Daniel 1.18-Ashpenaz Presents Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael And Azariah To Nebuchadnezzar After The Completion of The Three Year Training Program
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday January 11, 2012
Daniel: Daniel 1:18-Ashpenaz Presents Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael And Azariah To Nebuchadnezzar After The Completion Of The Three Year Training Program
Lesson # 21
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 1:1.
This evening we will study Daniel 1:18, which records Ashpenaz presenting Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah to Nebuchadnezzar after they completed the three year training program to prepare them to serve as dignitaries in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.
Daniel 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god. 3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, 4 youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service. 6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego. 8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials. 10 and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king.” 11 But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 16 So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables. 17 As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams. 18 Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. (NASB95)
“Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “then” which is followed by the preposition lĕ (לְ) (lamed), “at” and then we have the preposition min (מִן) (min) and this followed by the feminine singular form of the noun qeṣāṯ (קְצָת) (kets-awth), “the end of” which is followed by the articular masculine plural form of the noun yôm (יוֹם) (yome), “days” and then we have the relative particle ʾǎšěr (אֲשֶׁר) (ash-er), “which” and this is followed by the third person masculine singular qal active perfect form of the verb ʾā∙mǎr (אָמַר) (aw-mar), “had specified” which is followed by the articular masculine singular form of the noun mě∙lěḵ (מֶלֶךְ) (meh-lek), “the king” and then we have the preposition lĕ (לְ) (lamed), “for” and its object is the hiphil active infinitive construct form of the verb bôʾ (בּוֹא) (bow), “presenting” and this is followed by the third person masculine plural pronomial suffix -hē∙mā(h) (־הֵמָה) (hay-maw), “them.”
The conjunction wa is a temporal marker and denotes that “when” the days of training Daniel and his three friends in the literature and language of the Babylonians had been completed, these four were presented to Nebuchadnezzar by Ashpenaz, his officials’ commander.
The noun qeṣāṯ means “end” or “completion” referring to “the end” of the three year training period mentioned in Daniel 1:5.
This three year Babylonian education resembled a modern graduate school training, which further indicates that these young Israelites were not young teenagers.
Those who meet the qualifications listed in Daniel 1:4 would be trained in Babylonian culture, mathematics, astrology, astronomy, science, agriculture, philosophy, medicine, military history and tactics, Babylonian history as well as training in Babylonian government and law.
Upon completion of this three year training program Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah would be brought into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence and would serve as dignitaries for the king.
The noun yôm is in the plural and means “days” referring to the three year training program that young Israelite men who met the qualifications listed in Daniel 1:4 would undergo in order to operate in the capacity of dignitaries for Nebuchadnezzar.
That the word speaks of this three year period is indicated by the statement in Daniel 1:5, which states that those young Israelite men who met the qualifications listed in Daniel 1:4 would take part in a three year training program in order to be educated in Babylonian literature and language.
The noun qeṣāṯ is the object of the preposition lĕ, which marks the completion of the three year training period for Daniel and his three friends.
The preposition min means “when” since the word loses its own force when it is preceded by the preposition lĕ.
Thus, the word is marking a statement that tells the reader when Daniel and his three companions were presented to Nebuchadnezzar by Ashpenaz.
The noun mě∙lěḵ means “king” and of course is used with reference to Nebuchadnezzar referring to the fact that he was governmental head of Babylon.
The verb ʾā∙mǎr means “to command” since the statement to follow refers to the statements in Daniel 1:3-5 which records that Nebuchadnezzar ordered Ashpenaz to bring to Babylon certain qualified Israelites who were of noble and royal descent in order to train them for three years to serve in his royal court.
The verb bôʾ means “to present” since the word denotes Ashpenaz introducing Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar.
The third person masculine plural pronomial suffix -hē∙mā(h) means “them” referring to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
“The commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), which is not translated and is followed by the third person masculine singular hiphil active imperfect form of the verb bôʾ (בּוֹא) (bow), “presented” and this is followed the third person masculine plural pronomial suffix -hē∙mā(h) (־הֵמָה) (hay-maw), “them” and then we have the masculine singular construct form of the noun śǎr (שַׂר) (sar), “the commander of” which is followed by the articular masculine plural form of the noun sā∙rîs (סָרִיס) (saw-reece), “the officials” and then we have the preposition lĕ (לְ) (lamed) and its object is the masculine plural construct form of the noun pā∙ně(h) (פָּנֶה) (paw-neh), “before” and lastly we have the masculine singular form of the proper name neḇû∙ḵǎḏ∙ně(ʾ)ṣ∙ṣǎr (נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר) (neb-oo-kad-nets-tsar), “Nebuchadnezzar.”
The conjunction wa is introducing a statement which records an event that took place after Daniel and his three companions had completed the three year training program.
The word is introducing a statement which says that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were presented to Nebuchadnezzar by Ashpenaz, which took place immediately after these four had completed the three year training program.
The noun śǎr means “commander” and is modifying the noun sā∙rîs, “officials” referring to Ashpenaz denoting that he was the “overseer” or “commander” of Nebuchadnezzar’s officials.
The noun sā∙rîs is used to describe Ashpenaz and means “officials.”
Once again, this verb bôʾ is in the hiphil stem and means “to present” since the word denotes Ashpenaz introducing Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar.
The third person masculine plural pronomial suffix -hē∙mā(h) means “them” referring to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
The noun pā∙ně(h) means “presence” and is employed with the preposition lĕ, which is marker of location.
Together they mean “in the presence of” indicating that after the three year formal Babylonian education Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were brought “in the presence of” Nebuchadnezzar by Ashpenaz.
The proper name neḇû∙ḵǎḏ∙ně(ʾ)ṣ∙ṣǎr, “Nebuchadnezzar” refers to the second ruler of the Chaldean dynasty of Babylon.
Daniel 1:18 records Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah completing the three training program in Babylonian literature and language.
Daniel 1:3-5 records that Nebuchadnezzar ordered Ashpenaz, his officials’ commander to transport members of the royal family as well as some of the nobles in Judea.
The king wanted young Israelite men who had no physical defects and were handsome.
They were also to be well-educated and possessing skill in every branch of wisdom.
They were to possess the ability to discern secret knowledge.
They were to be trained in the language and literature of the Babylonians.
This would qualify them to enter into serving as a dignitary in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.
Daniel 1:5 says that this was to be a three year training program.
Those who meet the qualifications listed in Daniel 1:4 would be trained in Babylonian culture, mathematics, astrology, astronomy, science, agriculture, philosophy, medicine, military history and tactics, Babylonian history as well as training in Babylonian government and law.
Upon completion of this three year training program Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, along with the other Israelite exiles, would be brought into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence and would serve him as dignitaries.