- Daniel 1:12, Prove your servants, I beseech you, ten days; and let them give us vegetables to eat, and water to drink.
- Ten days: The number “ten” is treated as a round number here, and in Daniel 1:20 (cf. Gen. 31:41, “You changed my wages 10 times”). By adopting this mode of life, Daniel resumes the simple diet commonly used by his ancestors previously to their entering Canaan (Deut 12:15-16; 26:5; 26:9). This simplicity of life prevailed till the early times of David (1Sam 17:17-18). At the Persian court, in later times, Daniel followed his simple meals as he devoted for praying purpose again (Daniel 10:3; Ellicott).
- Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days: A period which would indicate the probable result of the entire experiment. If during that period there were no indications of diminished health, beauty, or vigour, it would not be unfair to presume that the experiment in behalf of temperance would be successful, and it would not be improper then to ask that it might be continued longer.
- And let them give us pulse (KJV, vegetable, NIV, זרעים zeroıym ) to eat; The word "pulse" with us means leguminous plants with thin seeds; In popular language the "legume" is called a "pod;" as a "pea-pod," or "bean-pod," and the word is commonly applied to peas or beans. But the Hebrew word (זרעים zeroıym) would properly have reference to seeds of any kind. Then it would refer to plants that bear seed, of all kinds, and would be by no means limited to pulse - as peas or beans.
- It is rendered by Gesenius, "seed-herbs, greens, vegetables; i. e., vegetable food, such as was eaten in half-fast, opposed to meats and the more delicate kinds of food." It is rendered in the Vulgate (Latin), "legumina;" and in the Greek, απο τῶν σπερματων apo ton spermaton - "from seeds." It is not a proper construction to limit this to "pulse," or to suppose that Daniel desired to live solely on peas or beans; but the fair interpretation is to apply it to what grows up from "seeds" - such, probably, as would be sown in a garden, or, as we would now express it, "vegetable diet."
- It was designed as an experiment - and was a very interesting one - to show the legitimate effect of such a diet in promoting beauty and health, and the result is worthy of special notice as contrasted with a more luxurious mode of life.
- And water to drink: This, also, was a most interesting and important experiment, to show that wine was not necessary to produce healthfulness of appearance, or manly strength and beauty. It was an experiment to illustrate the effect of "cold water" as a beverage, made by an interesting group of young men, when surrounded by great temptations, and is, therefore, worthy of particular attention (Barnes).
