Daniel 1:19
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. | And the king spoke with them, and among all the young men he found no one equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king’s service. | And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedAfter three years of training, the four young men of Judah were brought to Nebuchadnezzar, who talked with them himself. None of the other trainees matched Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, so they entered the king's service. The chapter credits this to God, who gave them knowledge and wisdom after they refused the king's food. Daniel 1:5Daniel 1:17Daniel 1:18Daniel 1:19Daniel 1:8
SpeakingThe narrator of the book tells this part of Daniel's story in the third person. Chapters 7-12 switch to Daniel's own voice. Daniel overview
ToThe book is written for God's people in exile and after it. Daniel overview
Also involvedKing Nebuchadnezzar, who tested the young men, and the four friends from Judah, who had been given Babylonian names: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel 1:7Daniel 1:18Daniel 1:19
The king personally spoke with all the trainees. He found none equal to these four, so they were given posts standing before him as his servants. The next verse adds that he found them ten times better than all his magicians and astrologers. Daniel 1:19Daniel 1:20Strong's H5975GStrong's H1696G
The royal court of Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, in the land of Shinar, where Jerusalem's captives and temple vessels had been taken. Daniel 1:2Daniel overview
The eventsAt the end of the three years of training the king had set. The training began after Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem in the third year of Jehoiakim, about 605 BC. Daniel 1:1Daniel 1:5Daniel 1:18Daniel overview
WrittenTraditional: written by Daniel in the 500s BC. Scholarly: many critical scholars date the final form to about 167-164 BC, though others hold to the traditional date. Daniel overview
HereThe verse shows the outcome of the four men's faithfulness. They refused to defile themselves with the king's food, and God gave them skill in learning and wisdom. That set them above everyone else at the king's test. Daniel 1:8Daniel 1:17Daniel 1:19
In the whole of ScriptureThe book teaches that the most High rules in the kingdom of men and shows how God's people can stay faithful under foreign rulers. Here God raises his faithful servants inside the very empire that conquered them, much as Joseph stood before Pharaoh. Daniel overviewGenesis 41:46Daniel 1:2
For readersFaithfulness to God did not cost these men their place. God was the source of their excellence. Scripture elsewhere says the diligent man shall stand before kings. Daniel 1:17Daniel 1:9Proverbs 22:29
- stoodעָמַד
The word means to stand, but it also means to present oneself, attend upon, or become someone's servant. 'Stood before the king' therefore means they entered his service. That was the goal set in 1:5, and Joseph 'stood before Pharaoh' in the same way. Strong's H5975GDaniel 1:5Genesis 41:46
- was foundמָצָא
In this form the word means to be found, to appear, or to be recognised. The king's own examination showed what God had already given them in 1:17. Strong's H4672Daniel 1:17Daniel 1:20
- communedדָבַר
The word means to speak or converse. The king tested the young men by talking with them in person, not just by looking at them. Strong's H1696GDaniel 1:19
Takeaway
The four men who would not defile themselves were the ones the king found best, because God gave them wisdom. Faithfulness to God and excellent service to an earthly ruler went together for them. Daniel 1:8Daniel 1:17Daniel 1:19Daniel 1:20
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
Behind this verse
- Trained for the king's service
- Young men of royal and noble families were taught "the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans" for three years and fed from the king's table. Babylonian scholars wrote in cuneiform on clay tablets. Daniel 1:3-5Daniel 1:17
