"When the time came for the youth in training to be tested, the Hebrews were examined, with other candidates, for the service of the kingdom. But “among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.” Their keen comprehension, their wide knowledge, their choice and exact language, testified to the unimpaired strength and vigor of their mental powers. “In all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm;” “therefore stood they before the king.” PK 485.1"
"And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm."
The EGW passage directly quotes Daniel 1:20 and elaborates on the context of the verse, highlighting the superior wisdom and understanding of Daniel and his companions.
"And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king."
The EGW passage directly quotes Daniel 1:19 and elaborates on the context of the verse, highlighting the exceptional qualities of Daniel and his companions.
"At the court of Babylon were gathered representatives from all lands, men of the highest talent, men the most richly endowed with natural gifts, and possessed of the broadest culture that the world could bestow; yet among them all, the Hebrew youth were without a peer. In physical strength and beauty, in mental vigor and literary attainment, they stood unrivaled. The erect form, the firm, elastic step, the fair countenance, the undimmed senses, the untainted breath—all were so many certificates of good habits, insignia of the nobility with which nature honors those who are obedient to her laws. PK 485.2"
"So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man."
Both passages connect obedience and good habits with favor and understanding. The EGW passage describes the physical and mental attributes of the Hebrew youth as a result of their good habits, while Proverbs speaks of finding favor with God and man through wisdom.
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."
The EGW passage describes the physical and mental excellence of Daniel and his companions as a result of their obedience to God's laws, which aligns with the concept of glorifying God in one's body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. The connection is thematic, focusing on the importance of physical and mental health as a reflection of spiritual commitment.