You can skip to local navigation, content or closing (global) navigation.

Geneva Bible Notes (1560): Daniel 1

1 ! The captiuitie of Jehoiakim King of Judah.

2 b Which was a plaine by Babylon where was the Temple of their great god, and is here taken for Babylon.

3 e His purpose was to kepe them as hostages, and that he might shewe him self victorious, and also by their good intreatie and learning of his religion, thei might fauour rather him then the Jewes and so to be able to serue him, as gouerners. In their land: moreouer by this meanes the Jewes might be better kept in subjection, fearing otherwise to procure hurt to these noble men.

3 d He calleth the Eunuches whome the King nourished and broght vp to be rulers, of other countries afterward.

4 f The King required thre things, that thei shulde be of noble byrth, that thei shulde be witty & learned, and that thei shulde be of a stong & comelie nature that thei might do him better seruice: this he did forhis wone commoditie therefore it is not to praise his liberalitie: yet in this he is worthy praise, that he estemed learning, and knewe that it was a necessarie meane to gouerne by.

4 g That thei might forget their woned religion, and countrei facions, to serue him the better to his purpose: yet it is not to be thoght that Daniel did learne anie knowledge that was not godlie: in all pointes he refused the abuse of things and supersticion, in so muche that he wolde not eat the meat which the King appointed him, but was countent to learne the knowledge of natural things.

4 ! The King chuseth certeine yong men of the Jewes to learne his law.

5 h That by their good interteinement thei might learne to forget the mediocritie of their owne people.

5 i To the intent that in this time thei might bothe learne the maners of the Caldeans and also their tongue.

5 k Aswel to serue at the table, as in other offices.

5 ! Thei haue the Kings ordinarie appointed,

7 l That thei might altogether forget their religion: for the Jewes gaue their children names, which might euer put them in remembrance of some point of religion: therefore this was a great tentacion & a signe of seruitude which thei were not able to resist.

8 m Not that he thoght anie religion to be in the meat or drinke (for afterwarde he did eat) but because the King shulde not intise him by this swete poyson to forget his religion & accustomed sobrietie, and that in his meat & drinke he might daylie remembre of what people he was: and daniel bringeth this in to shewe how God from the beginning assisted him with his Spirit, and at length called him to be a Prophet.

10 n He supposed thei did this for their religion, which was contrarie to the Babylonians, and therefore herein he representeth them which are of no religion: for nether he wolde condemne theirs nor mainteine his owne.

12 o Meaning, that within this space he might haue the tryal, and that no man shulde be able to discerne it: & thus he spake, being moued by the Spirit of God.

12 p Not that it was a thing abominable to eat dentie meats and to drinke wine, as bothe before and after thei did, but if thei shulde haue hereby bene wonne to the King and haue refused their owne religion, that meat and drinke had bene accursed.

15 q This bare feding and that also of Moses when he fled from the court of Egypt, declareth that we must liue in suche sobrietie as God doeth call vs vnto, seing he wil make it more profitiable vnto vs, then all denteis: for his blessing onely sufficeth.

17 s So that he onely was a Prophet and none of the other: for by dreames & visions God appeared to his Prophets, {Nomb. 12, 6}

17 r Meaning, in the liberal sciences, and natural knowledge, and not in the magical artes which are forbidden, {Deu. 18, 11}.

21 u That is, he was estemed in Babylon as a Prophet so long as the commune wealth stode.