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Daniel and his Friends Brought to Babylon
v. 1. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Cf 2Ki_24:1; 2Ch_36:6-7, came Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. This account, which has been declared to be untrue by unbelieving Bible critics, is abundantly supported and verified by secular accounts, as recent investigations have shown; for even if Nabopolassar was king of Babylon at the beginning of this year, his death took place while Nebuchadnezzar was in the midst of his expedition against Jerusalem, and so the latter was king in fact before the city was taken.
v. 2. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God, the rest being taken in later expeditions, 2 Kings 25, which he carried into the land of Shinar, the ancient name for Babylonia, to the house of his god, the temple of Bel, one of the chief deities of Babylon; and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god, the usual storage-place of vessels made of precious metals. The object of this expedition was merely to make Jerusalem and Judah tributary to the king of Babylon. Later expeditions increased the power of the world empire over Jerusalem, until it was finally subjugated and destroyed, some twenty years later.
v. 3. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, the chief of all the officers of the court, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, of those who had been taken captive to Babylon, and of the king's seed and of the princes, 2Ki_20:17-18,
v. 4. children, young men of the middle adolescent period, between the ages of sixteen and twenty, in whom was no blemish, that is, no physical defect, so that they would be faultlessly handsome, but well favored, this being considered essential among Oriental nations in the case of those destined for court service, and skilful in all wisdom, with the evident talent to acquire knowledge and ability rapidly, and cunning in knowledge and understanding science, that is, with good, sound judgment and common sense in applying the knowledge which they possessed and gained, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, to become accustomed to the ways and manners of a king's court, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans, that of the learned classes of the Babylonian people. Their course of study would thus comprise all that was taught in the highest schools of the empire, and their training would be that of the noblest youths of the empire.
v. 5. And the king appointed them, namely, for those who were to be selected, a daily provision of the king's meat, of the food which was served on his own tables, and of the wine which he drank, literally, "of the wine of his drinking," or "banqueting," so nourishing them three years, their education and their physical development going hand in hand, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king, fully equipped for his service as courtiers and advisers, or in whatever capacity he might choose to use them.
v. 6. Now, among these, among the youths selected in accordance with this royal order, were of the children of Judah, of the most prominent tribe of the Jewish people, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
v. 7. unto whom the prince of the eunuchs, as being in charge of this entire experiment, gave names; for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar, and to Hananiah of Shadrach, and to Mishael of Meshach, and to Azariah of Abed-nego. "The changing of names as a sign of entrance into the condition of subjection to a ruler is a frequently attested custom of Oriental and classical antiquity. " It is significant that all these names had definite meanings, a fact which it might be well for Christian parents to remember as they bring their children to Christ, their merciful King, in Holy Baptism. The giving of meaningless and heathen names ought certainly to be discouraged in all Christian congregations.