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 he spoke | וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר | vay-da-BER | H1696G | to speak: speakדָבַר (da.var) : speak/tell/command 1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing 1a) (Qal) to speak 1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to speak 1c2) to promise 1d) (Pual) to be spoken 1e) (Hithpael) to speak 1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight |
| with them | אִתָּם֮ | 'i-TAM | H0854 | withאֵת (et) 1) with, near, together with 1a) with, together with 1b) with (of relationship) 1c) near (of place) 1d) with (poss.) 1e) from...with, from (with other prep) |
| the king | הַמֶּלֶךְ֒ | ha-me-leKh | H4428G | kingמֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430) |
| and not | וְלֹ֤א | ve-LO' | H3808 | notלֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809) |
| he was found | נִמְצָא֙ | nim-TZA' | H4672 | to findמָצָא (ma.tsa) 1) to find, attain to 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to find 1a1a) to find, secure, acquire, get (thing sought) 1a1b) to find (what is lost) 1a1c) to meet, encounter 1a1d) to find (a condition) 1a1e) to learn, devise 1a2) to find out 1a2a) to find out 1a2b) to detect 1a2c) to guess 1a3) to come upon, light upon 1a3a) to happen upon, meet, fall in with 1a3b) to hit 1a3c) to befall 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be found 1b1a) to be encountered, be lighted upon, be discovered 1b1b) to appear, be recognised 1b1c) to be discovered, be detected 1b1d) to be gained, be secured 1b2) to be, be found 1b2a) to be found in … |
| any of all of them | מִכֻּלָּ֔ם | mi-ku-LAM | 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) |
| like Daniel | כְּדָנִיֵּ֣אל | ke-da-ni-YEL | H1840G | Belteshazzarבֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר (be.le.te.shats.tsar) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezk.14.14; also called Belteshazzar at Dan.1.7; 2.26; 4.8,9,18,19; 5.12; 10.1; Another name of da.niy.yel (דָּנִיֵּאל, דָּנִאֵל "Daniel" H1840G) § Belteshazzar = "lord of the straitened's treasure" … |
| Hananiah | חֲנַנְיָ֔ה | cha-nan-YAH | H2608T | Hananiahחֲנַנְיָה (cha.nan.yah) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Dan.1.6; also called Shadrach at Dan.1.7; 2.49; 3.12,13,14,16,19,20,22,23,26,28,29,30; Aramaic of cha.nan.yah (חֲנַנְיָ֫הוּ "Hananiah" H2608T) § Hananiah = "God has favoured" … |
| Mishael | מִֽישָׁאֵ֖ל | mi-sha-'EL | H4332I | Mishaelמִישָׁאֵל (mi.sha.el) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Dan.1.6; also called Meshach at Dan.1.7; 2.49; 3.12,13,14,16,19,20,22,23,26,28,29,30; § Mishael = "who is what God is" 1) the godly friend of Daniel who Nebuchadnezzar renamed Meshach; one of the three friends who with Daniel refused to make themselves unclean by eating food from the king's table which went against the dietary laws which God had given the Jews; also one of the three who were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to a graven image of Nebuchadnezzar and who were saved by the angel of the Lord … |
| and Azariah | וַעֲזַרְיָ֑ה | va-'a-zar-YAH | H5838Z | Abednegoעֲבֵד נְגוֹ (a.ved ne.go) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Dan.1.6; also called Abednego at Dan.2.49; 3.12,13,14,16,19,20,22,23,26,28,29,30; Another name of a.zar.yah (עֲזַרְיָה "Azariah" H5838Z) § Abed-nego = "servant of Nebo" … |
| and they stood | וַיַּֽעַמְד֖וּ | vai-ya-'am-DU | H5975G | to stand: standעָמַד (a.mad) : stand/stop/establish 1) to stand, remain, endure, take one's stand 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to stand, take one's stand, be in a standing attitude, stand forth, take a stand, present oneself, attend upon, be or become servant of 1a2) to stand still, stop (moving or doing), cease 1a3) to tarry, delay, remain, continue, abide, endure, persist, be steadfast 1a4) to make a stand, hold one's ground 1a5) to stand upright, remain standing, stand up, rise, be erect, be upright 1a6) to arise, appear, come on the scene, stand forth, appear, rise up or against … |
| to before | לִפְנֵ֥י | lif-NEI | H6440G | face: beforeפָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of |
| 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.