John Calvin Commentary Daniel 1:8

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king`s dainties, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." — Daniel 1:8 (ASV)

Here Daniel shows his endurance of what he could neither cast off nor escape; but meanwhile, he took care that he did not depart from the fear of God, nor become a stranger to his people, but he always retains the remembrance of his origin and remains a pure, unspotted, and sincere worshipper of God.

He says, therefore — he determined in his heart not to pollute himself with the king's food and drink, and that he asked the prefect, under whose charge he was, that he should not be driven to this necessity. It may be asked here, what there was of such importance in the diet to cause Daniel to avoid it?

This seems to be a kind of superstition, or at least Daniel may have been too morose in rejecting the king's diet. We know that to the pure all things are pure, and this rule applies to all ages. We read nothing of this kind concerning Joseph, and very likely Daniel ate all kinds of food without distinction, since he was treated by the king with great honor.

This, then, was not perpetual with Daniel; for he might seem an inconsiderate zealot, or this might be ascribed, as we have said, to too much moroseness. If Daniel only for a time rejected the royal food, it was a mark of levity and inconsistency afterwards to allow himself that liberty from which he had for the time abstained.

But if he did this with judgment and reason, why did he not persist in his purpose? I answer — Daniel abstained at first from the luxuries of the court to escape being tampered with. It was lawful for him and his companions to feed on any kind of diet, but he perceived the king's intention.

We know how far enticements prevail to deceive us, especially when we are treated with delicacies. Experience also shows us how difficult it is to be moderate when we are surrounded by affluence, for luxury immediately follows plenty. Such conduct is, indeed, too common, and the virtue of abstinence is rarely exercised when there is an abundance of provisions.

But this is not the whole reason that weighed with Daniel. Sobriety and abstinence are not simply praised here, as many twist this passage to the praise of fasting and say Daniel's chief virtue consisted in preferring pulse to the delicacies of a palace.

For Daniel not only wished to guard himself against the delicacies of the table, as he perceived a positive danger of being consumed by such enticements. Hence, he simply determined in his heart not to taste the diet of the court, desiring by his very food perpetually to recall the remembrance of his country.

He wished so to live in Chaldea as to consider himself an exile and a captive, descended from the sacred family of Abraham. We see, then, the intention of Daniel. He desired to refrain from too great an abundance and delicacy of diet simply to escape those snares of Satan by which he saw himself surrounded.

He was, doubtless, conscious of his own infirmity, and this also is to be reckoned to his praise, since, through distrust of himself, he desired to escape from all allurements and temptations. As far as the king's intention was concerned, this was really a snare of the devil, as I have said.

Daniel rejected it, and there is no doubt that God enlightened his mind by His Spirit as soon as he prayed to Him. Hence he was unwilling to cast himself into the snares of the devil, while he voluntarily abstained from the royal diet. This is the full meaning of the passage.

It may also be asked, why does Daniel claim this praise as his own, which was shared equally with his companions? For he was not the only one who rejected the royal diet.

It is necessary to take notice how, from his childhood, he was governed by the Spirit of God, so that the confidence and influence of his teaching might be greater. Hence, he speaks particularly of himself, not for the sake of boasting, but to obtain confidence in his teaching and to show that he had been for a long period formed and polished by God for the prophetic office.

We must also remember that he was the adviser of his companions, for this course of action might never have occurred to them, and they might have been corrupted, unless they had been admonished by Daniel. God, therefore, wished Daniel to be a leader and teacher to his companions, to induce them to adopt the same abstinence.

Hence also we gather that as each of us is endowed more fruitfully with the grace of the Spirit, so we should feel bound to instruct others. It will not be sufficient for anyone to restrain himself and thus discharge his own duty under the teaching of God's Spirit, unless he also extends his hand to others and endeavors to unite them in an alliance of piety, and of the fear and worship of God.

Such an example is here proposed to us in Daniel, who not only rejected the delicacies of the palace, by which he might be intoxicated and even poisoned, but he also advised and persuaded his companions to adopt the same course. This is the reason why he calls tasting the king's food pollution or abomination, though, as I have said, there was nothing abominable in it of itself.

Daniel was at liberty to eat and drink at the royal table, but the abomination arose from the consequences. Before the time these four persons lived in Chaldea, they doubtless partook of ordinary food in the usual manner and were permitted to eat whatever was offered to them.

They did not ask for pulse when at an inn or on their journey. However, they began to desire it when the king wished to infect them with his delicacies and to induce them, if possible, to prefer that condition to returning to their own friends.

When they perceived the object of his snares, then it became both a pollution and an abomination to feed on those dainties and to eat at the king's table.

Thus we may ascertain the reason why Daniel thought himself polluted if he fared sumptuously and partook of the royal diet: he was conscious, as we have already observed, of his own infirmities and wished to take timely precautions, lest he should be enticed by such snares, fall away from piety and the worship of God, and degenerate into the customs of the Chaldeans, as if he were one of their nation and of their native princes.

I must leave the rest until tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, as long as our pilgrimage in this world continues, that we may feed on such diet for the necessities of the flesh as may never corrupt us; and may we never be led aside from sobriety, but may we learn to use our abundance by preferring abstinence in the midst of plenty. Grant also, that we may patiently endure want and famine, and eat and drink with such liberty as always to set before us the glory of Your Name. Lastly, may our very frugality lead us to aspire after that fullness by which we shall be completely refreshed, when the glory of Your countenance shall appear to us in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.