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The king commanded[a] Ashpenaz,[b] who was in charge of his court officials,[c] to choose[d] some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent[e]

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 1:3 tn Or “gave orders to.” Heb “said to.”
  2. Daniel 1:3 sn It is possible that the word Ashpenaz is not a proper name at all but a general term for “innkeeper.” See J. J. Collins, Daniel (Hermeneia), 127, n. 9. However, the ancient versions understand the term to be a name, and the present translation (along with most English versions) understands the word in this way.
  3. Daniel 1:3 sn The word court official (Hebrew saris) need not mean “eunuch” in a technical sense (see Gen 37:36, where the term refers to Potiphar, who had a wife), although in the case of the book of Daniel there was in Jewish literature a common tradition to that effect. On the OT usage of this word see HALOT 769-70 s.v. סָרֹיס.
  4. Daniel 1:3 tn Heb “bring.”
  5. Daniel 1:3 tn Heb “and from the seed of royalty and from the nobles.”