1:18 When the time appointed by the king arrived, 1 the overseer of the court officials brought them into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence. 1:19 When the king spoke with them, he did not find among the entire group 2 anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king’s service. 3 1:20 In every matter of wisdom and 4 insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times 5 better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire. 1:21 Now Daniel lived on until the first 6 year of Cyrus the king.
1 tn Heb “at the end of the days which the king said to bring them.”
2 tn Heb “from all of them.”
3 tn Heb “stood before the king.”
4 tc The MT lacks the conjunction, reading the first word in the phrase as a construct (“wisdom of insight”). While this reading is not impossible, it seems better to follow Theodotion, the Syriac, the Vulgate, and the Sahidic Coptic, all of which have the conjunction.
5 tn Heb “hands.”
6 sn The Persian king Cyrus’ first year in control of Babylon was 539