Discovery BoxDaniel 1:4 
Context1:4 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
Daniel 1:17-20
Context1:17 Now as for these four young men, God endowed them with knowledge and skill in all sorts of literature and wisdom – and Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.
1:18 When the time appointed by the king arrived, 8 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 9 anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king’s service. 10 1:20 In every matter of wisdom and 11 insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times 12 better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire.
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 “at the end of the days which the king said to bring them.”
9 tn Heb “from all of them.”
10 tn Heb “stood before the king.”
11 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.
12 tn Heb “hands.”
