Daniel 5

Daniel · Chapter 5

Daniel 5:11

1Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.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.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 wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.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.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.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.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 was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.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: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;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.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?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.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: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 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 thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: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.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: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.22And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;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:24Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.25And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.26This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.27TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.28PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.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.30In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.31And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
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;There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king,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, were found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Belshazzar's own wise men could not read the writing on the wall, and the king was badly shaken. The queen comes in and reminds him of a man in his kingdom with a proven record: Nebuchadnezzar found in him wisdom like the wisdom of the gods and made him chief over all the wise men. She then names him: Daniel. Daniel 5:8Daniel 5:9Daniel 5:10Daniel 5:11Daniel 5:12

SpeakingThe queen, who came into the banquet house when she heard what was happening. Daniel 5:10

ToKing Belshazzar, with his lords at the feast. Daniel 5:9Daniel 5:10

Also involvedDaniel, whom Nebuchadnezzar had named Belteshazzar. He was one of the captives of Judah. Daniel 5:12Daniel 5:13

The queen says there is a man in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. She says light, understanding and godlike wisdom were found in him in Nebuchadnezzar's days, and that Nebuchadnezzar made him master over the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans and soothsayers. Her words repeat Nebuchadnezzar's own description of Daniel and his title, master of the magicians. Daniel 5:11Daniel 4:8Daniel 4:9Daniel 4:18Daniel 2:48

The banquet house of the king's palace in Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans. Daniel 5:5Daniel 5:10Daniel 5:30Babylon 1Chaldea

BABYLONIABabylon 1CHALDEASusaUlai

The eventsThe night of Belshazzar's feast. That same night Belshazzar was slain and Darius the Median took the kingdom. Daniel 5:1Daniel 5:30Daniel 5:31

WrittenTraditional view: Daniel wrote the book in the 500s BC. Scholarly view: many critical scholars date its final form to about 167-164 BC, while others keep the 500s BC date. Daniel overview

HereThe verse brings Daniel forward when every other wise man has failed. It sets up the moment when the writing is read to the king. Earlier, Babylon's wise men admitted that only the gods could reveal such things. Daniel 5:8Daniel 5:12Daniel 2:11

In the whole of ScriptureThe queen speaks in pagan terms of "holy gods." Daniel himself speaks of "the most high God" who rules in the kingdom of men, and says the hand that wrote was sent from him. Earlier, Nebuchadnezzar had confessed that Daniel's God is "a revealer of secrets," seeing Daniel could reveal his dream. Daniel 5:18Daniel 5:21Daniel 5:23Daniel 5:24Daniel 2:47

For readersThe wisdom found in Daniel was remembered even after a change of king. He was ready to give the answer when the court's own experts had nothing to say. Daniel 5:11Daniel 5:12Daniel 5:17Daniel overview

  • godsאֱלָהּ
    Aramaic · e.lah · H0426

    The lexicon gives both "heathen deity" and "God (of Israel)" for this word. Here it is the queen's pagan phrase. In the same chapter Daniel speaks instead of "the most high God" and "the God in whose hand thy breath is." Strong's H0426Daniel 5:11Daniel 5:18Daniel 5:23

  • holyקַדִּישׁ
    Aramaic · qad.dish · H6922

    It means "holy, separate." The same phrase, "the spirit of the holy gods," is the one Nebuchadnezzar used for Daniel three times. Strong's H6922Daniel 4:8Daniel 4:9Daniel 4:18

  • lightנְהִירוּ
    Aramaic · ne.hi.ru · H5094B

    The word means "illumination, insight" and comes from a root meaning "to shine." The "light" found in Daniel is clear insight, and Belshazzar repeats the same praise in 5:14. Strong's H5094BDaniel 5:14

  • masterרַב
    Aramaic · rav · H7229

    The word means "great," and as a noun "captain, chief." Daniel held real rank: he was the head over Babylon's wise men. Strong's H7229Daniel 2:48Daniel 4:9

Takeaway

When the wisest men of Babylon failed, the one remembered was Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar had already confessed that Daniel's God is the revealer of secrets, and Daniel told Belshazzar that this most high God rules in the kingdom of men. Daniel 5:11Daniel 5:21Daniel 2:47

Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.

