Among these: that is, among those who were selected for training. This may be translated in some languages “… in the group of those who had been chosen,” and in some cases it may be more natural at the end of the sentence rather than at the beginning.

Of the tribe of Judah: literally “children of Judah” as in King James Version, but the Hebrew expression “children of…” or “sons of…” does not indicate only a relationship of children to their own father. It can also express the idea of membership in a group. Here it indicates “members of the tribe of Judah,” as the Revised Standard Version rendering shows. Compare the frequent expression “sons (or children) of Israel,” meaning “Israelites” or “people of Israel,” and also “sons of the prophets,” meaning “members of the group of prophets,” in 1 Kgs 20.35, for example.

A possible restructuring of this verse may read “Four men from the tribe of Judah were in the group of those who were chosen. Their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.” Or, as Revised English Bible has it, “Among them were certain Jews: Daniel….”

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 .