Daniel 1:3

3 And the king spoke unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the Bnei Yisroel, and of the king’s zera (seed), and of the princes,

Daniel 1:3 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 1:3

And the king spake unto Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs,
&c.] That is, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon spake to this officer of his, whose name was Ashpenaz; which, according to Saadiah, signifies a man of an angry countenance; but Hillerus ^F5 derives it from the Arabic word <arabic> "schaphan", as designing one that excels in wit and understanding; for which reason he might have the command of the eunuchs, many of which the eastern princes had about them, particularly to wait upon their women, or to educate youth, as the Turks have now; though, as R. Jeshuah in Aben Ezra observes, the word signifies ministers, and may intend the king's nobles and courtiers, his ministers of state; and so this Ashpenaz may be considered as his prime minister, to whom he gave orders, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel;
whom he had taken and brought captive to Babylon, and were disposed of in some part or another of the city and country; and out of these it was his will that some should be selected and brought to his court: and of the king's seed, and of the princes:
or, "even ^F6 of the king's seed, and of the princes"; not any of the children of Israel, but such as were of the blood royal, or of the king of Judah's family, or some way related to it; or, however, that were of princely birth, the children of persons of the first rank, as the word ^F7 may signify; or of nobles and dukes, as Jarchi interprets it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 Onomast. Sacr. p. 752, 753.
F6 (hkwlmh erzmw) , so (w) is sometimes rendered; see Noldius. p. 276.
F7 (Mymtrp) "ex Graeca voce" (prwtov) , Grotius, Junius.

Daniel 1:3 In-Context

1 In the third year of the reign of Yehoiakim Melech Yehudah came Nevuchadnetzar king of Babylon unto Yerushalayim, and besieged it.

2 And Hashem gave Yehoiakim Melech Yehudah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the Beis HaElohim; which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his g-d; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his g-d.

3 And the king spoke unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the Bnei Yisroel, and of the king’s zera (seed), and of the princes,

4 Yeladim in whom was no blemish, but well-favored, and skillful in all chochmah (wisdom), and cunning in da’as (knowledge), and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the heikhal hamelech (king’s palace), and whom they might teach the sefer and lashon of the Kasdim (Chaldeans).

5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s food, and of the yayin which he drank, so nourishing them shanim shalosh (three years), that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.