Daniel 1:12

12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.

Daniel 1:12 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
English Standard Version (ESV)
12 "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.
New Living Translation (NLT)
12 “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said.
The Message Bible (MSG)
12 "Try us out for ten days on a simple diet of vegetables and water.
American Standard Version (ASV)
12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
12 "Please test us for ten days. Give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
12 "Please test your servants for 10 days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
12 Daniel said to him, "Please test us for ten days. Give us nothing but vegetables to eat. And give us only water to drink.

Daniel 1:12 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 1:12

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.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 (Myerzh Nm) (apo twn spermatwn) , Sept.; "de seminibus", Montanus; "de sativis", Cocceius.

Daniel 1:12 In-Context

10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.”
14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

Cross References 1

  • 1. Revelation 2:10
Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.