Daniel Diet Fast Blog

Lisa asks, "What does it mean when it states "neither did I annoint myself at all?"

First, let us clarify that the Daniel Fast Diet at our website is about Daniel's Fast in Daniel chapter 1.

The 21 day fast in Daniel 10 is not exactly the same as the 10 day fast in Daniel 1.

I found the answer to your question using the free download e-Sword Bible program. We studied the various free e-Sword commentaries.

Dan 10:3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

The following quote is from Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible. If you cannot download the free Bible and commentaries at e-Sword.net, You can purchase a CD of Commentaries at Amazon.com.

I ate no pleasant bread - Margin, “bread of desires.” So the Hebrew. The meaning is, that he abstained from ordinary food, and partook of that only which was coarse and disagreeable.

Neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth - That is, he lived on bread or vegetables. It is not to be inferred from this that Daniel ordinarily made use of wine, for it would seem from Dan. 1: that that was not his custom. What would appear from this passage would be, that he practiced on this occasion the most rigid abstinence.

Neither did I anoint myself - The use of unguents was common in the East (see the notes at Mat_6:17), and Daniel here says that he abstained during these three weeks from what he ordinarily observed as promoting his personal comfort. He gave himself up to a course of life which would be expressive of deep grief. Nature prompts to this when the mind is overwhelmed with sorrow. Not only do we become indifferent to our food, but it requires an effort not to be indifferent to our dress, and to our personal appearance.

Hope this is helpful.