But: the transition word used in Revised Standard Version usually indicates rather strong contrast in English. However, it may be better left untranslated in other languages. In fact it is omitted by many English versions, including Good News Translation and Revised English Bible. New English Bible begins this verse with “Now…,” while Moffat (Moffatt) has “however.”
Resolved: literally “put (or set) in his heart.” For the Jews the heart was the seat of the will and intelligence of a person, rather than of the emotions and feelings. One commonly-used English idiom that reflects the meaning of the Hebrew expression is “made up his mind” (Good News Translation). Some other verbs that may be used to express the same idea are “intended,” “determined,” “resolved,” or “purposed.”
While the text speaks only of Daniel’s resolve, verse 12 shows that his friends were also determined not to be made unclean by eating the king’s food. In some languages it may be necessary to include them here in this verse.
Defile himself: this expression carries the idea of making someone ritually unclean or unworthy of being in God’s presence. This may be the result of physical uncleanness or perhaps some activity or event. In ancient times meat usually came from animals offered in sacrifice to a deity. Ordinary secular slaughtering of animals was rarely practiced. So for Daniel, a good Jew, to eat the meat of an animal that had been offered in sacrifice to Babylonian gods would constitute a serious offense against his God and would therefore make him impure or ritually unclean. It was the same with regard to the wine, since a small amount of it would have been poured out as a libation, or drink offering, to the Babylonian gods. Several English versions use the verb “contaminate” to convey this idea. New Jerusalem Bible has “incur pollution.” Even if the food was not ritually unclean for a Jew, to eat and drink the royal fare would be like a pledge of loyalty to the king instead of remaining loyal to and dependent on God.
Rich food: see verse 5.
Therefore: the word connecting the two parts of this verse is important. It is because Daniel determined in his heart not to become contaminated (in the first part of the verse) that he took the step of making the request of the chief official (later in the verse). For this reason many versions use words like “so…” (Good News Translation, An American Translation [An American Translation], New American Bible, Moffatt) or “therefore….” While “and” (New International Version) is an accurate literal rendering, in English it is weak and does not fully show the logical relationship between the two parts of the verse.
The chief of the eunuchs: see verses 3 and 7. In order to avoid repeating this title several times, it may be advisable in some languages to replace it with the proper name, Ashpenaz, as Good News Translation does in this verse.
To allow him not to defile himself: that is, not to make him eat the food and drink the wine. Another way of making this clearer may be to say “requested that he not be forced to eat the food and drink the wine that would make him ritually unclean” or “begged him to be protected from the corruption that would come to him from eating and drinking the king’s food.”
Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .