People of Daniel

The book of Daniel follows a group of Judean exiles through the rise and fall of empires, beginning with the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1:1). The narrative identifies the People of Daniel as members of the royal family and nobility of Judah who were selected for service in the Babylonian court (Daniel 1:3–4). The text opens during the reign of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah who was delivered into the hands of the Babylonians along with vessels from the house of God (Daniel 1:1–2).

The group is organized around Daniel, a prophet who interprets dreams and survives a lions' den (Daniel 1:17, 6:22). He is accompanied by three companions: Hananiah, who refused to worship a golden idol (Daniel 3:12); Mishael, who was renamed Meshach by the chief official (Daniel 1:7); and Azariah, who survived a miraculous fiery furnace (Daniel 3:26). These youths are initially overseen by Ashpenaz, the master of the eunuchs who brought them to Babylon (Daniel 1:3), and Melzar, the steward who permitted them to maintain a specific diet of vegetables and water (Daniel 1:11–16). Later, Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, facilitates Daniel’s first audience with the king to interpret a forgotten dream (Daniel 2:14–15).

As the narrative shifts between kingdoms, various rulers and officials interact with the Judean exiles. Belshazzar is the king who sees supernatural writing on a wall during a feast (Daniel 5:1–5), and Belshazzar's Queen is the one who suggests that Daniel be summoned to explain the message (Daniel 5:10–12). Under the subsequent reign of Darius the Mede, the Satraps Who Accused Daniel conspire to use the law to have the prophet executed (Daniel 6:4–9). In the final chapters, the text references historical figures like Cyrus, the Persian king who reigned when Daniel received his final visions (Daniel 10:1), and Michael, an angelic figure described as the protector of the people (Daniel 12:1).

The presence of these individuals in the text serves to illustrate the survival of the people of Israel during a period of foreign displacement. Daniel references the writings of Jeremiah, to understand that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years (Daniel 9:2). The book links the fate of the exiles back to the covenantal history of Moses and the patriarchs Judah and Israel (Daniel 9:11–13). By the conclusion of the book, the narrative transitions from the specific court experiences of Daniel and his friends to broad apocalyptic visions concerning the future of these nations and the ultimate deliverance of the people (Daniel 12:1–13).