And: the transition word at the beginning of this verse should probably be stronger than the simple conjunction found in Revised Standard Version. Good News Translation has “however,” and New International Version translates the same word as “but.” New American Bible has “nevertheless.” It is important to show contrast between the fact that Ashpenaz was sympathetic toward Daniel, and at the same time that he was afraid of what the king might do to him.

The chief of the eunuchs: see verses 3, 7, and 8. Here this expression can be shortened to “the official” (New International Version), or the proper name Ashpenaz may be used, depending on which is more natural in the receptor language.

Lest: this is a somewhat archaic usage in English and can easily be left untranslated, especially if the verse is restructured. Moffatt provides a good model for such rewording: “My lord the king has ordered your meat and drink, and I am afraid of his noticing….” This establishes the events in the order in which they occurred and will probably be more easily understood in many languages.

My lord: this is the same word that is used in verse 2 above to refer to God, but here it clearly refers to the king and is used as a kind of title in order to show respect. In some versions this has been rendered by another respectful title that is more natural in the language of translation. Bible en français courant, for example, has the equivalent of “his majesty.” Good News Translation has chosen simply to leave it out altogether.

See that you were in poorer condition: the emphasis here is on the physical condition of the young men that would result from their diet. In some languages it may be necessary to say simply “see that you are thinner than the others” or “notice that your bodies are not as good (or strong) as those of the others.”

Endanger my head with the king: the most important thing about this expression is that it shows that the chief official was afraid of losing his life if he did as Daniel suggested. In many versions the more literal image of a person having his head cut off is in focus, but New Jerusalem Bible, for example, simply says “you will put my life in jeopardy with the king.” Some other possibilities are “the king would have my head cut off,” “I would lose my life,” or “the king would take my life.”

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .