God’s Word Translation
Daniel 5:6
6Then the king turned pale, and his thoughts frightened him. His hip joints became loose, and his knees knocked against each other.
Daniel 5:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
- New International Version (NIV)His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.
Context of Daniel 5:6
4They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, or stone. 5Suddenly, the fingers of a person’s hand appeared and wrote on the plaster wall opposite the lamp stand of the royal palace. The king watched as the hand wrote. Then the king turned pale, and his thoughts frightened him. His hip joints became loose, and his knees knocked against each other. 7The king screamed for the psychics, astrologers, and fortunetellers to be brought to him. He told these wise advisers of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me its meaning will be dressed in purple, wear a gold chain on his neck, and become the third-highest ruler in the kingdom.” 8All the king’s wise advisers came, but they couldn’t read the writing or tell the king its meaning.
Read all of Daniel 5Daniel 5:6 word by word
אֱדַ֤יִן מַלְכָּא֙ זִיוֹ֣הִי שְׁנ֔וֹהִי וְרַעיֹנֹ֖הִי יְבַהֲלוּנֵּ֑הּ וְקִטְרֵ֤י חַרְצֵהּ֙ מִשְׁתָּרַ֔יִן וְאַ֨רְכֻבָּתֵ֔הּ דָּ֥א לְדָ֖א נָֽקְשָֽׁן׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thenאֱדַ֫יִן'ĕdayin · thenH116
- the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
- countenanceזִיוzîyv · splendorH2122
- was changedשְׁנָאshenâ' · to changeH8133
- and his thoughtsרַעְיוֹןra‛yôn · thoughtH7476
- troubledבְּהַלbehal · to dismayH927
- him, so that the jointsקְטַרqeţar · jointH7001
- of his loinsחֲרַץchărats · loinH2783
- were loosedשְׁרָאsherê' · to looseH8271
- and his kneesאַרְכֻבָּה'arkûbâh · kneeH755
- smoteנְקַשׁneqash · to knockH5368
- oneדָּאdâ' · thisH1668
Cross-references for Daniel 5:6
- Daniel 5:9King Belshazzar was terrified, and his face turned pale. His nobles didn’t know what to do.
- Daniel 2:1During the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, he had some dreams. He was troubled, but he stayed asleep.
- Daniel 3:19Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with anger toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face turned red. He ordered that the furnace should be heated seven times hotter than normal.
- Job 15:20“The wicked person is tortured all his days. Only a few years are reserved for the ruthless person.
- Job 20:19because he crushed and abandoned the poor. He has taken by force a house that he didn’t build.
- Psalms 73:18You put them in slippery places and make them fall into ruin.
- Isaiah 21:2I was shown a harsh vision. The traitor betrays. The destroyer destroys. Go to war, Elam! Surround them, Media! I will put an end to all the groaning.
- Daniel 5:10The discussion between the king and his nobles brought the queen herself into the banquet hall. The queen said, “Your Majesty, may you live forever! Don’t let your thoughts frighten you, and don’t turn pale.
- Daniel 4:5I had a dream that terrified me. The visions I had while I was asleep frightened me.
- Daniel 7:28Here is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts, and I turned pale. I kept this to myself.
- Psalms 69:23Let their vision become clouded so that they cannot see. Let their thighs continually shake.
- Isaiah 13:7That is why every hand will hang limp, and everyone’s courage will fail.
- Isaiah 21:3That is why my body is full of trembling. Pain grips me like the pain of childbirth. I’m disturbed by what I hear. I’m terrified by what I see.
- Isaiah 5:27None of them grow tired or stumble. None of them slumber or sleep. The belts on their waists aren’t loose or their sandal straps broken.
- Isaiah 35:3Strengthen limp hands. Steady weak knees.
- Ezekiel 7:17Every hand will hang limp, and every knee will be as weak as water.
Commentaries on Daniel 5:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6The king's countenance was changed - Here is a very natural description of fear and terror. The face grows pale; The mind becomes greatly agitated; Pains seize on the lower part of the back and kidneys; A universal tremor takes place, so that the knees smite against each other; 5. And lastly, either a syncope takes place, or the cry of distress is uttered, Daniel 5:7; : "The king cried."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. 66. countenance--literally, "brightness," that is, his bright look. joints of his loins--"the vertebræ of his back" [Gesenius].Read the comment
Topics related to Daniel 5:6
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries