11 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah , Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged e it. 2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand , along with some e of the vessels of the house of God ; and he brought them to the land of Shinar , to the house of his [1]god , and he brought the vessels into the treasury e of his [1] god . 3 Then the king [3]ordered Ashpenaz , the chief of his [4]officials , to bring in some of the sons of Israel , including some of the [5]royal family and of the nobles , 4 youths in whom was no e defect , who were good-looking e , showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom , endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge , and who had ability for [6]serving in the king's [7]court ; and he ordered him to teach them the [8]literature and language of the Chaldeans . 5 The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank , and appointed that they should be [9]educated three years , at the end of which they were to [10] enter the king's personal service e . 6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel , Hananiah , Mishael and Azariah .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Daniel 1:1-6
Commentary on Daniel 1:1-7
(Read Daniel 1:1-7)
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 their wisdom to find out and train up such. Nebuchadnezzar ordered that these chosen youths should be taught. All their Hebrew names had something of God in them; but to make them forget the God of their fathers, the Guide of their youth, the heathen gave them names that savoured of idolatry. It is painful to reflect how often public education tends to corrupt the principles and morals.