English Standard Version
Daniel 5:23
23but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.
Daniel 5:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But 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:
- New International Version (NIV)Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.
- New Living Translation (NLT)For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!
Context of Daniel 5:23
21He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. 22And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. 24"Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.
Read all of Daniel 5Daniel 5:23 word by word
וְעַ֣ל מָרֵֽא־שְׁמַיָּ֣א׀ הִתְרוֹמַ֡מְתָּ וּלְמָֽאנַיָּ֨א דִֽי־בַיְתֵ֜הּ הַיְתִ֣יו קָֽדָמָ֗ךְ וְאַ֨נְתְּ וְרַבְרְבָנָ֜ךְ שֵֽׁגְלָתָ֣ךְ וּלְחֵנָתָךְ֮ חַמְרָא֮ שָׁתַ֣יִן בְּהוֹן֒ וְלֵֽאלָהֵ֣י כַסְפָּֽא־וְ֠דַהֲבָא נְחָשָׁ֨א פַרְזְלָ֜א אָעָ֣א וְאַבְנָ֗א דִּ֠י לָֽא־חָזַ֧יִן וְלָא־שָׁמְעִ֛ין וְלָ֥א יָדְעִ֖ין שַׁבַּ֑חְתָּ וְלֵֽאלָהָ֞א דִּֽי־נִשְׁמְתָ֥ךְ בִּידֵ֛הּ וְכָל־אֹרְחָתָ֥ךְ לֵ֖הּ לָ֥א הַדַּֽרְתָּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But hast lifted upרוּםrûm · to riseH7313
- thyself againstעַל‛al · uponH5922
- the Lordמָרֵאmârê' · lordH4756
- of heavenשָׁמַ֫יִןshâmayin · heavenH8065
- and they have broughtאֲתָה'âthâh 'âthâ' · to comeH858
- the vesselsמָאןmâ'n · utensilH3984
- of his houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · houseH1005
- beforeקֳדָםqŏdâm qedâm · beforeH6925
- thee, and thouאַנְתָּה'antâh · youH607
- and thy lordsרַבְרְבָןrabrebân · nobleH7261
- thy wivesשֵׁגָלshêgâl · consortH7695
- and thy concubinesלְחֵנָהlechênâh · concubineH3904
- have drunkשְׁתָהshethâh · to drinkH8355
- wineחֲמַרchămar · wineH2562
- in them; and thou hast praisedשְׁבַחshebach · to praiseH7624
- the godsאֱלָהּ'ĕlâhh · godH426
- of silverכְּסַףkesaph · silverH3702
- and goldדְּהַבdehab · goldH1722
- of brassנְחָשׁnechâsh · bronzeH5174
- ironפַּרְזֶלparzel · ironH6523
- woodאָע'â‛ · woodH636
- and stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH69
- which seeחֲזָהchăzâ' chăzâh · to seeH2370
- notלָאlâ' lâh · notH3809
- hearשְׁמַעshema‛ · to hearH8086
- knowיְדַעyeda‛ · to knowH3046
- in whose handיַדyad · handH3028
- thy breathנִשְׁמָאnishmâ' · breathH5396
- allכֹּלkôl · allH3606
- thy waysאֹ֫רַח'ôrach · wayH735
- glorifiedהֲדַרhădar · to honorH1922
Cross-references for Daniel 5:23
- Daniel 5:3Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.
- 2 Kings 14:10You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?"
- Isaiah 2:12For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;
- Isaiah 33:10"Now I will arise," says the Lord, "now I will lift myself up; now I will be exalted.
- Isaiah 37:23"'Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes to the heights? Against the Holy One of Israel!
- Jeremiah 50:29"Summon archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow. Encamp around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her according to all that she has done. For she has proudly defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
- Ezekiel 28:2"Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God: "Because your heart is proud, and you have said, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,' yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god—
- Ezekiel 31:10"Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height,
- Habakkuk 2:4"Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
- 1 Timothy 3:6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
- Revelation 13:5And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.
- Daniel 4:37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
- Genesis 14:19And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
- Psalms 115:16The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.
- Daniel 5:2Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.
- 1 Samuel 5:1When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
Commentaries on Daniel 5:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord - And the highest evidence of this rebellion was, the profaning the sacred vessels of the Lord's house.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-31Verses 18-31 Daniel reads Belshazzar's doom. He had not taken warning by the judgments upon Nebuchadnezzar. And he had insulted God. Sinners are pleased with gods that neither see, nor hear, nor know; but they will be judged by One to whom all things are open. Daniel reads the sentence written on the wall. All this may well be applied to the doom of every sinner. At death, the sinner's days are numbered and finished; after death is the judgment, when he…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-30All earthly kingdoms eventually end. Nebuchadnezzar's dream suggested that Babylon would fall and a new kingdom would rise (Daniel 2:39). After Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BC, violence and corruption grew in Babylon's palaces. During Belshazzar's feast in 539 BC, they even defiled God's holy vessels. God's judgment came quickly that night (Daniel 5:30), and the next kingdom took over (see 2:32, 39; 5:31).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. whose are all thy ways--(Jr 10:23).Read the comment
Topics related to Daniel 5:23
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries