Daniel 1:15
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat. | And at the end of ten days, they looked healthier and better nourished than all the young men who were eating the king’s food. | And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer, and they were fatter in flesh, than all the youths that did eat of the king’s dainties. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedDaniel refused the king's food and wine so he would not defile himself, and asked for a ten-day test on pulse and water. At the end of the test, he and his three friends looked healthier and better fed than the youths who ate the king's food. So Melzar let them keep their simple diet, and God gave them knowledge and wisdom, so that the king found them ten times better than all his magicians and astrologers. Daniel 1:8Daniel 1:11Daniel 1:12Daniel 1:14Daniel 1:15Daniel 1:16Daniel 1:17Daniel 1:20
Commonly taken out of context
How it’s often usedQuoted as proof that a vegetable or plant-based diet, or a ten-day 'Daniel fast,' will make anyone healthier.
In contextThe passage is about Daniel refusing to defile himself with the king's portion, not about diet advice. The chapter credits God for the favor and the results, which fits the promise that God blesses the bread and water of those who serve him. Daniel 1:8Daniel 1:9Daniel 1:17Exodus 23:25
SpeakingThe narrator tells the story of Daniel in the third person, as chapters 1-6 do. The traditional view is that Daniel wrote the book. Daniel overview
ToThe book is written for God's people in exile and after it. Daniel overview
Also involvedDaniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are compared with the other young captives who ate the king's food. Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs set over them, carried out the test and saw the result. Daniel 1:6Daniel 1:11Daniel 1:13Daniel 1:14Daniel 1:15
This is the outcome of the test Daniel proposed. The four looked fairer and better nourished than all the youths on the royal diet. This answered the fear the prince of the eunuchs had voiced, that their faces would look worse and put his head at risk, and Melzar then took away the king's portion and gave them pulse. Daniel 1:10Daniel 1:11Daniel 1:12Daniel 1:13Daniel 1:15Daniel 1:16
In Babylon, in the land of Shinar, among the young men trained to serve in Nebuchadnezzar's palace. Daniel 1:2Daniel 1:4Daniel overview
The eventsEarly in the three years of training set by the king, after Nebuchadnezzar took captives from Jerusalem in the third year of Jehoiakim, about 605 BC. Daniel 1:1Daniel 1:5Daniel overview
WrittenTraditional: written by Daniel in the 500s BC. Scholarly: many critical scholars date the final form to about 167-164 BC, while others keep the 500s BC date. Daniel overview
HereThe verse shows that Daniel's choice to stay undefiled did not ruin him. The chapter credits God with the outcome: God gave Daniel favor with the prince of the eunuchs and gave the four knowledge and skill. Daniel 1:8Daniel 1:9Daniel 1:17
In the whole of ScriptureDaniel shows how God's people can stay faithful under foreign rulers. Chapter 1 is the first of several tests, followed by the furnace and the lions' den. Daniel overview
For readersFaithfulness to God is not loss. Scripture teaches that God blesses the bread and water of those who serve him, and that man lives by every word from God's mouth, not by bread alone. Exodus 23:25Matthew 4:4Proverbs 10:22
- portion of the king's meatפַּת־בָּג
The word means a portion of food for the king, or delicacies. It names the royal provision the king himself appointed, the same portion Daniel refused. Strong's H6598Daniel 1:5Daniel 1:8
- fatterבִּרְיָה
Its glosses include fat, fed, firm and plenteous. Here it means the four looked well nourished, the opposite of the worse-looking faces the prince of the eunuchs had feared. Strong's H1277Daniel 1:10
Takeaway
Daniel's simple diet did not leave him worse off, because God gave him favor and honored his resolve to stay undefiled. The verse points to God's faithfulness, not to a diet plan. Daniel 1:8Daniel 1:9Daniel 1:15Daniel 1:17Exodus 23:25
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
The world around the text
About 605-536 BC. King of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC). Where Daniel lived and served for about seventy years. The capital of the Babylonian empire, on the Euphrates south of modern Baghdad, in the land the Bible calls Shinar and Chaldea.
