Daniel 5:1

Daniel 5:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
• New International Version (NIV)King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.

Context of Daniel 5:1

King Belshazzar gave a big party for 1,000 important people in his country. He drank wine with all of them. 2When he had drunk a lot of wine, he spoke to his servants. He commanded them to bring the valuable gold and silver cups, so that the people could drink from them. His father, King Nebuchadnezzar, had taken those cups from God's temple in Jerusalem. King Belshazzar wanted to drink from them, as well as his important friends, his wives and his other women. 3So his servants brought the gold and silver cups that had come from God's temple in Jerusalem. Then the king, his wives, his other women and all the important people drank wine from those cups.

Daniel 5:1 word by word

בֵּלְשַׁאצַּ֣ר מַלְכָּ֗א עֲבַד֙ לְחֶ֣ם רַ֔ב לְרַבְרְבָנ֖וֹהִי אֲלַ֑ף וְלָקֳבֵ֥ל אַלְפָּ֖א חַמְרָ֥א שָׁתֵֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Belshazzarבֵּֽלְאשַׁצַּר, בֵּלְשַׁאצַּרbêlsha'tstsar · BelshazzarH1113
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
• madeעֲבַד‛ăbad · to makeH5648
• a greatרַבrab · greatH7229
• feastלְחֵםlechem · feastH3900
• to a thousandאֲלַ֑ף'ălaph 'eleph · thousandH506
• of his lordsרַבְרְבָןrabrebân · nobleH7261
• and drankשְׁתָהshethâh · to drinkH8355
• wineחֲמַרchămar · wineH2562
• beforeקֳבֵלqebêl qŏbêl · beforeH6903

Cross-references for Daniel 5:1

• Genesis 40:20Three days later, it was Pharaoh's birthday. He gave a feast for all his officers. He lifted up the head of the cupbearer and he lifted off the head of the baker! He brought them both out of the prison so that all his officers could see.
• Esther 1:3During the third year that he ruled, he gave a big feast for his leaders and officers. The soldiers from the army of Persia and Media came to the feast. The rulers and leaders of the regions in the kingdom also came.
• Isaiah 21:4It confuses my mind. I shake with fear. I wanted a quiet evening, but instead there is terror.
• Isaiah 22:12At that time, the Lord Almighty told you to be very sad and weep. He told you to cut all the hair off your heads and to wear rough clothes.
• Jeremiah 51:39While they are feeling so hungry, I will prepare a feast for them. I will cause them to become drunk, and they will become helpless. They will sleep for ever and they will never wake up again.’ That is what the Lord says.
• Nahum 1:10He will kill them. And then it will be like when thorn bushes have caught people. Or it will be like when they have drunk too much alcohol. It will be like when someone burns dry straw.
• Mark 6:21One day, Herodias had her chance. It was Herod's birthday and he asked many people to come to a special meal. Important men and officers came. The rulers from Galilee were also there.

Commentaries on Daniel 5:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Belshazzar the king made a great feast - This chapter is out of its place, and should come in after the seventh and eighth. There are difficulties in the chronology. After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-merodach his son ascended the throne of Babylon. Having reigned about two years, he was slain by his brother-in-law, Neriglissar. He reigned four years, and was succeeded by his son Laborosoarchod, who reigned only nine months. At his death Belshazzar…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Belshazzar the king - See Introduction to the chapter, Section II. In the Introduction to the chapter here referred to, I have stated what seemed to be necessary in order to illustrate the history of Belshazzar, so far as that can be now known. The statements in regard to this monarch, it is well understood, are exceedingly confused, and the task of reconciling them is now hopeless. Little depends, however, in the interpretation of this book, on the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Belshazzar's impious feast; the hand-writing on the wall. (Dn 5:1-9) Daniel is sent for to interpret it. (Dn 5:10-17) Daniel warns the king of his destruction. (Dn 5:18-31) Verses 1-9 Belshazzar bade defiance to the judgments of God. Most historians consider that Cyrus then besieged Babylon. Security and sensuality are sad proofs of approaching ruin. That mirth is sinful indeed, which profanes sacred things; and what are many of the songs used at modern…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Later: This chapter begins with events that took place in October 539 BC (see study note on Daniel 5:30). The name Belshazzar means “Bel Protects [the King].” Bel was a Babylonian god. Nabonidus, who ruled from 556 to 539 BC, placed his son Belshazzar on the Babylonian throne around 553 BC to rule in his place. Nabonidus then moved to Tema in northwest Arabia, where he stayed for ten years. He returned to Babylon only in a failed attempt to resist the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-311. Belshazzar--Rawlinson, from the Assyrian inscriptions, has explained the seeming discrepancy between Daniel and the heathen historians of Babylon, Berosus and Abydenus, who say the last king (Nabonidus) surrendered in Borsippa, after Babylon was taken, and had an honorable abode in Caramania assigned to him. Belshazzar was joint king with his father (called Minus in the inscriptions), but subordinate to him; hence the Babylonian account suppresses the…Read the comment

Topics related to Daniel 5:1

• Belshazzar
• Drunkenness
• Feasts
• Gluttony
• Happiness
• King
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Belshazzar
• Gift
• Light
• Loose
• Wine
• Aramaic; Aramaic Language
• Baltasar
• Baruch, Book of
• Bible, the
• Cyrus

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