God’s Word Translation
Daniel 5:1
1King Belshazzar threw a large banquet for 1,000 nobles and drank wine with them.
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 threw a large banquet for 1,000 nobles and drank wine with them. 2As they were tasting the wine, Belshazzar ordered that the gold and silver utensils which his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem be brought to him. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. 3So the servants brought the gold utensils that had been taken from God’s temple in Jerusalem. The king, his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them.
Read all of Daniel 5Daniel 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 40:20Two days later, on his birthday, Pharaoh had a special dinner prepared for all his servants. Of all his servants he gave special attention to the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
- Esther 1:3he held a banquet in the third year of his reign. The banquet was for all his officials and advisers, that is, the military officers of the Persians and Medes, the nobles and officials of the provinces who had access to him.
- Isaiah 21:4I’m confused. I’m shaking with terror. The twilight hours I longed for make me tremble.
- Isaiah 22:12On that day the Almighty Lord of Armies will call for crying and for mourning, for shaving your heads and for wearing sackcloth.
- Jeremiah 51:39When they are excited, I will prepare a feast for them and make them drunk so that they will shout and laugh. They will fall into a deep sleep and never wake up again, declares the Lord.
- Nahum 1:10⌞The people of Nineveh will be⌟ like tangled thorns and like people drunk on their own drink. They will be completely burned up like very dry straw.
- Mark 6:21An opportunity finally came on Herod’s birthday. Herod gave a dinner for his top officials, army officers, and the most important people of Galilee.
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
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
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