Christian Standard Bible
Daniel 5:5
5At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand that was writing,
Daniel 5:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)In 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.
- New International Version (NIV)Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote.
- New King James Version (NKJV)In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
Context of Daniel 5:5
3So they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them. 4They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand that was writing, 6his face turned pale, and his thoughts so terrified him that he soiled himself and his knees knocked together. 7The king shouted to bring in the mediums, Chaldeans, and diviners. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and gives me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around his neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom.”
Read all of Daniel 5Daniel 5:5 word by word
בַּהּ־שַׁעֲתָ֗ה נְפַ֙קָה֙ אֶצְבְּעָן֙ דִּ֣י יַד־אֱנָ֔שׁ וְכָֽתְבָן֙ לָקֳבֵ֣ל נֶבְרַשְׁתָּ֔א עַל־גִּירָ֕א דִּֽי־כְתַ֥ל הֵיכְלָ֖א דִּ֣י מַלְכָּ֑א וּמַלְכָּ֣א חָזֵ֔ה פַּ֥ס יְדָ֖ה דִּ֥י כָתְבָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- In the same hourשָׁעָהshâ‛âh · momentH8160
- came forthנְפַקnephaq · to go outH5312
- fingersאֶצְבַּע'etsba‛ · digitH677
- of a man’sאֱנָשׁ'ĕnâsh 'ĕnash · manH606
- handיַדyad · handH3028
- and wroteכְּתַבkethab · to writeH3790
- over againstקֳבֵלqebêl qŏbêl · beforeH6903
- the candlestickנֶבְרַשְׁתָּאnebreshâ' · lampstandH5043
- uponעַל‛al · uponH5922
- the plaisterגִּירgîyr · plasterH1528
- of the wallכְּתַלkethal · wallH3797
- of the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
- palaceהֵיכַלhêykal · temple: palaceH1965
- sawחֲזָהchăzâ' chăzâh · to seeH2370
- the partפַּסpas · palmH6447
Cross-references for Daniel 5:5
- Daniel 4:31While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared that the kingdom has departed from you.
- Job 20:5the joy of the wicked has been brief and the happiness of the godless has lasted only a moment?
- Psalms 78:30Before they had turned from what they craved, while the food was still in their mouths,
- Proverbs 29:1One who becomes stiff-necked, after many reprimands will be shattered instantly — beyond recovery.
- Luke 12:19Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
- Daniel 5:8So all the king’s wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make its interpretation known to him.
- Colossians 2:14He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.
- Revelation 20:12I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.
Commentaries on Daniel 5:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Fingers of a man's hand - The fingers were collected about the style or pen as in the act of writing.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-6The supernatural hand shocked and terrified the people at the feast. Yet Belshazzar still did not repent (Daniel 5:29; compare Jeremiah 38:19–24; Acts 24:25).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. In the same hour--that the cause of God's visitation might be palpable, namely, the profanation of His vessels and His holy name. fingers of ... hand--God admonishes him, not by a dream (as Nebuchadnezzar had been warned), or by a voice, but by "fingers coming forth," the invisibility of Him who moved them heightening the awful impressiveness of the scene, the hand of the Unseen One attesting his doom before the eyes of himself and his guilty fellow…Read the comment
Topics related to Daniel 5:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Daniel 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Christian Standard Bible — © 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Commentaries