1:8 But Daniel made up his mind 3 that he would not defile 4 himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. 5 He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself.
1 tc The LXX and Vulgate lack the verb here.
2 sn The meanings of the Babylonian names are more conjectural than is the case with the Hebrew names. The probable etymologies are as follows: Belteshazzar means “protect his life,” although the MT vocalization may suggest “Belti, protect the king” (cf. Dan 4:8); Shadrach perhaps means “command of Aku”; Meshach is of uncertain meaning; Abednego means “servant of Nego.” Assigning Babylonian names to the Hebrew youths may have been an attempt to erase from their memory their Israelite heritage.
3 tn Heb “placed on his heart.”
4 tn Or “would not make himself ceremonially unclean”; TEV “become ritually unclean.”
5 tn Heb “with the delicacies of the king and with the wine of his drinking.”
5 sn Having failed to convince the overseer, Daniel sought the favor of the warden whom the overseer had appointed to care for the young men.