The world around the text

About 605-536 BC. King of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC). Where Daniel lived and served for about seventy years. The capital of the Babylonian empire, on the Euphrates south of modern Baghdad, in the land the Bible calls Shinar and Chaldea.

Who ruled
  • King of BabylonNebuchadnezzar605-562 BC

    The king who besieged Jerusalem, carried Daniel and the temple vessels to Babylon, and later destroyed the city and temple. His own building inscriptions boast of the Babylon he built. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 24:12 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 25:1Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)

  • Last king of Babylon, and his son who ruled in his placeNabonidus and Belshazzar556-539 BC

    Nabonidus spent about ten years at the oasis of Tema in Arabia and left his son Belshazzar to rule in Babylon. That is why Belshazzar could only offer Daniel the place of "third ruler in the kingdom": he was himself second. Daniel 5:1Daniel 5:7Daniel 5:29Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Verse Account of Nabonidus

  • Received the kingdom after Babylon fellDarius the MedianFrom 539 BC

    Daniel says he "took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old" and set 120 princes over it. Records outside the Bible do not name him; he has been identified with Gubaru, the governor Cyrus set over Babylon, or with Cyrus himself. Daniel 5:31Daniel 6:1Daniel 9:1Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)

  • King of PersiaCyrus559-530 BC

    He united the Medes and Persians, took Babylon in 539 BC, and let the exiles go home to rebuild the temple, as Isaiah had named him beforehand. Daniel 1:21Daniel 6:28Daniel 10:1Ezra 1:1-4Isaiah 44:28-45:1Cyrus Cylinder

  • King of JudahJehoiakim609-598 BC

    Judah's king when Daniel was taken. Jeremiah warned him and his people that the land would serve Babylon seventy years. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 23:36-24:6Jeremiah 25:1-11

What was happening, 612 BC to 167 BC
  1. 612 BC
    WarNineveh falls

    Babylon and the Medes destroyed Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, as Nahum and Zephaniah had foretold. Babylon became the great power of the region. Nahum 3:7Zephaniah 2:13Fall of Nineveh Chronicle (ABC 3)

  2. 605 BC
    WarBattle of Carchemish

    Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho of Egypt at Carchemish on the Euphrates, in Jehoiakim's fourth year. The same year he came against Jerusalem and took the first captives, Daniel among them. Jeremiah 46:2Daniel 1:1-4Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)

  3. 597 BC
    WarJerusalem surrenders

    Nebuchadnezzar took King Jehoiachin, his nobles and craftsmen to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel went into exile with them. 2 Kings 24:10-17Ezekiel 1:2Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)

  4. 586 BC
    WarJerusalem and the temple destroyed

    Babylon's army burned the temple and the city and broke down its walls. Daniel later prays over "the desolations of Jerusalem" and asks God to shine on his "sanctuary that is desolate." 2 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 52:12-14Daniel 9:2Daniel 9:17

  5. c. 575 BC
    BuildingBabylon rebuilt in splendor

    Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon with great walls, palaces and the blue-glazed Ishtar Gate, and his inscriptions praise his own work. Compare his boast: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?" Daniel 4:30Nebuchadnezzar's East India House InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 1.178-183

  6. 562 BC
    RulersNebuchadnezzar dies

    His son Evil-merodach became king and released Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. 2 Kings 25:27-30Jeremiah 52:31-34

  7. c. 553-543 BC
    RulersNabonidus leaves Babylon to Belshazzar

    King Nabonidus stayed at Tema in Arabia for about ten years, and the yearly New Year festival in Babylon was not held. Belshazzar governed in Babylon. Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Daniel 5:1Daniel 7:1

  8. 550 BC
    WarCyrus unites the Medes and Persians

    Cyrus of Persia defeated Astyages king of the Medes, joining the two peoples in one kingdom. Daniel's vision names the ram's two horns as "the kings of Media and Persia," the higher coming up last. Daniel 8:3Daniel 8:20Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.127-130

