OET interlinear DAN 1:5

1:5a

The king assigned them daily provisions of the royal food and wine: King Nebuchadnezzar arranged for the young men to receive the same food and drink as he and his court received. The palace servants prepared food and drink for the use of the king’s family and courtiers. The king ordered them to give this same food and drink to the Hebrew captives. Other ways to translate this include:

The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens (NLT)

The king also gave orders that every day they were to be given the same food and wine as the members of the royal court (GNT)

The king: This refers to King Nebuchadnezzar.

assigned: The Hebrew verb that the BSB translates as assigned indicates that the king ordered his servants to give the food to the Hebrew youths. See the General Comment on 1:4–5 for a suggestion as to how to translate this order using direct speech.

them: The pronoun them refers to the young men that Ashpenaz had chosen in 1:3–4.

daily provisions: The young men were to receive royal food and wine each day. The Hebrew text does not emphasize the amount or quantity. It was not necessarily rationed or limited. Here is another way to translate this:

every day (GNT)

the royal food and wine: This refers to food and wine of the same type that the king ate and drank. It does not refer to food that the king left on his plate for them. Other ways to translate this include:

they were to be given the same food and wine as the members of the royal court (GNT)

from his royal delicacies and from the wine that he himself drank (NET)

This food and wine was probably more expensive and delicious than the food that other people ate. Try to use an expression that refers to such food. For example:

special food and wine from the royal table/kitchens

food: The word that the BSB translates as food is an unusual Persian loan-word that here refers to high-quality food such as wealthy people might eat. Another way to translate this is:

delicacies (NET)

wine: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as wine refers to an alcoholic drink that people make from a fruit called “grapes.” People usually drank wine on special occasions, especially when there was a celebration or feast.

In some areas, there is no wine that is made from grapes. In that case, there are several options for translation:

• Use a general term for “fermented drink.” To distinguish wine from beer, “fermented (fruit) juice” is a possibility.

Avoid a word that would contradict the qualities of real wine. For example, do not use a word referring to a drink made from a different fruit or a drink made from grain.

• Use a word for imported bottled wine. If there is no local word for this, you may use the word from the national or trade language.

• Use a descriptive phrase, for example: “drink/juice made from the fruit called grapes.”

Use the option that is most appropriate for your language in this context.

1:5b

They were to be trained for three years: The king wanted the young men from Judea to receive teaching for three years. He ordered Ashpenaz to arrange for this education.

They were to be trained is a passive verb. It may be more natural in your language to use an active verb and supply the subject. The subject might be Ashpenaz himself or, more likely, teachers he chose. Ashpenaz or these other teachers were to educate the young men for a period of three years. The goal was that after three years the young men would be competent enough to become the king’s officials and serve him in his court. There are at least two ways to translate this:

• Using a passive verb. For example:

  They were to be educated for three years. (ESV)

• Using an active verb. For example:

  They were to receive an education lasting for three years. (NJB)

  Teachers were to teach them for three years.

1:5c

after which: The Hebrew expression that the BSB translates as after which here refers to the completion of the three years of training. Other ways to translate this include:

and then (CEV)

At the end of that time (NET)

they were to enter the king’s service: This is literally “they were to stand before the king,” as in the RSV. This is an idiom. See the note on “serve in the king’s palace” in 1:4c. The idiom has at least two possible meanings in this context:

1. It means “they were to become court officials.” These men would advise the king when he had important decisions to make. Here is another way to translate this:

   advisors in the royal court (NLT) (BSB, NASB, GW, REB, NCV, NJB, NJPS, NIV, CEV, NLT, NET, NRSV)

2. It means “they were to present themselves to the king,” that is, to be tested. For example:

   to appear before the king (GNT) (GNT)

The ESV, RSV, and KJV translate the idiom literally. It is recommended that you follow option (1), as do most English versions.