Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 1:19

And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

19. communed ] talked. The Heb. word is the usual one for ‘speak,’ or ‘talk’; and nothing different from ordinary conversation is meant. ‘Commune’ occurs elsewhere in A.V., R.V., for the same Heb. word, and with exactly the same meaning; as Gen 18:33; Gen 23:8; Gen 34:6; Exo 25:22; Exo 31:18 ; 1Sa 9:25; 1Sa 19:3, &c.

and (i.e. and so) they stood before the king ] i.e. became his personal attendants ( Dan 1:5).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

And the king communed with them – Hebrew, spake with them. Probably he conversed with them on the points which had constituted the principal subjects of their studies; or he examined them. It is easy to imagine that this must have been to these young men a severe ordeal.

And among them all was found none like Daniel … – Daniel and his three friends had pursued a course of strict temperance; they had come to their daily task with clear heads and pure hearts – free from the oppression and lethargy of surfeit, and the excitement of wine; they had prosecuted their studies in the enjoyment of fine health, and with the buoyousness and elasticity of spirit produced by temperance, and they now showed the result of such a course of training. Young men of temperance, other things being equal, will greatly surpass others in their preparation for the duties of life in any profession or calling.

Therefore stood they before the king – It is not said, indeed, that the others were not permitted also to stand before the monarch, but the object of the historian is to trace the means by which these youths rose to such eminence and virtue. It is clear, however, that whatever may have been the result on the others, the historian means to say that these young men rose to higher eminence than they did, and were permitted to stand nearer the throne. The phrase stood before the king, is one which denotes elevated rank. They were employed in honorable offices at the court, and received peculiar marks of the royal favor.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 19. And among them all] All the young noble captives from different nations.

Therefore stood they before the king.] It appears that only four were wanting.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Communed with them, i.e. to try their proficiency: this argues the kings ability and judgment, how else could he discern their fitness and their excellency above others? He examined all candidates, he preferred those that outstripped others.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

19. stood . . . before the kingthatis, were advanced to a position of favor near the throne.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And the king communed with them,…. He asked them several questions upon the several articles of literature in which they had been educated, to try and see what proficiency they had made; he discoursed with them on various topics of learning, that he might be able to form a judgment of them, and of their capacities, and what employments under him they would be most fit for, and capable of. This shows that the king was a man of learning and good sense, as well as prudence, to be capable of taking such a step as this:

and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; for their learning and knowledge: after the king had gone through the examination of all the youths, these four appeared to be the greatest proficients, and were accordingly taken notice of and distinguished:

therefore stood they before the king; ministered unto him, became his servants, and even came to be of his privy council, especially Daniel; see Pr 22:29.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Dan 1:19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

Ver. 19. And the king communed with them. ] It seems he was himself a learned king, able to pose them, and put them to it. So was Alexander the Great, Ptolemy Philadelph, Julius Caesar, Constantine the Great, Charles the Great, Alphonsus of Arragon, our Henry I, surnamed Beauclerc, and King James, who was able to confer learnedly with any man in his faculty. Alphonsus was wont to say that an unlearned king was but a crowned ass, and that he would not be without that little learning he had for all that he was worth besides.

And among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. ] That which Patricius saith of the son of Juba, king of Numidia, taken captive by Julius Caesar, may fitly be applied to these four noble captives: Quicquid nobilitatis fortuna eripuerat, id longe accumulatius ei restituerat bonarum artium disciplina, What lustre soever they had lost by their captivity, was abundantly made up and restored by their excellent learning.

Therefore stood they before the king. ] Who had no sooner proved them, but he highly approved them. O Hortensi admodum adolescentis ingenium, ut Phidiae signum simul aspectum et probatum est. a So Daniel’s and the rest: neither need we wonder, since, beside all other helps, they were “taught of God.”

a Cicero.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

am 3401, bc 603

therefore: Dan 1:5, Gen 41:46, 1Ki 17:1, Pro 22:29, Jer 15:19

Reciprocal: Est 1:10 – chamberlains Pro 16:20 – handleth Dan 2:13 – and they Dan 2:16 – and desired

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Dan 1:19. The king communed with them indicates that Nebuchadnezzar was not interested only in the bodily appearance of his captives, for that could have been observed without any conversation. This communication proved to the king that Daniel and his companions excelled all the others who appeared before him.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary