Daniel 1:15 (KJV)

What does Daniel 1:15 mean?

After ten days of eating vegetables and drinking water, Daniel and his three companions looked healthier and better nourished than the young men eating the king’s food. The verse reports the visible result of the dietary test Daniel had requested.

The key is the phrase “fairer and fatter in flesh.” The Hebrew describes a healthier appearance and fuller bodies. The KJV’s “fatter” presents their physical condition as favorable: the restricted diet had left them looking well nourished.

The Hebrew behind Daniel 1:15

• “countenances” — מַרְאֶה (mar’eh): This word means “appearance” or “what is seen.” Although “countenances” may suggest faces alone, the Hebrew allows a broader view of how the four young men looked. Their outward condition supplied the evidence for the comparison.

• “fairer” — טוֹב (tov): This common word means “good”; the comparison in the sentence gives the sense “better.” Here, “fairer” means better-looking in physical condition, rather than lighter in skin color.

• “fatter” — בָּרִיא (bari); “flesh” — בָּשָׂר (basar): The first word means “fat” or “well-fed,” and the second means “flesh,” referring here to the body. Together, they describe bodily fullness associated with being well nourished.

• “portion” and “meat” — פַּתְבַּג (patbag): Both KJV words belong to the rendering of this single Hebrew word, meaning an allotted portion of food, especially royal food. “The king’s meat” therefore refers to the king’s provisions as a whole; “meat” has the older English sense of “food.”

Why Daniel 1:15 matters

• The result answers the official’s specific concern. In Daniel 1:10, the official feared that Daniel and his companions would look worse than the other young men. After the test, their appearance was better.

• The comparison covers the other young men receiving royal provisions. The KJV’s “children” translates יֶלֶד (yeled), which here refers to the young men being trained for royal service. “Than all” makes the result stronger than merely saying Daniel’s group remained healthy.

• The ten days mark the agreed testing period. The verse records the outcome of Daniel’s proposed trial in verses 12–14. That result explains why the supervisor continued giving the four their requested food in verse 16.