Daniel 1 · Verse 4

Daniel 1:4

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.
Daniel 1:4, King James Version

Daniel 1:4 in other translations

BSByoung men without blemish, handsome, gifted in all wisdom, knowledgeable, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace—and to teach them the language and literature of the Chaldeans.
WEByouths in whom was no defect, but well-favored, skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding science, and who had the ability to stand in the king’s palace; and that he should teach them the learning and the language of the Chaldeans.
ASVyouths in whom was no blemish, but well-favored, and skilful in all wisdom, and endued with knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability to stand in the king’s palace; and that he should teach them the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
YLTlads in whom there is no blemish, and of good appearance, and skilful in all wisdom, and possessing knowledge, and teaching thought, and who have ability to stand in the palace of the king, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
DARBYyouths in whom was no blemish, and of goodly countenance, and skilful in all wisdom, and acquainted with 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 language of the Chaldeans.
BBEYoung men who were strong and healthy, good-looking, and trained in all wisdom, having a good education and much knowledge, and able to take positions in the king's house; and to have them trained in the writing and language of the Chaldaeans.
WebsterChildren in whom was no blemish, but of good appearance, and skillful in all wisdom, and intelligent 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 language of the Chaldeans.

What does Daniel 1:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. no blemish--A handsome form was connected, in Oriental ideas, with mental power. "Children" means youths of twelve or fourteen years old. teach ... tongue of ... Chaldeans--their language and literature, the Aramaic-Babylonian. That the heathen lore was not altogether valueless appears from the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses; the Eastern Magi who sought Jesus, and who may have drawn the tradition as to the "King of the Jews" from Da 9:24, &c., written in the East. As Moses was trained in the learning of the Egyptian sages, so Daniel in that of the Chaldeans, to familiarize his mind with mysterious lore, and so develop his heaven-bestowed gift of understanding in visions (Da 1:4, 5, 17).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Children - ילדים yeladim, youths, young men; and so the word should be rendered throughout this book. Skilled in all wisdom - Rather, persons capable of every kind of literary accomplishment, that they might be put under proper instruction. And as children of the blood and of the nobles mere most likely, from the care usually taken of their initiatory education, to profit most by the elaborate instruction here designed, the master of the eunuchs, the king's chamberlain, was commanded to choose the youths in question out of such.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Daniel 1:1-7

The captivity of Daniel and his companions. (Dn 1:1-7) Their refusal to eat the king's meat. (Dn 1:8-16) Their improvement in wisdom. (Dn 1:17-21) Verses 1-7 Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, took Jerusalem, and carried whom and what he pleased away. From this first captivity, most think the seventy years are to be dated. It is the interest of princes to employ wise men; and it is…

Read the full comment on Daniel 1:1-7 →

Daniel 1:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

יְלָדִ֣יםye.la.DimyouthsH3206
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhomH834
אֵֽין\־'ein-notH369
בָּהֶ֣םba.Hem[was] in them
כָּל\־kol-anyH3605
מוּם֩me.'umblemishH3971
וְטוֹבֵ֨יve.to.Veiand good ofH2896
מַרְאֶ֜הmar.'EhappearanceH4758
וּמַשְׂכִּילִ֣יםu.mas.ki.Limand having insightH7919
בְּכָל\־be.kholin allH3605
חָכְמָ֗הchokh.mahwisdomH2451
וְיֹ֤דְעֵיve.Yo.de.'eiand knowingH3045
דַ֙עַת֙da.'at<of> knowledgeH1847
וּמְבִינֵ֣יu.me.vi.Neiand understandingH995
מַדָּ֔עma.Da'<of> knowledgeH4093
וַאֲשֶׁר֙va.'a.Sherand whomH834
כֹּ֣חַKo.achabilityH3581
בָּהֶ֔םba.Hem[was] in them
לַעֲמֹ֖דla.'a.Modto standH5975
בְּהֵיכַ֣לbe.hei.Khalin [the] palace ofH1964
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
וּֽלֲלַמְּדָ֥םu.la.la.me.Damand to teach themH3925
סֵ֖פֶרSe.fer[the] writingH5612
וּלְשׁ֥וֹןu.le.Shonand [the] tongue ofH3956
כַּשְׂדִּֽים\׃kas.Dim[the] ChaldeansH3778

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Daniel 1:4

  • Acts 7:22

    And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

  • Daniel 5:11

    There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

  • Proverbs 22:29

    Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

  • 2 Samuel 14:25

    But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

  • Daniel 1:17-20

    As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

  • Daniel 2:10

    The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

  • Daniel 5:7

    The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

  • Leviticus 21:18-21

    For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.

  • Leviticus 24:19-20

    And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.

  • Daniel 4:7

    Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.

  • Acts 7:20

    In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months:

  • Ecclesiastes 7:19

    Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Children.The word {yeladim,} rendered children, is frequently used for lads, or young men. (see Ge 21:8, 14-16,) [neaniskous,] as the LXX. render; and Daniel must have been at this time at least seventeen or eighteen years of age.
in whom.
Le 21:18-21; 24:19,20; Jud 8:18; 2Sa 14:25; Ac 7:20; Eph 5:27
and skilful.Rather, as Houbigant renders, "apt to understand wisdom, to acquire knowledge, and to attain science;" for it was not a knowledge of the sciences, but merely a capacity to learn them, that was required.
2:20,21; 5:11; Ec 7:19; Ac 7:22
ability.
17-20; Pr 22:29

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Daniel 1:3

    And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes;

  • Daniel 1:4

    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.

  • Daniel 1:5

    And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

Read all of Daniel 1

Daniel 1:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Muchachos en quienes no hubiese tacha alguna, y de buen parecer, y enseñados en toda sabiduría, y sabios en ciencia, y de buen entendimiento, é idóneos para estar en el palacio del rey; y que les enseñase las letras y la lengua de los Caldeos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		des jeunes gens en qui il n’y ait aucun défaut, et beaux de visage, et instruits en toute sagesse, et possédant des connaissances, et entendus en science, et qui soient capables de se tenir dans le palais du roi, – et de leur enseigner les lettres et la langue des Chaldéens.
German
Elberfelder 1871		an welchen keinerlei Fehl wäre, und schön von Ansehen und unterwiesen in aller Weisheit und kenntnisreich und mit Einsicht begabt, und welche tüchtig wären, im Palaste des Königs zu stehen; und daß man sie die Schriften und die Sprache der Chaldäer lehre.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		pueros in quibus nulla esset macula, decoros forma, et eruditos omni sapientia, cautos scientia, et doctos disciplina, et qui possent stare in palatio regis, ut doceret eos litteras et linguam Chaldæorum.