  9. October 539 BC
    WarBabylon falls to Cyrus

    Cyrus's army entered Babylon without a long siege. Herodotus says the people were feasting when the city was taken. Daniel records that "in that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain." Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.191Cyrus Cylinder

  10. 538 BC
    God's peopleCyrus lets the exiles return

    In his first year over Babylon, Cyrus proclaimed that the Jews could go back and build the LORD's house in Jerusalem. Daniel "continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus." Ezra 1:1-42 Chronicles 36:22-23Daniel 1:21Cyrus Cylinder

  11. c. 536 BC
    God's peopleThe temple's foundation is laid

    The returned exiles rebuilt the altar and laid the foundation of the temple. In the third year of Cyrus, Daniel was still in the east, mourning and praying. Ezra 3:1-11Daniel 10:1-3

  12. 334-331 BC
    WarAlexander the Great conquers Persia

    Alexander of Macedon crossed into Asia and overthrew the Persian empire within four years. Daniel 8:21 names the rough goat as "the king of Grecia" and its great horn as "the first king." Daniel 8:5-8Daniel 8:21Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 1-3

  13. 323-301 BC
    WarAlexander's empire is divided

    Alexander died young, and after twenty years of war his generals divided his empire, chiefly into four kingdoms. Daniel 8:22 says "four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." Daniel 8:8Daniel 8:22Daniel 11:4Diodorus Siculus, Library 18-20Plutarch, Demetrius 28-30

  14. 167 BC
    WarAntiochus IV defiles the temple

    The Greek king Antiochus IV banned Jewish worship and set up a pagan altar on the altar of burnt offering. 1 Maccabees calls it "the abomination of desolation." Two centuries later Jesus spoke of "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" as still to come. 1 Maccabees 1:54-59Josephus, Antiquities 12.5.4Matthew 24:15

The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records of these years (the Babylonian Chronicles, the Cyrus Cylinder, Nebuchadnezzar's inscriptions) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Diodorus, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Aramaic words

This passage was written in Aramaic, the common language of the Babylonian and Persian empires, which the Jews of the exile also spoke. It uses the same alphabet as Hebrew.

EnglishAramaicSay itStrong'sMeaning
thereאִיתַ֨י'i-TAIH0383
there is

אִיתַי (i.tay) 1) there is, there are 2) particle denoting existence

[is] a manגְּבַ֜רge-VARH1400
man

גְּבַר (ge.var) a man, a certain (one) Aramaic of ge.ver (גֶּ֫בֶר "great man" H1397)

in kingdom yourבְּמַלְכוּתָ֗ךְbe-mal-khu-TAKHH4437
kingdom

מַלְכוּ (mal.khu) 1) royalty, reign, kingdom 1a) royalty, kingship, kingly authority 1b) kingdom 1c) realm (of territory) 1d) reign (of time)

whoדִּ֠יdiH1768
that

דִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because

a spirit ofר֣וּחַRU-achH7308
spirit

רוּחַ (ru.ach) 1) spirit, wind 1a) wind 1b) spirit 1b1) of man 1b2) seat of the mind

godsאֱלָהִ֣ין'e-la-HINH0426
god

אֱלָהּ (e.lah) 1) god, God 1a) god, heathen deity 1b) God (of Israel)

holyקַדִּישִׁין֮ka-di-SHINH6922
holy

קַדִּישׁ (qad.dish) 1) holy, separate 2) (TWOT) angels, saints

and in [the] days ofוּבְיוֹמֵ֣יu-ve-yo-MEIH3118
day

יוֹם (yom) 1) day 2) day always refers to a twenty-four hour period when the word is modified by a definite or cardinal number

father yourאֲב֗וּךְ'a-VUKHH0002
father

אַב (av) father Aramaic of av (אָב "father" H0001)