Who ruled
- King of BabylonNebuchadnezzar605-562 BC
The king who besieged Jerusalem, carried Daniel and the temple vessels to Babylon, and later destroyed the city and temple. His own building inscriptions boast of the Babylon he built. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 24:12 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 25:1Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- Last king of Babylon, and his son who ruled in his placeNabonidus and Belshazzar556-539 BC
Nabonidus spent about ten years at the oasis of Tema in Arabia and left his son Belshazzar to rule in Babylon. That is why Belshazzar could only offer Daniel the place of "third ruler in the kingdom": he was himself second. Daniel 5:1Daniel 5:7Daniel 5:29Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Verse Account of Nabonidus
- Received the kingdom after Babylon fellDarius the MedianFrom 539 BC
Daniel says he "took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old" and set 120 princes over it. Records outside the Bible do not name him; he has been identified with Gubaru, the governor Cyrus set over Babylon, or with Cyrus himself. Daniel 5:31Daniel 6:1Daniel 9:1Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)
- King of PersiaCyrus559-530 BC
He united the Medes and Persians, took Babylon in 539 BC, and let the exiles go home to rebuild the temple, as Isaiah had named him beforehand. Daniel 1:21Daniel 6:28Daniel 10:1Ezra 1:1-4Isaiah 44:28-45:1Cyrus Cylinder
- King of JudahJehoiakim609-598 BC
Judah's king when Daniel was taken. Jeremiah warned him and his people that the land would serve Babylon seventy years. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 23:36-24:6Jeremiah 25:1-11
What was happening, 612 BC to 167 BC
- 612 BCWarNineveh falls
Babylon and the Medes destroyed Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, as Nahum and Zephaniah had foretold. Babylon became the great power of the region. Nahum 3:7Zephaniah 2:13Fall of Nineveh Chronicle (ABC 3)
- 605 BCWarBattle of Carchemish
Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho of Egypt at Carchemish on the Euphrates, in Jehoiakim's fourth year. The same year he came against Jerusalem and took the first captives, Daniel among them. Jeremiah 46:2Daniel 1:1-4Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- 597 BCWarJerusalem surrenders
Nebuchadnezzar took King Jehoiachin, his nobles and craftsmen to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel went into exile with them. 2 Kings 24:10-17Ezekiel 1:2Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- 586 BCWarJerusalem and the temple destroyed
Babylon's army burned the temple and the city and broke down its walls. Daniel later prays over "the desolations of Jerusalem" and asks God to shine on his "sanctuary that is desolate." 2 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 52:12-14Daniel 9:2Daniel 9:17
- c. 575 BCBuildingBabylon rebuilt in splendor
Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon with great walls, palaces and the blue-glazed Ishtar Gate, and his inscriptions praise his own work. Compare his boast: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?" Daniel 4:30Nebuchadnezzar's East India House InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 1.178-183
- 562 BCRulersNebuchadnezzar dies
His son Evil-merodach became king and released Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. 2 Kings 25:27-30Jeremiah 52:31-34
- c. 553-543 BCRulersNabonidus leaves Babylon to Belshazzar
King Nabonidus stayed at Tema in Arabia for about ten years, and the yearly New Year festival in Babylon was not held. Belshazzar governed in Babylon. Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Daniel 5:1Daniel 7:1
- 550 BCWarCyrus unites the Medes and Persians
Cyrus of Persia defeated Astyages king of the Medes, joining the two peoples in one kingdom. Daniel's vision names the ram's two horns as "the kings of Media and Persia," the higher coming up last. Daniel 8:3Daniel 8:20Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.127-130
- October 539 BCWarBabylon falls to Cyrus
Cyrus's army entered Babylon without a long siege. Herodotus says the people were feasting when the city was taken. Daniel records that "in that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain." Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.191Cyrus Cylinder
- 538 BCGod's peopleCyrus lets the exiles return
In his first year over Babylon, Cyrus proclaimed that the Jews could go back and build the LORD's house in Jerusalem. Daniel "continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus." Ezra 1:1-42 Chronicles 36:22-23Daniel 1:21Cyrus Cylinder
- c. 536 BCGod's peopleThe temple's foundation is laid
The returned exiles rebuilt the altar and laid the foundation of the temple. In the third year of Cyrus, Daniel was still in the east, mourning and praying. Ezra 3:1-11Daniel 10:1-3
- 334-331 BCWarAlexander the Great conquers Persia
Alexander of Macedon crossed into Asia and overthrew the Persian empire within four years. Daniel 8:21 names the rough goat as "the king of Grecia" and its great horn as "the first king." Daniel 8:5-8Daniel 8:21Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 1-3
- 323-301 BCWarAlexander's empire is divided
Alexander died young, and after twenty years of war his generals divided his empire, chiefly into four kingdoms. Daniel 8:22 says "four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." Daniel 8:8Daniel 8:22Daniel 11:4Diodorus Siculus, Library 18-20Plutarch, Demetrius 28-30
- 167 BCWarAntiochus IV defiles the temple
The Greek king Antiochus IV banned Jewish worship and set up a pagan altar on the altar of burnt offering. 1 Maccabees calls it "the abomination of desolation." Two centuries later Jesus spoke of "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" as still to come. 1 Maccabees 1:54-59Josephus, Antiquities 12.5.4Matthew 24:15
The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records of these years (the Babylonian Chronicles, the Cyrus Cylinder, Nebuchadnezzar's inscriptions) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Diodorus, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.
