Bible Strands
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Daniel, a captive youth in the Babylonian court, resolves independently to avoid the royal provisions and petitions the chief official for an exemption. This decision follows immediately after the official assigns them new Babylonian names.
The words — The Hebrew יִתְגַּאֵל (yit.ga.'El) literally means "he defiled himself," while בְּפַתְבַּג (be./fat.Bag) denotes the king's "delicacies" or rich foods. The text notes Daniel set his heart (עַל־לִבּוֹ) firmly against consuming these items.
The thread — The verse's concern with avoiding defilement parallels the holiness imperative in Leviticus 11:45, the plea against a heart drawn to wickedness in Psalms 141:4, and the prophetic warning about defiled bread among the nations in Ezekiel 4:13.
Why it lands — The passage records a concrete refusal to consume designated royal provisions and requires the reader to identify personal assimilation pressures and establish practical boundaries to preserve integrity.
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
King James Version
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
Cross-references
- Psalms 141:4 Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing or take part in works of wickedness with men who do iniquity; let me not feast on their delicacies.
- Leviticus 11:45 For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.
- Ezekiel 4:13 Then the LORD said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their defiled bread among the nations to which I will banish them.”
- 1 Corinthians 10:18 Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar?
- 1 Corinthians 7:37 But the man who is firmly established in his heart and under no constraint, with control over his will and resolve in his heart not to marry the virgin, he will do well.
- Psalms 119:115 Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may obey the commandments of my God.
- Hosea 9:3 They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.
- 1 Corinthians 8:7 But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that they eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol. And since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.
- Psalms 119:106 I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments.
- Romans 14:15 If your brother is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother, for whom Christ died.