OET interlinear DAN 1:4

1:4

The king told Ashpenaz to choose only qualified young men to serve in his palace. This verse lists the qualities the young men were required to have. Translate this list in a way that is natural in your language. You may use either indirect or direct speech (see also the General Comments on 1:3 and 1:4–5). It may be natural to start a new sentence here and to use two or more sentences in your translation. For example:

^4a-bThey had to be handsome, intelligent, well-trained, quick to learn, and free from physical defects, ^4cso that they would be qualified to serve in the royal court. (GNT)

^4aKing Nebuchadnezzar wanted only young Israelite men who had nothing wrong with them. They were to be handsome ^4band well educated, capable of learning and understanding, ^4cand able to serve in his palace. (NCV)

^4a“Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. ^4b“Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good sense, ^4cand have the poise needed to serve in the royal palace.” (NLT)

1:4a

young men without blemish: The king wanted these young men to be in good physical condition, without any problems or handicaps that would make it hard for them to serve him.

young men: The exact age of the young men who were chosen is uncertain. This word can refer to boys from the time they were born to the time they were married. It is likely that they were from about fourteen to twenty years old. Here is another way to translate this:

youths (RSV)

without blemish: The Hebrew phrase that the BSB translates as without blemish indicates that the young men should have no physical handicaps or weakness. See 2 Samuel 14:25, where the same Hebrew word for blemish is used. The phrase without blemish can be translated in two major ways:

• Using a positive expression. For example:

  strong, healthy (NLT)

• Using a negative expression:

  free from physical defects (GNT)

  who had nothing wrong with them (NCV)

  without any physical defect (NIV)

handsome: Each culture describes physical beauty in its own way. It is best to use a general term for a male whose appearance is considered pleasant, pleasing, or praiseworthy. For example:

good-looking (GW)

attractive (NET)

1:4b

In this verse part the author used three expressions that are similar in meaning.

gifted in all wisdom: The Hebrew phrase that the BSB translates as gifted in all wisdom is more literally “having insight in all wisdom.” It probably emphasizes natural ability. Other ways to translate this include:

skilful in all wisdom (RSV)

intelligent (GNT)

smart (CEV)

knowledgeable: The Hebrew expression that the BSB translates as knowledgeable is more literally “knowing knowledge.” It probably refers to someone who has learned a lot of information. Other ways to translate this include:

well-trained (GNT)

well informed (NIV)

well-educated (NET)

quick to understand: The Hebrew expression that the BSB translates as quick to understand is more literally “discerning/understanding of knowledge.” It probably refers to the ability to quickly perceive and understand something. Other ways to translate this include:

having keen insight (NET)

quick to learn (GNT)

discerning (NJB)

1:4c

and qualified to serve in the king’s palace: The Hebrew phrase that the BSB translates as qualified to serve in the king’s palace indicates that these men were to be capable of serving in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. Other ways to translate this include:

suited to serve in the royal palace (NLT)

competent to serve in the king’s palace (NRSV)

able to serve in his palace (NCV)

to serve in the king’s palace: The Hebrew expression that the BSB translates as to serve in the king’s palace is literally “to stand in the king’s palace,” as in the KJV. It is an idiom that refers to serving the king in some official way. Other ways to translate this include:

to serve in the royal court (GNT)

serving in the royal palace (NJPS)

entering the king’s royal service (NET)

palace: The palace was not simply the king’s house. It included a throne room where the king met ambassadors and other official visitors. There was also a large courtyard in front of the throne room and a special hall for banquets. Living quarters and storage rooms surrounded these main parts of the palace. If such palaces are not known in your area, you may be able to use a word or phrase that describes the residence of an important person. Here is another way to translate this:

royal court (GNT)

1:4d

and to teach them the language and literature of the Chaldeans: The Hebrew text refers first to literature and then to language. The BSB reverses the order of the two words. This is more natural in English. Order these words in the way that is most natural in your language.

language: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as language is literally “tongue.” Here it is probably used as a figure of speech to refer to speaking, reading, and writing in a particular language. The Babylonian language, Akkadian, used a different writing system than Hebrew did.

literature: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as literature is literally “book.” Those who advised the king had to study and know the Babylonian texts. Other ways to translate this include:

the learning (KJV)

the writings (REB)

the Chaldeans: The Hebrew name that the BSB translates as Chaldeans can indicate different groups, depending on the context. Here it apparently refers to the people of Babylonia in general. Your language may have a special way to refer to an ethnic group of people. Translate this group name in a way that is natural in your language.

There are several possibilities for translating this name:

• Use a name that refers to the Babylonian people. For example:

  the Babylon people

  the Babylonians (GW)

• Use a name that is based on the name Chaldeans. For example, “the Chald people” or “Chaldea people.” Here is another way to translate this:

  the Chaldeans (NRSV)

• Include a reference to both of the names above. For example,

  the Chaldeans, that is, the Babylonians

• Use a pronoun referring to the Babylonians. Use the appropriate pronoun for direct or indirect speech. For example:

  their language

  our language (CEV)

Since Babylon was already mentioned in 1:1, translating the word Chaldeans as “Babylonians” here may be the best choice. However, if the church in your area prefers the name Chaldeans, you may want to include a footnote. The footnote should explain that these two names refer to the same people.