Albert Barnes Commentary Daniel 1:10

"And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your food and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse looking than the youths that are of your own age? so would ye endanger my head with the king." — Daniel 1:10 (ASV)

And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king - He was apprehensive that if Daniel appeared less healthy, cheerful, or beautiful than expected under the prescribed way of life, his appearance would be interpreted as disobedience to the king's commands on his part. It might also be inferred that Daniel's pale and emaciated appearance resulted from the ordered food not being provided, but instead being embezzled by the officer responsible for it. We only need to remember the strict and arbitrary nature of Oriental monarchies to see that the fears expressed here were well-founded.

For why should he see your faces worse liking - The margin reads "sadder." The Hebrew word (זעפים zo‛ăpı̂ym) properly means angry, and then morose, gloomy, or sad. The primary idea seems to be that of any painful or unpleasant emotion of the mind that shows itself on the face—whether anger, sorrow, envy, low spirits, etc. The Greek is σκυθρωπὰ skuthrōpa—stern, gloomy, sad (Matthew 6:16; Luke 24:17). Here, the reference is not to the expression of angry feelings on the face, but to the face as having become thin from fasting or poor living. Than the children refers to the youths or young men. The same word is used here as in Daniel 1:4 (compare the note at that verse).

Which are of your sort - The margin reads "term" or "continuance." The Hebrew word used here (גיל gı̂yl) properly means a circle or circuit, hence an age, and then the men of an age, a generation – Gesenius. However, the word is not used elsewhere in the Scriptures in this sense. Elsewhere it is rendered "joy" or "rejoicing" (Job 3:22; Psalms 43:4; Psalms 45:15; Psalms 65:12; Proverbs 23:24; Isaiah 16:10; Isaiah 35:2; Isaiah 65:18; Jeremiah 48:33; Hosea 9:1; Joel 1:16). It has this meaning from the usual sense of the verb (גיל gı̂yl) "to exult" or "rejoice." The verb properly means to move in a circle, then "to dance" in a circle, and then to exult or rejoice. The word "circle," as often used now to denote those of a certain class, rank, or character, would accurately express the sense here.

Thus we speak of those in "religious" circles, in social circles, etc. The reference here is to those of the same class as Daniel, namely, in the arrangements made for presenting them before the king. The Greek is συνήλικα ὑμῶν sunēlika humōn, of your age.

Then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king - This would be as if he had disregarded the orders given to him, or had embezzled what had been provided for these youths and had furnished them with inferior food. In the arbitrary courts of the East, nothing would be more natural than for such an apparent failure in performing what was commanded to endanger his life. The word used here and rendered "make me endanger"—חוב chûb—occurs nowhere else in the Bible. In Piel, it means to make guilty or to cause to forfeit. The Greek is καταδικάσητε katadikasēte—you will condemn, or cause me to be condemned.