Daniel 5

King Belshazzar gave a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine in front of all thousand of them.

1Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

NoteBelshazzar ruled Babylon in its final years, in the 540s–539 BC. Babylonian records outside the Bible name him as the son of King Nabonidus, who left him governing the capital while he himself was away for years at a time, which is why Belshazzar can only offer the third place in the kingdom (verse 7) rather than the second.

2While he was tasting the wine, Belshazzar ordered his servants to bring in the gold and silver cups and bowls that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem. He wanted the king himself, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines to drink from them.

2Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.

Note"His father Nebuchadnezzar": in Aramaic and Hebrew the word for "father" also covers grandfather, more distant ancestor, or simply a royal predecessor, much as English can call someone the "father" of a line. Nebuchadnezzar had died decades earlier. The cups and bowls were the working equipment of the temple in Jerusalem, set apart for use in worship and for no other purpose. Nebuchadnezzar's army had carried them off when Babylon captured the city and destroyed the temple, around 587 BC. Concubines were women attached to the king's household as secondary wives, recognized and provided for but ranking below his wives, and their children ranked below the wives' children.

3So they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.

3Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.

4They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

5At that very moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, across from the lampstand. The king saw the hand as it wrote.

5In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

NoteThe King James "candlestick" does not mean a candle-holder. It is the standing lamp of the palace, burning oil, the same word used for the seven-branched lamp of the Jerusalem temple. Palace walls were coated in white plaster, so writing on them would show plainly to a room full of guests. The excavated throne room at Babylon has exactly such a plastered wall facing the king's seat.

6The king's face turned pale, and his thoughts frightened him so much that his hips went weak and his knees knocked together.

6Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

Note"The joints of his loins were loosed" is a physical idiom, not a medical description: the muscles of the hips and lower back give way, so that a man can no longer hold himself upright. It is the ancient way of saying terror took the strength out of him.

7The king shouted for his servants to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldean wise men, and the fortune-tellers. He said to these wise men of Babylon, "Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple, will wear a gold chain around his neck, and will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom."

7The 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.

Note"The Chaldeans" here is not the nation but a profession, a guild of Babylonian scholars trained in omens, astronomy and divination. The same word means "Babylonians" in the ordinary ethnic sense in verse 30; the reader has to tell them apart by context. "Astrologers" and "soothsayers" are two more specialist classes of diviners; the exact techniques behind the words are no longer recoverable. The King James "scarlet" renders an Aramaic word for purple or reddish-purple cloth. The dye was extracted from shellfish in tiny quantities and was ruinously expensive, so the color marked the wearer as royal or near-royal. The gold chain was likewise an official badge of rank, not jewelry. "The third ruler in the kingdom" is the highest place Belshazzar has to give, since his father Nabonidus held first place and he himself held second.

8So all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant.

8Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

9Then King Belshazzar was even more frightened, and his face grew paler still. His nobles did not know what to make of it either.

9Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

Note"Astonied" is simply the older spelling of "astonished", and in 1611 it carried more force than it does now, stunned, at a loss, unable to act.

10The queen heard what the king and his nobles were saying and came into the banquet hall. She said, "O king, may you live forever! Do not let your thoughts frighten you, and do not let your face stay pale.

10Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:

NoteThis is almost certainly the queen mother rather than one of the king's wives: the wives are already in the hall (verses 2–3), she enters uninvited and speaks to the king without ceremony, and she remembers Nebuchadnezzar's reign personally. The queen mother held a recognized position of her own at Near Eastern courts. "O king, live for ever" was the standard formula for opening a speech to a monarch, roughly equivalent to "Your Majesty", not a wish about this particular night.

11There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In your father's day he was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your father, your father the king, I say, put him in charge of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldean wise men, and fortune-tellers.

11There 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;

Note"The spirit of the holy gods" is what a Babylonian speaker would naturally say. The Aramaic word for "god" here is plural in form, but such plurals can also be used of a single deity, so the phrase can be read either as "the holy gods" or as "the holy God"; the older translations differ, and the ambiguity is in the text itself. The magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans and soothsayers were the recognized professional classes of the royal court, employed to read omens and advise the king. Daniel was appointed their chief in chapter 2.

12He did this because this man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have an unusually fine spirit, along with knowledge and understanding. He could explain dreams, make riddles clear, and solve hard problems. So send for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means."

12Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

NoteBelteshazzar is Daniel's Babylonian court name, given to him when he was taken into royal service (chapter 1). It resembles the king's own name, Belshazzar, but the two are different names; the similarity is coincidence of sound, not family connection. "Dissolving of doubts" translates an idiom meaning literally "untying knots", unravelling problems that have everyone else stuck.

