Daniel 5:8

Daniel 5:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
• New International Version (NIV)Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now all the king’s wise men came, but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation.

Context of Daniel 5:8

6Then the king’s face became pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints loosened and his knees began knocking together. 7The king called aloud to bring in the sorcerers, the Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king began speaking and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Anyone who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as third ruler in the kingdom.” Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king. 9Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, his face grew even more pale, and his nobles were perplexed. 10The queen entered the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen began to speak and said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale.

Daniel 5:8 word by word

אֱדַ֙יִן֙ עָֽלִּ֔ין כֹּ֖ל חַכִּימֵ֣י מַלְכָּ֑א וְלָֽא־כָהֲלִ֤ין כְּתָבָא֙ לְמִקְרֵ֔א וּפִשְׁרֵ֖הּ לְהוֹדָעָ֥ה לְמַלְכָּֽא׃Read the interlinear

• Thenאֱדַ֫יִן'ĕdayin · thenH116
• allכֹּלkôl · allH3606
• the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
• wiseחַכִּיםchakkîym · wiseH2445
• cameעֲלַל‛ălal · to comeH5954
• they couldכְּהַלkehal · be ableH3546
• not readקְרָאqerâ' · to readH7123
• the inscriptionכְּתָבkethâb · inscriptionH3792
• or makeיְדַעyeda‛ · to knowH3046
• its interpretationפְּשַׁרpeshar · interpretationH6591

Cross-references for Daniel 5:8

• Daniel 2:27Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the secret about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, sorcerers, soothsayer priests, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.
• Daniel 4:7Then the soothsayer priests, the sorcerers, the Chaldeans, and the diviners came in and I related the dream to them, but they could not make its interpretation known to me.
• Genesis 41:8Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent messengers and called for all the soothsayer priests of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.
• Isaiah 47:9But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day: Loss of children and widowhood. They will come on you in full measure In spite of your many sorceries, In spite of the great power of your spells.

Commentaries on Daniel 5:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8They could not read the writing - Because it was in the pure Hebrew, not the Chaldean character. See below.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8As before, the Babylonian wise men could not interpret the omen (see Daniel 2:4–11; 4:7; 5:15).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. The words were in such a character as to be illegible to the Chaldees, God reserving this honor to Daniel.Read the comment

Topics related to Daniel 5:8

• Belshazzar
• Wicked (People)
• Wise Men
• Women

In the dictionaries

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

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