Daniel 1:4-5

1:4 young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were handsome, ¹  well versed in all kinds of wisdom, well educated ²  and having keen insight, ³  and who were capable ⁴  of entering the king’s royal service ⁵  – and to teach them the literature and language ⁶  of the Babylonians. ⁷  1:5 So the king assigned them a daily ration ⁸  from his royal delicacies ⁹  and from the wine he himself drank. They were to be trained ¹⁰  for the next three years. At the end of that time they were to enter the king’s service. ¹¹ 

[1:4]  ¹ tn Heb “good of appearance.”

[1:4]  ² tn Heb “knowers of knowledge.”

[1:4]  ³ tn Heb “understanders of knowledge.”

[1:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “who had strength.”

[1:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “to stand in the palace of the king.” Cf. vv. 5, 19.

[1:4]  ⁶ sn The language of the Chaldeans referred to here is Akkadian, an East Semitic cuneiform language.

[1:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “Chaldeans” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV). This is an ancient name for the Babylonians.

[1:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “a thing of a day in its day.”

[1:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “from the delicacies of the king.”

[1:5]  ¹⁰ tn Or “educated.” See HALOT 179 s.v. I גדל.

[1:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “stand before the king.”