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.
Parallel translations
- WEB The king appointed for them a daily portion of the king’s dainties, and of the wine which he drank, and that they should be nourished three years; that at its end they should stand before the king.
- BSB 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.
- NKJV And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.
- NASB The king also allotted for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and ordered that they be educated for three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service.
- NLT The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The king provides rich royal food and wine and a three-year program, after which they will serve him. Babylon's generosity is also a means of forming loyalty.
Overview
The daily provision from the king's table signals favor and full incorporation into court life. The three-year training period prepares them to 'stand before the king.' This royal diet becomes the very point at which Daniel will draw a line of conscience in the following verses.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Dan 1:19And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.
- 1 Kgs 10:8Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
- Dan 1:8But 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.
- Luke 21:36Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
- Jer 15:19Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.
- 1 Kgs 4:22–23And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
- 2 Kgs 25:30And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.
- Gen 41:46And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
- Luke 11:3Give us day by day our daily bread.
- 2 Chr 9:7Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
- 1 Sam 16:22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.
- Matt 6:11Give us this day our daily bread.
- Luke 1:19And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
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Christ at the center
Daniel sees the stone cut without hands that shatters the kingdoms, and 'one like a son of man' given everlasting dominion — titles and visions Jesus claims as his own.
How Daniel 1:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.