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 

Daniel 3:27

3:27 Once the satraps, prefects, governors, and ministers of the king had gathered around, they saw that those men were physically ¹²  unharmed by the fire. ¹³  The hair of their heads was not singed, nor were their trousers damaged. Not even the smell of fire was to be found on them!

Daniel 4:19

Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

4:19 Then Daniel (whose name is also Belteshazzar) was upset for a brief time; ¹⁴  his thoughts were alarming him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream and its interpretation alarm you.” But Belteshazzar replied, “Sir, ¹⁵  if only the dream were for your enemies and its interpretation applied to your adversaries!

Daniel 7:9

7:9 “While I was watching,

thrones were set up,

and the Ancient of Days ¹⁶  took his seat.

His attire was white like snow;

the hair of his head was like lamb’s ¹⁷  wool.

His throne was ablaze with fire

and its wheels were all aflame. ¹⁸ 

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¹ tn Heb “good of appearance.”

² tn Heb “knowers of knowledge.”

³ tn Heb “understanders of knowledge.”

⁴ tn Heb “who had strength.”

⁵ tn Heb “to stand in the palace of the king.” Cf. vv. 5, 19.

⁶ sn The language of the Chaldeans referred to here is Akkadian, an East Semitic cuneiform language.

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

⁸ tn Heb “a thing of a day in its day.”

⁹ tn Heb “from the delicacies of the king.”

¹⁰ tn Or “educated.” See HALOT 179 s.v. I גדל.

¹¹ tn Heb “stand before the king.”

¹² tn Aram “in their bodies.”

¹³ tn Aram “the fire did not have power.”

¹⁴ tn Aram “about one hour.” The expression refers idiomatically to a brief period of time of undetermined length.

¹⁵ tn Aram “my lord.”

¹⁶ tn Or “the Ancient One” (NAB, NRSV, NLT), although the traditional expression has been retained in the present translation because it is familiar to many readers. Cf. TEV “One who had been living for ever”; CEV “the Eternal God.”

¹⁷ tn Traditionally the Aramaic word נְקֵא (nÿqe’) has been rendered “pure,” but here it more likely means “of a lamb.” Cf. the Syriac neqya’ (“a sheep, ewe”). On this word see further, M. Sokoloff, “’amar neqe’, ‘Lamb’s Wool’ (Dan 7:9),” JBL 95 (1976): 277-79.

¹⁸ tn Aram “a flaming fire.”