Daniel 1:16
New International Version
So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

New Living Translation
So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.

English Standard Version
So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

Berean Standard Bible
So the steward continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and he gave them vegetables instead.

King James Bible
Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

New King James Version
Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

New American Standard Bible
So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

NASB 1995
So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

NASB 1977
So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

Legacy Standard Bible
So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

Amplified Bible
So the overseer continued to withhold their fine food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

Christian Standard Bible
So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables.

American Standard Version
So the steward took away their dainties, and the wine that they should drink, and gave them pulse.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Mentsar was taking their provision for himself, and the wine that they drink, and he was giving them grains to eat and water to drink

Brenton Septuagint Translation
So Amelsad took away their supper and the wine of their drink, and gave them pulse.

Contemporary English Version
After this, the guard let them eat vegetables instead of the rich food and wine.

Douay-Rheims Bible
So Malasar took their portions, and the wine that they should drink: and he gave them pulse.

English Revised Version
So the steward took away their meat, and the wine that they should drink, and gave them pulse.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So the supervisor took away the king's rich food and wine and gave them vegetables.

Good News Translation
So from then on the guard let them continue to eat vegetables instead of what the king provided.

International Standard Version
So the guard took away their rich food and wine, giving them vegetables.

JPS Tanakh 1917
So the steward took away their food, and the wine that they should drink, and gave them pulse.

Literal Standard Version
And the Meltzar is taking away their portion of food, and the wine of their drink, and is giving to them vegetables.

Majority Standard Bible
So the steward continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and he gave them vegetables instead.

New American Bible
So the steward continued to take away the food and wine they were to receive, and gave them vegetables.

NET Bible
So the warden removed the delicacies and the wine from their diet and gave them a diet of vegetables instead.

New Revised Standard Version
So the guard continued to withdraw their royal rations and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

New Heart English Bible
So the steward took away their royal food, and the wine that they should drink, and gave them vegetables.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thus Melzar took away the portion of their food, and the wine that they should drink, and gave them pulse.

World English Bible
So the steward took away their delicacies and the wine that they were given to drink, and gave them vegetables.

Young's Literal Translation
And the Meltzar is taking away their portion of food, and the wine of their drink, and is giving to them vegetables.

Additional Translations ...














Verse 16. - Thus Melzar took away the portion of their moat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. The Massoretic has the article here before "Melzar" - a fact that the Authorized does not indicate; the Revised renders more correctly, "the steward." The version of the Septuagint does not differ much from the Massoretic, only the word translated "that they should drink" is omitted; on the other hand, we have the verb δίδωμι (ἐδίδου) put in composition with ἀντί (ἀντεδίδου), "gave them instead," as if, in the text before the translator, the mem, which begins mishtayhem, had been put to the end of yayin, "wine," making it "their wine" - a construction which would be more symmetrical than the present. Only it is difficult to see how either tahath asher could be changed into shtayhem, or vice versa. The Septuagint translation suggests a simpler and more natural text - not a simplified one - therefore it is, on the whole, to be preferred. The careful word-for-word translation of the beginning of the verse renders it little likely that the translator would paraphrase at the end; c g. the word translated in our version "thus" is really veeay'he, "it was," and in the LXX. this is rendered η΅ν, "it was." Theodotion is in absolute agreement with the Massoretic text. The Peshitta calls the steward ma-nitzor, and renders the last clause, "and he gave to them seeds to eat, and water to drink," evidently borrowed from the twelfth verse. The result of the success of the experiment is that the youths are no more importuned to partake of the king's dainties. The steward, or the attendant who looked after their mess, supplied them with pulse. It has occurred to two commentators, widely separated from each other in point of time, that the consent of the "Melzar ' was all the more easily gained, that he could utilize the abstemiousness of these Hebrew youths to his own private advantage. Both Jephet-ibn-Ali in the beginning of the eleventh century, and Ewald in the middle of the nineteenth, maintain that the "Melzar' used to his own purposes, possibly sold, the portion of food and wine that the Hebrew youths abjured. Certainly the verb nasa means the lifting and carrying away, and suggests that every day the portions of food and wine were first carried to the table of these Hebrews, and then, after having been placed before them, were removed and pulse brought instead. When we think of it, some such process would have to take place. If it had been observed that one table was never supplied with a portion from the king's table, there might have been remarks made, and the "Melzar" would have fallen into disgrace with his sovereign, and the Hebrew youths would possibly have shared his disgrace. As to how the portions thus retained were disposed of, we need not be curious; there would, no doubt, be plenty of claimants for the broken victuals from the King of Babylon's table, without accusing the "Melzar" of dishonest motives. The fact that the verbs are in participle implies that henceforth it was the regular habit of the "Melzar" to remove from before the tour friends the royal dainties, and supply them instead with pulse. We have already referred to the word used for "pulse; ' it is here zayroneem, whereas in the twelfth verse it is zayroeem. Not impossibly in the verse before us we have another case of the original Aramaic shining through the translation; in the Peshitta the word is zer'oona, Whatever the word was, it seems certain that originally it was the same in both places, as in none of the versions is there any variation. It is not so impossible that originally the vocalization was different, and that the word was the ordinary word zer'aim, "seeds." This certainly is the translation of Theodotion.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Thus
וַיְהִ֣י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

the steward
הַמֶּלְצַ֗ר (ham·mel·ṣar)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4453: The butler, other officer in the Babylonian court

continued to withhold
נֹשֵׂא֙ (nō·śê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

their choice food
פַּתְבָּגָ֔ם (paṯ·bā·ḡām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6598: Portion, delicacies

and the wine
וְיֵ֖ין (wə·yên)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3196: Wine, intoxication

they were to drink,
מִשְׁתֵּיהֶ֑ם (miš·tê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4960: Drink, drinking, a banquet, feast

and he gave
וְנֹתֵ֥ן (wə·nō·ṯên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

them
לָהֶ֖ם (lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

vegetables [instead].
זֵרְעֹנִֽים׃ (zê·rə·‘ō·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2235: Something sown, a vegetable


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OT Prophets: Daniel 1:16 So the steward took away their dainties (Dan. Da Dn)
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