illuminationנַהִיר֧וּna-hi-RUH5094B
illumination

נְהִירוּ (ne.hi.ru) illumination, insight Aramaic of na.har (נָהַר "to shine" H5102B)

and insightוְשָׂכְלְתָנ֛וּve-sa-khe-le-ta-NUH7924
insight

שׇׂכְלְתָנוּ (sokh.le.ta.nu) insight Aramaic of se.khel (שֵׂ֫כֶל "understanding" H7922)

and wisdomוְחָכְמָ֥הve-cha-khe-MAHH2452
wisdom

חׇכְמָה (chokh.mah) wisdom Aramaic of chokh.mah (חׇכְמָה "wisdom" H2451)

like [the] wisdom ofכְּחָכְמַת־ke-cha-khe-mat-H2452
wisdom

חׇכְמָה (chokh.mah) wisdom Aramaic of chokh.mah (חׇכְמָה "wisdom" H2451)

godsאֱלָהִ֖ין'e-la-HINH0426
god

אֱלָהּ (e.lah) 1) god, God 1a) god, heathen deity 1b) God (of Israel)

it was foundהִשְׁתְּכַ֣חַתhish-te-KHA-chatH7912
to find

שְׁכַח (she.khach) 1) to find 1a) (Aphel) to find 1b) (Ithp'al) to be found

and king theוּמַלְכָּ֤אu-mal-KA'H4430
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) king Aramaic of me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4428) § 1) king

Nebuchadnezzarנְבֻֽכַדְנֶצַּר֙ne-vu-khad-ne-TZARH5020
Nebuchadnezzar

נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר, נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר (ne.vu.khad.nets.tsar) A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.24.1; father of: Belshazzar (H1112) Aramaic of ne.vu.khad.nets.tsar (נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר, נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר "Nebuchadnezzar" H5019) § Nebuchadnezzar = "may Nebo protect the crown" the great king of Babylon who captured Jerusalem and carried Judah captive

father yourאֲב֔וּךְ'a-VUKHH0002
father

אַב (av) father Aramaic of av (אָב "father" H0001)

chief ofרַ֧בravH7229
great

רַב (rav) adj 1) great 1a) great 1b) great (fig of power) n 2) captain, chief

[the] magiciansחַרְטֻמִּ֣יןchar-tu-MINH2749
magician

חַרְטֹם (char.tom) magician, magician-astrologer Aramaic of char.tom (חַרְטֹם "magician" H2748)

conjurersאָֽשְׁפִ֗ין'a-she-FINH0826
enchanter

אָשַׁף (ash.shaph) conjurer, enchanter, (CLBL) necromancer Aramaic of ash.shaph (אַשָּׁף "enchanter" H0825)

Chaldeansכַּשְׂדָּאִין֙kas-da-'INH3779
Chaldean

כַּשְׂדַּי (kas.day) Group of kas.di (כַּשְׂדִּים "Chaldea" H3778) § Chaldean = "clod breakers" 1) a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf 2) the inhabitants of Chaldea, living on the lower Euphrates and Tigris 3) those persons considered the wisest in the land (by extension)

astrologersגָּזְרִ֔יןga-ze-RINH1505
to determine

גְּזַר (ge.zar) 1) to cut, determine 1a) (P'al) determiner (participle) 1b) (Ithp'al) to be cut out

he appointed himהֲקִימֵ֖הּha-ki-MEHH6966I
to stand: rise

קוּם (qum) : rise/get_going 1) to arise, stand 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to arise from 1a2) to come on the scene (fig) 1a3) to arise (out of inaction) 1a4) to stand 1a5) to endure 1b) (Pael) to set up, establish 1c) (Aphel) 1c1) to set up 1c2) to lift up 1c3) to establish 1c4) to appoint 1d) (Hophal) to be made to stand

father yourאֲב֥וּךְ'a-VUKHH0002
father

אַב (av) father Aramaic of av (אָב "father" H0001)

king theמַלְכָּֽא׃mal-KA'H4430
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) king Aramaic of me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4428) § 1) king

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.