Daniel

Technical Profile

• Name Meaning: Hebrew Dāniyyēl (“God is my judge”), expressing divine justice and authority
• Period/Era: Exilic (Babylonian and early Persian periods)
• Main References: Daniel 1–12
• Key Connections: Nebuchadnezzar; Belshazzar; Darius the Mede; Cyrus; Judean exiles in imperial administration

Who was Daniel?

Daniel was a Judean taken into Babylonian exile and trained for royal service (Daniel 1:1–6).
He served in high administrative roles under multiple kings and was recognized for wisdom and integrity (Daniel 2:48; 6:1–3).
He is portrayed as an interpreter of dreams and a recipient of visions concerning kingdoms and Israel’s future (Daniel 2; 7–12).

Key Events & Achievements

• Interprets the king’s dream: He explains Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue and its meaning for successive kingdoms (Daniel 2).
• Reads the writing on the wall: He interprets the divine message to Belshazzar on the night Babylon falls (Daniel 5).
• Perseveres in prayer under threat: He continues regular prayer despite a royal prohibition and is delivered from the lions’ den (Daniel 6).

Life Lesson & Legacy

Daniel’s life presents steadfast covenant loyalty and public integrity within foreign imperial power during the Exilic era.

Key Verse

"But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank." — Daniel 1:8, ESV