Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Daniel 1:4

Some Aramaic Basics
Here is a bit of background (from Da’at Mikra) regarding Aramaic to help us develop some answers. Aramaic emerged as the lingua franca for international communication beginning with the rise of the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians adopted Aramaic as their second official language in the 740’s BCE. Approximately 500 BCE is when Darius made Aramaic the second official language of Persia. Thus, we are not surprised to find Aramaic spoken in Nevuchadnetzar’s court instead of a native Babylonian language such as Akkadian³⁰Interestingly, Daniel 1:4 mentions the goal of teaching the “language of the Kasdim” to the Jewish lads taken to Nevuchadnetzar’s palace, and not Aramaic. Apparently, the lads were to be trained to interact with commoners in the language of the Kasdim and with royalty in Aramaic..

[Daniel 1:3] Rav (רַב - Chief): [Means] great, as in “the city of a great king” [Psalms 48:3]. Therefore, Yefet [ben Ali] said that they [those brought under this order] were Daniel and his companions, and his proof is that it says “of royal descent.” But he did not speak correctly. For the verse [Daniel 1:6] states: “And among these were, of the children of Judah...” [implying Daniel's group was specifically from Judah], and others [chosen were] “of royal descent” [and nobility, as per v. 3]. [Yefet implies] that they [Daniel and companions] were sarisim [in the sense of eunuchs]. But you will not find [any indication] that Daniel was a saris [eunuch]. Rather, it is written about him and his companions: “youths in whom there was no blemish” [Daniel 1:4]. And there is no blemish more severe than [being made] a saris [eunuch]! Furthermore, the king did not command [Ashpenaz] to teach Daniel and his companions the “script” (which is the writing of the Chaldeans) and their language merely [for any service], but specifically “that they might stand before the king” [Daniel 1:5], and not [primarily] before his wives [a role often assigned to eunuchs]. And if an objector argues: If your words are true that they were not sarisim [eunuchs], why did the king appoint the Chief of the Sarisim over them? The answer: Because the king commanded to seek from Israel “youths... handsome in appearance” [Daniel 1:4]. And wicked men, even today, are known for homosexual practices. Furthermore, if a youth is castrated (yesoras - יְסֹרַס), his intellect diminishes, and he [Nebuchadnezzar] was seeking for those standing before him to be knowledgeable in all wisdom, as [the text later] explains [Daniel 1:4]. And Rabbi Yehoshua said: The word sarisim (סָרִיסִים) in the Holy Tongue [Hebrew] has two meanings: The first is castrated ones [eunuchs, cf. Esther 1:10]. The second is ministers/officials/servants [cf. II Kings 24:15]. Thus, the Chief of the Sarisim was the chief over the king's ministers/servants. Like [an example using the word is]: “...with the sarisim and the mighty men (gibborim - גִּבֹּרִים)” [II Kings 24:14 - listing groups exiled]. And there is no need [to think based on this listing that] the sarisim were necessarily officers over the mighty men, simply because they were servants of King David [or perhaps, servants of the king, like David's officials were]. He [Nebuchadnezzar] did not castrate them [Daniel and companions]; rather, he took them thus in captivity. [While other captives] might have become guardians of his wives, according to the practice of kings to this day [and those might be eunuchs]. And similarly [an example where saris likely means official]: “...and the king’s wives and his sarisim” [II Kings 24:15, listing Jehoiachin's exiled household]. And it is [also] written: “And from the city he took one saris who was appointed over the men of war” [Jeremiah 52:25]. [This clearly shows saris can mean a high-ranking military official, not necessarily a eunuch].

[Daniel 1:5] Ul’gadlam (וּלְגַדְּלָם - And to educate them): [The purpose was] to accustom them to stand [in service] and to know the protocols/procedures of royalty (mishpetei ha-meluchah - מִשְׁפְּטֵי הַמְּלוּכָה). And this is [related to the requirement that they have] “ability/strength in them” [Daniel 1:4].