New Living Translation
Daniel 5:6
6and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.
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
4While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. 5Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him. 7The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!” 8But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant.
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 5:9So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken.
- Daniel 2:1One night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn’t sleep.
- Daniel 3:19Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual.
- Job 15:20“The wicked writhe in pain throughout their lives. Years of trouble are stored up for the ruthless.
- Job 20:19For they oppressed the poor and left them destitute. They foreclosed on their homes.
- Psalms 73:18Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
- Isaiah 21:2I see a terrifying vision: I see the betrayer betraying, the destroyer destroying. Go ahead, you Elamites and Medes, attack and lay siege. I will make an end to all the groaning Babylon caused.
- Daniel 5:10But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened.
- Daniel 4:5But one night I had a dream that frightened me; I saw visions that terrified me as I lay in my bed.
- Daniel 7:28That was the end of the vision. I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts and my face was pale with fear, but I kept these things to myself.
- Psalms 69:23Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and make their bodies shake continually.
- Isaiah 13:7Every arm is paralyzed with fear. Every heart melts,
- Isaiah 21:3My stomach aches and burns with pain. Sharp pangs of anguish are upon me, like those of a woman in labor. I grow faint when I hear what God is planning; I am too afraid to look.
- Isaiah 5:27They will not get tired or stumble. They will not stop for rest or sleep. Not a belt will be loose, not a sandal strap broken.
- Isaiah 35:3With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees.
- Ezekiel 7:17Their hands will hang limp, their knees will be 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
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