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Daniel 1:4
ESV youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king 's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
NIV young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.
NASB youths in whom there was no impairment, who were good-looking, suitable for instruction in every kind of expertise, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability to serve in the king’s court; and he ordered Ashpenaz to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
CSB young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the Chaldean language and literature.
NLT Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,' he said. 'Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon. '
KJV Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
NKJV young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

What does Daniel 1:4 mean?

The Jewish youths chosen to serve in Nebuchadnezzar's court were physically and mentally superb. Gentile nations often interpreted attractive appearance to mean the gods had gifted the individuals. The captive youths' keen knowledge and high intellect qualified them to learn their captive nation's literature and language. Training the children of noble families to be Babylonian court advisors would have made it easier for the king to integrate his newly conquered subjects. Part of their training was also cultural (Daniel 1:5), attempting to fully integrate them into their new roles (Daniel 1:7).

The Chaldeans were an ethnic and political group from southwest Babylon. The Hebrew word for "Chaldean," kasdim', is used here and in other places as a cultural group (Daniel 5:30; 9:1). The word also appears several times as a reference to specially trained Babylonian astrologers (Daniel 2:2, 4, 5, 10; 5:11). The Chaldeans spoke a Semitic dialect resembling Akkadian and slightly related to Hebrew. Daniel and his friends may have had some knowledge of this language already.
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