Original Hebrew words
| English | Hebrew | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and from [the] end of | וּמִקְצָת֙ | u-mik-TZAT | H7117 | endקְצָת (qe.tsat) 1) end, part 1a) end 1a1) of corners, of earth 1b) from the end of 1c) at the end of Aramaic equivalent: qe.tsat (קְצָת "end" H7118) |
| days | יָמִ֣ים | ya-MIM | H3117G | dayיוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow |
| ten | עֲשָׂרָ֔ה | 'a-sa-RAH | H6235 | tenעֶשֶׂר (e.ser) 1) ten 1a) ten 1b) with other numbers Aramaic equivalent: a.sar (עֲשַׂר "ten" H6236) |
| it appeared | נִרְאָ֤ה | nir-'AH | H7200G | to see: seeרָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) … |
| appearance their | מַרְאֵיהֶם֙ | mar-'ei-HEM | H4758 | appearanceמַרְאֶה (mar.eh) 1) sight, appearance, vision 1a) sight, phenomenon, spectacle, appearance, vision 1b) what is seen 1c) a vision (supernatural) 1d) sight, vision (power of seeing) |
| good | ט֔וֹב | Tov | H2896A | fineטָב (tav) good Aramaic of tov (טוֹב "pleasant" H2896A) |
| and fat of | וּבְרִיאֵ֖י | u-ve-ri-'EI | H1277 | fatבִּרְיָה (ber.yah) 1) fat 2) (TWOT) fat, fatter, fed, firm, plenteous, rank |
| flesh | בָּשָׂ֑ר | ba-SAR | H1320 | fleshבָּשָׂר (ba.sar) 1) flesh 1a) of the body 1a1) of humans 1a2) of animals 1b) the body itself 1c) male organ of generation (euphemism) 1d) kindred, blood-relations 1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God) 1f) all living things 1g) animals 1h) mankind Aramaic equivalent: be.shar (בְּשַׁר "flesh" H1321) |
| more than | מִן־ | min- | H4480A | fromמִן־ (min) prep 1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than 1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of 1b) out of 1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling) 1b2) (of material from which something is made) 1b3) (of source or origin) 1c) out of, some of, from (partitively) 1d) from, since, after (of time) 1e) than, more than (in comparison) 1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or 1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons) 1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive) conj 2) that … |
| all | כָּל־ | kol- | H3605 | allכֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606) |
| the youths | הַיְלָדִ֔ים | hay-la-DIM | H3206 | youthיֶ֫לֶד (ye.led) 1) child, son, boy, offspring, youth 1a) child, son, boy 1b) child, children 1c) descendants 1d) youth 1e) apostate Israelites (fig.) |
| who were eating | הָאֹ֣כְלִ֔ים | ha-'O-khe-LIM | H0398 | to eatאָכַל (a.khal) 1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to eat (human subject) 1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds) 1a3) to devour, consume (of fire) 1a4) to devour, slay (of sword) 1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought) 1a6) to devour (of oppression) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be eaten (by men) 1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire) 1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh) 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to cause to eat, feed with 1c2) to cause to devour 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to feed 1d2) to cause to eat 1e) (Piel) 1e1) consume Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399) |
| [the] delicaci[es] of | פַּתְבַּ֥ג | pat-BAG | H6598 | choiceפַּת־בָּג (pat.bag) portion of food for king, delicacies |
| the king | הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ | ha-ME-lekh | H4428G | kingמֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430) |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.