Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

DANIEL 1:9KJV
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Daniel 1:9 (KJV)

What does Daniel 1:9 mean?

God caused the chief official responsible for Daniel to regard him with kindness and compassion. The narrator explains why Daniel received a sympathetic hearing after asking permission not to defile himself with the king’s food and wine.

The key is “brought” — נָתַן (natan), the ordinary Hebrew word for “give.” The sentence presents the official’s favorable regard as something God gave Daniel. The KJV’s “with” represents לִפְנֵי (lifne), meaning “before” or “in the presence of”: Daniel found kindness in the eyes of the official who had authority over him.

The Hebrew behind Daniel 1:9

  • “God” — אֱלֹהִים (elohim): This word identifies God as the one acting. Although Daniel has made the request, the narrator attributes the favorable reception to God.

  • “favour” — חֶסֶד (chesed): This means kindness, goodwill, or loyal care. Here the word describes the chief official’s kindly disposition toward Daniel. The context does not require a covenant relationship between them.

  • “tender love” — רַחֲמִים (rachamim): This means compassion or tender concern. “Tender love” is the KJV’s way of expressing sympathetic care, not romantic affection. Alongside “favour,” the word shows that the official regarded Daniel with personal concern.

  • “prince” — שַׂר (sar); “eunuchs” — סָרִיס (saris): “Prince” here means a chief or officer, not necessarily a king’s son. “Eunuchs” refers to the royal court personnel under his supervision; the Hebrew term can name a eunuch or a court official. The phrase identifies the senior official overseeing Daniel and the other young men.

Why Daniel 1:9 matters

  • The official’s kindness does not remove his fear. In the next verse, he worries that granting Daniel’s request could endanger his own life. Compassion and fear are both present in his response.

  • The verse explains the reception of Daniel’s request, not its immediate approval. The official listens sympathetically, but the food test is arranged afterward with the attendant responsible for Daniel and his companions.

Where else these words appear

“Daniel” Hebrew H1840 · used in 28 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 3:1 Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess:
  • Daniel 1:10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
  • Daniel 9:22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

“eunuchs” Hebrew H5631 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 37:36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.
  • 1 Chronicles 28:1 And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.
  • Isaiah 39:7 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

“love” Hebrew H7356 · used in 44 verses

  • Genesis 43:14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
  • Nehemiah 9:31 Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.
  • Isaiah 46:3 Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: