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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant.

Context of Daniel 5:8

6His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking. 7The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled. 10The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale!

Daniel 5:8 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thenאֱדַ֫יִן'ĕdayin · thenH116
• cameעֲלַל‛ălal · to comeH5954
• in allכֹּלkôl · allH3606
• the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
• wiseחַכִּיםchakkîym · wiseH2445
• but they couldכְּהַלkehal · be ableH3546
• notלָאlâ' lâh · notH3809
• readקְרָאqerâ' · to readH7123
• the writingכְּתָבkethâb · inscriptionH3792
• nor make knownיְדַעyeda‛ · to knowH3046
• the interpretationפְּשַׁרpeshar · interpretationH6591

Cross-references for Daniel 5:8

• Daniel 2:27Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about,
• Daniel 4:7When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.
• Genesis 41:8In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
• Isaiah 47:9Both of these will overtake you in a moment, on a single day: loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and all your potent 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