New Testaments. "Completely revised and updated comfort print edition"; Includes indexes. Rev. and updated ed. Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson, 1996.

•"In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem and laid it under siege. Now the Lord delivered King Jehoiakim of Judah into his power, along with some of the vessels of the temple of God. He brought them to the land of Babylonia to the temple of his god and put the vessels in the treasury of his god. The king commanded Ashpenaz, who was in charge of his court officials, to choose some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent— young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were attractive, learned in all kinds of wisdom, well-educated and having keen insight, and who were capable of entering the king’s royal service—and to teach them the literature and language of the Babylonians. So the king assigned them a daily ration from his royal delicacies and from the wine he himself drank. They were to be trained for the next three years. At the end of that time they were to enter the king’s service. As it turned out, among these young men were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. But the overseer of the court officials renamed them. He gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar, Hananiah he named Shadrach, Mishael he named Meshach, and Azariah he named Abednego."

The Deportation of Daniel to Babylon  1:1–7

• “in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah”

• The Jewish calendar began the year in Tishri (September October) while the Babylonian calendar began in the spring in the month of Nisan (March-April).

• Babylonian method of reckoning the year of accession, was called the first year even if it was of short duration.

The Deportation of Daniel to Babylon  1:1–7

• Judah also ignored God’s covenant, neglected the Sabbath Day and the sabbatical year (Jer. 34:12-22), and went into idolatry (Jer. 7:30-31). Therefore, because of the covenant in Deuteronomy 28,God chose Nebuchadnezzar as the instrument a His wrath (cf. Jer. 27:6; Hab. 1:6).

• Some have suggested that perhaps Daniel was a eunuch also.

The Deportation of Daniel to Babylon  1:1–7

• Daniel, ”God is my Judge“ was given the name Belteshazzar ”Lady, protect the king.“

• Hananiah ”Yahweh has been gracious“ became Shadrach probably from the Akkadian verb form šādurāku, meaning ”I am fearful (of a god).“

• Mishael ”Who is what God is?“ was given the name Meshach, from the Akkadian verb mēšāku, meaning ”I am despised, contemptible, humbled (before my god).“

• Azariah ”Yahweh has helped“ was named Abednego, ”Servant of Nebo“ (Nego being a Heb. variation of the Babylonian name of the god Nebo).

•Walvoord, John F., Roy B. Zuck, and Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985.

JudahJudah

Babylonian Babylonian EmpireEmpire

MediterraneanMediterranean

Babylonian EmpireBabylonian Empire

Babylon

Ishtar Gate

The Faithfulness of Daniel in Babylon  1:8–16

• "But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself. Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel. But he responded to Daniel, “I fear my master the king. He is the one who has decided your food and drink. What would happen if he saw that you looked malnourished in comparison to the other young men your age? If that happened, you would endanger my life with the king!” Daniel then spoke to the warden whom the overseer of the court officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:

The Faithfulness of Daniel in Babylon  1:8–16

• “Please test your servants for ten days and provide us with some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 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.” So the warden agreed to their proposal and tested them for ten days. 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. So the warden removed the delicacies and the wine from their diet and gave them a diet of vegetables instead.“

Kosher Food Laws

• The alcohol content was too great (Prov. 20:1, Isa. 5:11) the young righteous men would not partake of the strong drink of the Babylonians

• Vegetables were kosher and probably included nuts and seed bearing plants

• The meats may have been involved in idol worship

Kosher Food Laws

•Abstain from certain foods

•Drain blood from slaughtered animals

•Don’t mix meatand milk

The Reputation of Daniel in Babylon   1:17–21

• God gave them knowledge and understanding• The literature and learning in which God gave

them ability was broad .• Daniel had the God-given ability to understand

visions and dreams • Most of dreams and visions occur in Daniel and

Zachariah in the Old Testament

The Reputation of Daniel in Babylon   1:17–21

• "Now as for these four young men, God endowed them with knowledge and skill in all sorts of literature and wisdom—and Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams. When the time appointed by the king arrived, the overseer of the court officials brought them into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence. When the king spoke with them, he did not find among the entire group anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire. Now Daniel lived on until the first year of Cyrus the king.“

Discussion Time

• Read Leviticus 26:23-28 and Deuteronomy 29:22-29 who caused the Babylonian captivity? Who was used to carry out God’s plan?

• Name at least three individuals who were affected by Josiah’s reforms.

• Did Josiah’s as reforms bear fruit?• If you had to choose God’s way or the way of the

world which would you choose?• Can you go against the popular culture?

Discussion Time

• Read Leviticus 26:23-28 and Deuteronomy 29:22-29 who caused the Babylonian captivity? Who was used to carry out God’s plan?

• Name at least three individuals who were affected by Josiah’s reforms.

• Did Josiah’s as reforms bear fruit?• If you had to choose God’s way or the way of the

world which would you choose?• Can you go against the popular culture?