Then: this word translates the common Hebrew conjunction to mark additional information, often translated “and,” and it does not necessarily emphasize the immediate sequence of events as the Revised Standard Version rendering may seem to indicate. It has been left untranslated in Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, and Revised English Bible. Anchor Bible (Anchor Bible) renders it “later.”

The king: since two different kings have been mentioned in the previous verses, it may be better in some languages to make it clear that in this case the reference is to King Nebuchadnezzar. In other languages it may be possible to say something like “that king…,” which would clearly refer back to the last mentioned king, Nebuchadnezzar.

Eunuch: this term originally designated a castrated male person who was entrusted with the care of women’s quarters in the royal household. However, it eventually came to be used to refer to any trusted official of the king, without reference to the sexuality of the person. Here the focus is clearly on the level of responsibility of the man named Ashpenaz and not on his physical status or that of those officials for whom he was given oversight. It is therefore much better to translate “his chief officer” (New Jerusalem Bible), “his palace master” (New Revised Standard Version), “the commander of his overseers,” or “the head of his trusted officers.”

To bring: this verb is taken by Good News Translation to mean “select,” but it may also be understood in the sense of “bring into his (royal) presence.”

Some of the people of Israel: that is, some of the people who had been captured and deported to Babylonia, as described in the previous verse. Instead of “people” (the Hebrew literally says “sons of Israel”), Good News Translation anticipates the following verse and gives the information found there, translating “young men.” This may also be a good idea in other languages.

Of the royal family and of the nobility: in some languages the closest natural equivalent may be something like “from the family of the headman and from the families of the respected elders,” or “from the tribe of the chief and from the clans of the chief’s advisors.”

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 .