Daniel 1:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, 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 placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.

NIV: And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.

NASB: And the Lord handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, 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.

CSB: The Lord handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Babylon, to the house of his god, and put the vessels in the treasury of his god.

NLT: The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.

KJV: And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

NKJV: And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.

Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem in the third year of Jehoiakim's rule (Daniel 1:1). The Israelite king of Judah seems to have listened to Jeremiah's warning (Jeremiah 27:8) that Babylon's victory was inevitable and should not be resisted (2 Kings 24:1). This resulted in the capture of two notable assets: religious artifacts from the temple and children from noble families. The Babylonians put the Jewish religious items among other riches dedicated to their God, Bel. The children were sorted by skills and some were designated as future court advisors for their new master (Daniel 1:4–5).

Daniel is careful to say that it was God—referred to as "Adōnā'y, or Adonai, meaning the ultimate authority—who arranged for this series of events. Likely, Nebuchadnezzar assumed that his strength had prevailed against Jerusalem, but it was God's will to give Jerusalem to him. "God is the King of all the earth…God reigns over the nations" (Psalm 47:7–8). The Babylonian captivity came about because the people of Israel had violated God's covenant. Deuteronomy 28 had warned that disobedience would cause this to happen.

Shinar, mentioned in Daniel 1:2, is the ancient name for Babylonia. Shinar is mentioned in Genesis 10:10; 11:2; 14:1, 9; Joshua 7:21; Isaiah 11:11; and Zechariah 5:11.

Daniel 1:1–7 introduces several main characters featured in this book. Along with King Nebuchadnezzar are Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. These four young men came from royalty and nobility but were taken to Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzar planned to educate them in Babylonian culture and immerse them in his lifestyle. The four were to be presented to the king after three years to see the results of their training. The four captive boys are given new names to correspond with their new lives: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

When Daniel was young, Babylon conquered Jerusalem and took many of its treasures and people back to their land. Daniel was chosen to become an advisor due to his good looks and bright mind. Along with other boys, he was educated and given a Babylonian name. Daniel and several friends demonstrate faithfulness to God by avoiding foods that might be unclean. They also excel in their roles. This leads Daniel to become an important advisor regarding dreams and visions, as described starting in chapter 2.

Daniel was taken captive when Babylon conquered the nation of Israel. The first chapter of the book establishes his history, his level of natural talent, and the depth of his faith. This is followed by a series of prophetic interpretations tied to Gentile nations in chapters 2—7. Chapters 8—12 focus on prophecies more closely related to the nation of Israel. Many of these details are restated or expanded in the book of Revelation.

The book of Daniel contains famous Old Testament stories and prophecies. Daniel was taken from the Israelite people and made an advisor for a conquering empire. He demonstrates faithfulness and wisdom during many years serving in this role. Though Daniel does not deliver a public message, Jesus refers to him as a "prophet" (Matthew 24:15). The first portion of the book mostly describes Daniel's interpretations of dreams and other events. The second portion looks ahead to the end times. Daniel is classified in English Bibles as a "major" prophet, meaning the book is relatively long and the content has broad implications. The book of Revelation echoes and expands on many of the same themes.