New King James Version
Daniel 5:23
23And 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.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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
21Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses. 22“But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 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. 24Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written. 25“And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
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 the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.
- 2 Kings 14:10You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Glory in that, and stay at home; for why should you meddle with trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”
- Isaiah 2:12For the day of the Lord of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up— And it shall be brought low—
- Isaiah 33:10“Now I will rise,” says the Lord; “Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up.
- Isaiah 37:23“Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice, And lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel.
- Jeremiah 50:29“Call together the archers against Babylon. All you who bend the bow, encamp against it all around; Let none of them escape. Repay her according to her work; According to all she has done, do to her; For she has been proud against the Lord, Against 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 lifted up, And you say, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, In the midst of the seas,’ Yet you are a man, and not a god, Though you set your heart as the heart of a god
- Ezekiel 31:10“Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and its heart was lifted up in its height,
- Habakkuk 2:4“Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.
- 1 Timothy 3:6not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
- Revelation 13:5And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
- Daniel 4:37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.
- Genesis 14:19And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
- Psalms 115:16The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men.
- Daniel 5:2While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.
- 1 Samuel 5:1Then the Philistines took the ark of God and 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries