Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days,
&e.] Here Daniel manifestly includes his companions, and
makes his request for himself and them; desiring that they might
be tried ten days with different sort of food and drink, and see
whether any alteration would be made in them for the worse; which
was a proper time for such a trial; for in that time it might be
reasonably supposed that their food, if it had any bad effect on
them, would appear. Saadiah makes these ten days to be the days
between the first day of the year and the day of atonement; but
without any foundation: and let them give us pulse to eat,
and water to drink;
instead of the king's meat, pulse, beans, pease, vetches,
lentiles, rice, millet, and the like. The word F4 used
signifies anything sown, all kinds of roots, herbs, and fruits;
and, instead of wine, water; meat and drink, it may be thought,
that persons of such birth and education had not been used to;
and yet they preferred these to the king's dainties, by eating
and drinking of which their consciences would be in danger of
being defiled.
F4 (Myerzh Nm) (apo twn spermatwn) , Sept.; "de seminibus", Montanus; "de sativis", Cocceius.
