Daniel 5:23

“But against the Lord of the heavens you have lifted yourself up; and the vessels of his house they brought before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and the gods of silver and of gold, of bronze, of iron, of wood and of stone, which do not see or hear or know, you have praised; but the Elah in whose hand is your breath and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified.”

Daniel 5:23 · direct translation from the Aramaic
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With the Aramaic beneath

23

Allusion · Revelation 9:20

Go to Revelation 9:20

Both texts speak of gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, that do not see or hear.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

  • ידֵydeH3028χειρῶνcheirōnG5495“hand”
  • דַהֲבָdahavaH1722χρυσᾶchrysaG5552“gold”
  • כַסְפָּjaspaH3702ἀργυρᾶargyraG693“silver”
  • נְחָשָׁnejashaH5174χαλκᾶchalkaG5470“bronze”
  • אַבְנָavnaH69λίθιναlithinaG3035“stone”
  • אָעָaaH636ξύλιναxylinaG3585“wood, beam”
  • חָזַיִןjazayinH2370βλέπεινblepeinG991“see”
  • שָׁמְעִיןshaminH8086ἀκούεινakoueinG191“hear, obey”
  • אֹרְחָתָorjataH735περιπατεῖνperipateinG4043“way”

Daniel 5:23, word by word

the Lordמָרֵאmare

lord

Lord, master (Aramaic): said of God and of the king.

Where else “mare” appears
of the heavensשְׁמַיָּshemaya

heavens

Heavens (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "shamayim". "The Elah of the heavens" is the God of Israel.

Where else “shemaya” appears
you have lifted yourself upהִתְרוֹמַמְתָּhitromamta

be lifted up; exalt

To be high, to be lifted up; also to exalt (Aramaic); "to lift oneself up" is to act with pride.

Where else “hitromamta” appears
and the vesselsמָאנַיָּmanaya

vessel, utensil

Vessel, utensil (Aramaic): the objects of gold and silver of the house of God.

Where else “manaya” appears
of his houseבַיְתֵvayte

temple

God's temple in Jerusalem.

Where else “vayte” appears
they broughtהַיְתִיוhaytiv

bring

To cause someone or something to arrive before another, by taking it there.

Where else “haytiv” appears
before youקָדָמָkadama

before

Before, in front of (Aramaic).

Where else “kadama” appears
and youאַנְתְּant

you

You (Aramaic).

Where else “ant” appears
and your noblesרַבְרְבָנָravrvana

noble, lord

Noble, great man (Aramaic): one of the lords of the king's court.

Where else “ravrvana” appears
your wivesשֵׁגְלָתָsheglata

queen, royal wife

Royal wife, queen (Aramaic): a wife of the king.

Where else “sheglata” appears
and your concubinesלְחֵנָתָlechenata

concubine

Concubine (Aramaic): a secondary wife of the king.

Where else “lechenata” appears
have been drinkingשָׁתַיִןshatayin

drink

To drink (Aramaic).

Where else “shatayin” appears
wineחַמְרָchamra

wine

Wine (Aramaic).

Where else “chamra” appears
and the godsאלָהֵיlahe

Elah, God, god

Elah: the Aramaic word for God, related to the Hebrew "Eloah" and "Elohim". In the parts of the Bible written in Aramaic (Ezra and Daniel) it is the God of Israel, the same one who in Hebrew is called Elohim; the text only changes language. The same word, also in the plural, is used for the gods of other peoples ("god", "gods"), and the passage itself shows who is meant.

Where else “lahe” appears
of silverכַסְפָּchaspa

silver

Silver (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "kesef".

Where else “chaspa” appears
and of goldדַהֲבָdahava

gold

Gold (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "zahav".

Where else “dahava” appears
of bronzeנְחָשָׁnechasha

bronze

Bronze, copper (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "nechoshet".

Where else “nechasha” appears
of ironפַרְזְלָfarzla

iron

Iron (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "barzel".

Where else “farzla” appears
of woodאָעָaa

wood, beam

Wood, tree; beam (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "ets".

Where else “aa” appears
and of stoneאַבְנָavna

stone

Stone (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "even".

Where else “avna” appears
seeחָזַיִןchazayin

see

To look and notice something, also in dreams and visions.

Where else “chazayin” appears
hearשָׁמְעִיןshamin

hear

Hear, listen; learn of something.

Where else “shamin” appears
knowיָדְעִיןyadin

know

To know something, to find out about it (in Aramaic).

Where else “yadin” appears
you have praisedשַׁבַּחְתָּshabachta

praise

To praise, to give praise (Aramaic).

Where else “shabachta” appears
in whose handידֵyde

hand

Hand (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "yad". "To give into the hand of" is to hand over to someone's power.

Where else “yde” appears
is your breathנִשְׁמְתָnishmta

breath

Breath, the breath of life (Aramaic).

Where else “nishmta” appears
your waysאֹרְחָתָorchata

way

Way (Aramaic); figuratively, conduct, the way one acts.

Where else “orchata” appears
glorifiedהַדַּרְתָּhadarta

glorify

To glorify, to honor (Aramaic).

Where else “hadarta” appears

The context

22And you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.

23 · This verse (above)

24Then from before him the palm of the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.

Read all of Daniel 5

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