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

6The color drained from the king’s face, his thoughts alarmed him, his hips gave way and his knees began knocking together. 7The king called loudly to summon the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain around his neck, and will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom!” Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription nor tell the king what it meant. 9So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew pale. His nobles were baffled. 10The queen hearing the words of the king and his nobles entered the banquet hall. The queen spoke out and said, “May the king live forever! Do not let your thoughts frighten you, or your face be 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 answered the king, saying: “The mystery about which the king inquired is such that neither wise men, astrologers, magicians, or sorcerers can disclose it to the king.
• Daniel 4:7“These are the visions in my head while I was on my bed: I looked, and behold, there was a tree in the midst of the earth. Its height was enormous.
• Genesis 41:8But in the morning he was disturbed in his spirit. So he sent and called for the fortune-telling priests of Egypt and all its wise men and Pharaoh told them his dream. But no one could interpret them for Pharaoh.
• Isaiah 47:9These two things will come upon you in a moment, in one day— loss of children and widowhood— they will come upon you in full measure in spite of your many sorceries and your many 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