Daniel 10:1—Did Daniel continue until the first year of Cyrus or the third year of his reign?

Problem: Daniel 1:21 asserts that Daniel “continued until the first year of King Cyrus.” But Daniel 10:1 says that Daniel was still there until the “third year of Cyrus king of Persia.”

Solution: The first passage (Dan. 1:21) does not say Daniel did not continue to live longer. It simply notes that he lived until that glorious year when the Jewish exiles received permission to return to their homeland (cf. Ezra 1:3). The second passage (Dan. 10:1) notes that Daniel also lived even beyond that time.

Further, the word “continued” may imply that he retained his position or continued in Babylon. Although he lived on after Cyrus took over, Daniel would not necessarily have retained his government position with Babylon (cf. Dan. 1:19) after this time, since the Medo-Persians took over.

This excerpt is from When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1992). © 2014 Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Click here to purchase this book.