13So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to him, "Are you that Daniel, one of the captives from Judah whom my father the king brought here?

13Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?

Note"The children of the captivity of Judah" means the deportees: when Babylon conquered the kingdom of Judah it carried much of the population, especially its educated and governing classes, to Babylon. Daniel was among them. "Jewry" is the King James word for Judah or Judea, the territory itself.

14I have heard about you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, understanding, and unusual wisdom.

14I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.

15Just now the wise men and the astrologers were brought in to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it.

15And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:

16But I have heard that you are able to explain meanings and solve hard problems. So if you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be dressed in purple, will wear a gold chain around your neck, and will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom."

16And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.

17Then Daniel answered the king, "Keep your gifts for yourself, and give your rewards to someone else. Even so, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

18O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, greatness, glory, and honor.

18O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:

19Because of the greatness God gave him, people of every nation and language shook with fear in front of him. He killed anyone he wanted to kill and spared anyone he wanted to spare. He raised up anyone he wanted and brought down anyone he wanted.

19And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.

Note"All people, nations, and languages" is a stock imperial phrase for the whole population of an empire made up of many conquered peoples. It appears repeatedly in Daniel as the formal way of saying "everyone under the king's rule".

20But when his heart became proud and his spirit was hard with pride, he was removed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken away from him.

20But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

21He was driven away from other people. His mind became like the mind of an animal, and he lived with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was soaked with the dew from the sky. This went on until he knew that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of people and gives them to anyone he chooses.

21And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

NoteThis refers back to the events of chapter 4, where Nebuchadnezzar lost his reason and lived in the open like an animal for a period before recovering it. Daniel is reminding Belshazzar of a story the court would have known.

22But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not made your heart humble, even though you knew all this.

22And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;

23Instead you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from his house were brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised gods made of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which cannot see or hear or know anything. But you have not given honor to the God who holds your very breath in his hand and controls everything you do.

23But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

Note"The vessels of his house" are the temple cups and bowls of verses 2–3. In the thinking of the time, taking a defeated nation's sacred objects into your own temple treasury was a normal act of conquest; putting them to ordinary table use at a drinking party was a different and deliberate insult.

24So God sent the hand that wrote these words.

24Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.

25This is the writing that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

25And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

NoteThe four words are Aramaic, and part of the puzzle is that they are all names of weights used as money: MENE is the mina, TEKEL is the shekel (about one sixtieth of a mina), and PARSIN is the plural of PERES, a half-unit. So on the surface the writing reads like an accountant's tally ("a mina, a mina, a shekel, and half-pieces") which explains why the wise men could recognize the letters and still make nothing of them. The King James "UPHARSIN" keeps the Aramaic word intact including its first letter u-, which simply means "and"; the word itself is PARSIN. Verse 28 then quotes it in the singular as PERES. Daniel's reading takes each word instead as a verb from the same root: counted, weighed, divided.

26This is what the message means. MENE: God has counted the days of your kingdom and has brought it to an end.

26This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

NoteMENE, the mina, sounds like the verb "to count" or "number". The wordplay works in Aramaic and cannot be carried into English.

27TEKEL: You have been weighed on the scales and found to be too light.

27TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

NoteTEKEL, the shekel, sounds like the verb "to weigh". Weighing on scales was the ordinary way of checking that a coin or a lump of silver was honest; "found wanting" means the pan came up light, short of the weight it was supposed to be.

28PERES: Your kingdom has been divided up and given to the Medes and the Persians."

28PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

NotePERES carries a triple play in Aramaic: the half-mina weight, the verb "to divide or break in two", and the name Paras, meaning Persia. All three senses are active at once. The Medes and Persians were the allied peoples east of Babylon; their combined forces under Cyrus took the city in 539 BC.

29Then Belshazzar gave the order, and they dressed Daniel in purple, put a gold chain around his neck, and announced publicly that he was now the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

29Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30That very night Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans, was killed.

30In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

Note"Chaldeans" here is the ethnic and political term for the Babylonians, a different use of the word from the guild of diviners in verse 7. Babylon fell to the army of Cyrus the Persian in October 539 BC.

31And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom. He was about sixty-two years old.

31And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

NoteDarius the Mede is named only in the book of Daniel; no ruler of that name and description appears in the Babylonian or Persian records that survive, and proposals identifying him with a known figure (a general of Cyrus, a governor, or Cyrus himself under another title) remain disputed. The text is left as it stands. In the King James, "threescore" is sixty (a score is twenty), so "threescore and two" is sixty-two.