John Calvin Commentary Daniel 1:21

"And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus." — Daniel 1:21 (ASV)

Expositors are puzzled by this verse because, as we will later see, the vision occurred to Daniel in the third year of Cyrus’s reign. Some explain the word היה, haiah, to mean “broken,” but this is by no means in accordance with the history.

The opinion of those who say that Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus's reign in the exercise of his prophetic office is correct, although expositors do not state this openly; I, however, state openly what they say obscurely. Since he later went to Media, they say this change is indicated here.

However, we can better understand the words to mean Daniel’s flourishing among the Chaldeans and Assyrians, and his being acknowledged as a celebrated Prophet, because he is known to have interpreted King Belshazzar’s vision on the very night he was killed. The word here is simple and complete — he was — but its meaning depends on the succeeding words, as he always maintained the confidence and authority of a Prophet with the kings of Babylon. This, then, is the true meaning.

In this second chapter, we are informed how God brought Daniel into public view to display the prophetic office to which he had been destined. God had already established, as we have said, distinct marks by which Daniel might be acknowledged as a Prophet, but He truly wished to demonstrate the effect of the grace He had bestowed upon Daniel. First of all, a simple history is recounted, then Daniel proceeds to the interpretation of a dream. This is the main subject of the chapter.