Lexical Definition

‎מֶלְצָר‎ meltsâr (mel-tsawr') steward ^H:N-M
of Persian derivation

Melzar.

• the butler or other officer in the Babylonian court

1) guardian, an officer of the court
1a) meaning dubious

Extended Information

• or Melzar - a man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Dan.1.11 also translated "steward"

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מֶלְצָר‎ noun masculine a Babylonian title; dubious; perhaps guardian ? (Schr^{COT Dan 1:11} Dl^{Baer Dn xi} conjecture loan-word from Assyrian maƒ(ƒ)aru, keeper, guardian, compare Dl^{HWB 423}; hardly connected with (modern) Persian mulsaru 'Kellermeister' (compare Meinh.), see against this Bev); — only with article ‎׳‎‎הַמּ‎ Dan 1:11; Dan 1:16.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • Babylonian official in charge of Daniel and his friends.

Man living at the time of Exile and Return

Melzar, the steward appointed by the chief eunuch to oversee Daniel and his companions (Dan.1.11,16).

• A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Dan.1.11;
• only referred to as Melzar מֶלְצָר.

Melzar, also referred to as "the steward," was a Babylonian official appointed by Ashpenaz, the chief eunuch, to oversee Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Dan.1.11). He was responsible for providing them with their daily provisions and monitoring their well-being. When Daniel requested a diet of vegetables and water instead of the king's food and wine, Melzar initially hesitated, fearing for his own life if the young men's appearance suffered (Dan.1.11). However, he agreed to a ten-day test, and when Daniel and his friends appeared healthier than those who ate the king's food, Melzar allowed them to continue with their chosen diet (Dan.1.16).

All entries for Melzar or "steward": מֶלְצָר