Daniel 5:17

Daniel 5:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then 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.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

Context of Daniel 5:17

15I told my wise men and enchanters to read these words. I asked them to tell me what the words mean. But they could not explain the message to me. 16I have heard that you can tell people what their dreams mean. And I have heard that you can find the answer to difficult problems. So can you read these words? Can you tell me what they mean? If you can do that, then I will put valuable purple clothes on you. You will have a gold chain around your neck. You will become the third ruler in the kingdom.’ Then Daniel answered the king, ‘You can keep your gifts for yourself. You can make someone else important. But I will read the words for the king, and I will tell him what they mean. 18I tell you this, King Belshazzar. The powerful God who rules over everything gave authority to your father, Nebuchadnezzar, to rule as king. God made him very great and very famous, so that he ruled with power. People respected him as a great king. 19Because God made him so great, the people in every nation, who spoke every language, were very afraid of him. If he wanted to kill someone, he could kill them. And if he wanted to save someone, he could let them live. If he wanted to make someone important, he did that. And if he wanted to make someone poor, he did that too.

Daniel 5:17 word by word

בֵּאדַ֜יִן עָנֵ֣ה דָנִיֵּ֗אל וְאָמַר֙ קֳדָ֣ם מַלְכָּ֔א מַתְּנָתָךְ֙ לָ֣ךְ לֶֽהֶוְיָ֔ן וּנְבָ֥זְבְּיָתָ֖ךְ לְאָחֳרָ֣ן הַ֑ב בְּרַ֗ם כְּתָבָא֙ אֶקְרֵ֣א לְמַלְכָּ֔א וּפִשְׁרָ֖א אֲהוֹדְעִנֵּֽהּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thenאֱדַ֫יִן'ĕdayin · thenH116
• Danielדָּנִיֵּאל, דָּנִאֵלdânîyê'l · DanielH1841
• answeredעֲנָה‛ănâh · to answerH6032
• and saidאֲמַר'ămar · to sayH560
• beforeקֳדָםqŏdâm qedâm · beforeH6925
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
• Let thy giftsמַתְּנָאmattenâ' · giftH4978
• beהֲוָאhâvâ' hâvâh · to beH1934
• to thyself, and giveיְהַבyehab · to giveH3052
• thy rewardsנְבִזְבָּהnebizbâh · rewardH5023
• to anotherאׇחֳרָן'ochŏrân · anotherH321
• yetבְּרַםberam · neverthelessH1297
• I will readקְרָאqerâ' · to readH7123
• the writingכְּתָבkethâb · inscriptionH3792
• and make knownיְדַעyeda‛ · to knowH3046
• to him the interpretationפְּשַׁרpeshar · interpretationH6591

Cross-references for Daniel 5:17

• Daniel 5:29When Belshazzar heard that, he caused his servants to put purple clothes on Daniel. They put a gold chain round his neck to show that he was an important person. The king told everyone that Daniel had become the third ruler in the kingdom.
• Genesis 14:23I promised that I would not take anything that belonged to you. I will not take the smallest thing, not even a piece of string, or part of a shoe. Then you will never be able to say, “I made Abram become rich.”
• 2 Kings 3:13Elisha said to the king of Israel, ‘We have nothing to say to each other! Instead, go to the prophets that your father and your mother liked to listen to.’ The king of Israel replied, ‘No! The Lord told us three kings to come here together. Now he is putting us under Moab's power.’
• 2 Kings 5:16But Elisha replied, ‘I serve the Lord. I promise you, as surely as he lives, I will not accept a gift from you.’ Naaman asked him many times to accept a gift but Elisha refused.
• Acts 8:20Peter answered Simon, ‘I pray that God will destroy you and your money! You think that you can buy this gift with your money! It is very wrong for you to think that. It is God who gives that gift.
• Daniel 2:6You must tell me about the dream and you must tell me what it means. If you do that, I will give to you many gifts and great honour. So you must tell me my dream, and tell me what it means.’
• Psalms 119:46I will speak to kings about your rules. I will not be ashamed to do that.

Commentaries on Daniel 5:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Let thy gifts be to thyself - They could be of little use to any, as the city was in a few hours to be taken and pillaged.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-17Verses 10-17 Daniel was forgotten at court; he lived privately, and was then ninety years of age. Many consult servants of God on curious questions, or to explain difficult subjects, but without asking the way of salvation, or the path of duty. Daniel slighted the offer of reward. He spoke to Belshazzar as to a condemned criminal. We should despise all the gifts and rewards this world can give, did we see, as we may by faith, its end hastening on; but let…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Daniel explained the writing but did not accept payment from the wicked king (see also Genesis 14:21–24; 2 Kings 5:15–16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. Not inconsistent with Da 5:29. For here he declares his interpretation of the words is not from the desire of reward. The honors in Da 5:29 were doubtless urged on him, without his wish, in such a way that he could not with propriety refuse them. Had he refused them after announcing the doom of the kingdom, he might have been suspected of cowardice or treason.Read the comment

Topics related to Daniel 5:17

• Belshazzar
• Daniel
• Reproof
• Self-Denial
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Unselfishness
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Daniel
• Gift
• Light
• Loose
• Aramaic; Aramaic Language
• Baruch, Book of
• Bible, the
• Daniel, Book of
• Languages of the Old Testament
• Babel

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