Daniel 1:5

The king assigned them daily provisions of the royal food and wine. They were to be trained for three years, after which they were to enter the king’s service.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrative describes the Babylonian king assigning daily portions of royal food and wine to selected young men from Judah, including Daniel and his companions, as part of their three-year training program before entering royal service.

The words — The verb וַיְמַן (va/yaman) literally means "he assigned" or "he appointed," establishing the king's authoritative allocation of resources. The noun מִפְתָּן (mi/pattan) refers to "delicacies" or "choice portions," specifying the quality of the provisions.

The thread — This appointment of trained servants mirrors the royal court dynamics in 1 Kings 10:8, where blessed servants stand continually before a king to hear wisdom, while the training period anticipates the eventual royal evaluation recorded in Daniel 1:19.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to recognize the systematic cultural assimilation process imposed on exiles, which immediately sets the stage for the resistance described in Daniel 1:8.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיְמַן֩va/y.Manand/ he assignedלָהֶ֨םla./Hemto/ themהַמֶּ֜לֶךְha./Me.lekhthe/ king דְּבַר־de.var-[the] matter of י֣וֹםYoma day בְּיוֹמ֗וֹbe./yo.M/oin/ day/ its מִפַּת־mi./pat-some of/ [the] deli-בַּ֤גbag-caci[es] of הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha./Me.lekhthe/ king וּמִיֵּ֣יןu./mi./Yeinand/ some of/ [the] wine of מִשְׁתָּ֔יוmish.Ta/vdrink/ his וּֽלְגַדְּלָ֖םu./le./ga.de.La/mand/ to/ bring up/ them שָׁנִ֣יםsha.Nimyears שָׁל֑וֹשׁsha.Lo.oshthree וּמִ֨קְצָתָ֔םu./Mi/k.tza.Ta/mand/ from/ [the] end/ their יַֽעַמְד֖וּya.'am.Duthey will stand לִפְנֵ֥יli/f.Nei<to>/ before הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ha./Me.lekhthe/ king

King James Version

And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

Cross-references

Daniel 1:19 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.
1 Kings 10:8 How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
Daniel 1:8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself.
Genesis 41:46 Now Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.
1 Samuel 16:22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”
1 Kings 4:22 Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal,
2 Kings 25:30 And the king provided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life.
2 Chronicles 9:7 How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
Jeremiah 15:19 Therefore this is what the LORD says: “If you return, I will restore you; you will stand in My presence. And if you speak words that are noble instead of worthless, you will be My spokesman. It is they who must turn to you, but you must not turn to them.
Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.