Studies in Daniel: The training of Daniel and his friends in the Babylonian Captivity (1:3-7)

2. The training of Daniel and his friends in the Captivity (1:3-7)

a. The “cream” of Judah’s young men taken (1:3-4a)—in fulfillment of prophecy!

1:3a: “…Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs”

o   The term “eunuch” (Heb., sâris) does not necessarily refer to a castrated eunuch (cf., Potiphar, a married man, was also a sâris).

o   No evidence, despite speculations from Josephus, that Daniel became a eunuchs; note v. 4: “no blemish.” Eunuchs ineligible from participating in the political & religious affairs of the nation: Deut. 23:1.

1:3b: “…to bring…some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles”

o   Children of the nobility. Probably indicates teenagers.

o   The fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy to King Hezekiah (cf., 2 Kings 20:12-19, Isa. 39:1-8) for misplaced trust in a Babylonian alliance against Assyria.

o   Carried off, from their homes and families, 800 miles, to Babylon.

1:4a: “young men in whom there was no blemish…”

o   Young men of the highest quality; the “best and the brightest,” highly serviceable to Nebuchadnezzar. Sound physically & mentally; socially poised.

b. Nebuchadnezzar’s potential purposes in taking the young men.

            i.        Hostages? A means of keeping their families under check.

          ii.        Trophies? A sign of Babylon’s supremacy.

         iii.        Most probable & foremost: to serve as future royal servants and administrators—especially with regard to affairs relating to Judah. The youths would be assimilated into Babylonian culture.

c. The Babylonian Method of Assimilation, or “Brainwashing” (vv. 4b-7).

i. Mental indoctrination, or reprogramming: changing their way of thinking.

Formal education: an intense 3 year program of university-style formal education (v. 4b-5) in the Akkadian & Aramaic languages and in classical Mesopotamian literature; the best and the worst of Babylonian learning!

ii. Changing their way of worship…

Name changes (vv. 6-7): a sign of subjection (cf., Gen. 2:19-20; 2 Kings 23:34).

o   Their earlier Hebrew names perhaps indicative of the spirituality of their parents. The training Daniel and his friends had as children probably gave them a solid foundation to withstand such powerful foreign influences (Prov. 22:6).

o   The new names allude to Babylonian deities—hateful to a pious Jew (Ps. 16:4). The meaning of some of the Babylonian names is debated.

i. Daniel (“God is Judge”)ðBelteshazzar (“Divine Lady, protect the king”)

ii. Hananiah (“YHWH has been gracious) ðShadrach (“Command of Aku”)

iii. Mishael (“Who is as God?”) ðMeshach (“Who is what Aku is?”)

iv. Azariah (“YHWH is my help”) ðAbednego (“Servant of Nabu”)

o   Such indoctrination practices known in our own times:

“According to a decree issued in 1966, Muslims in Albania had to change their names to Albanian names while newborn Albanians had to receive non-religious names. In a decree of November 1975, all the citizens of Albania whose names were considered objectionable by the Albanian Communist Party were ordered to change their names to "pure Albanian names" by the end of the year.”—Wikipedia, “Albanian name” entry

iii. Lifestyle practices (v. 5); changing their way of living.

The King placed before them the rich, enticing provisions that he himself enjoyed!

APPLICATION: The Adversary is still in the brainwashing and indoctrination business! Every day of our lives we are drinking in vast amounts of intellectual, social, spiritual, and cultural pollution arising from the unregenerate world into our system. We need the God’s cleansing Word everyday!

Some passages for reflection:

I Peter 5:8-9: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Rom. 12:1-2: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

John 17:17: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

Eph. 5:25-27: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

John 13:8: Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."