The Meaning of Daniel 5:27 Explained

Daniel 5:27

KJV: TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

YLT: Weighed -- Thou art weighed in the balances, and hast been found lacking.

Darby: TEKEL, Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting;

ASV: TEKEL; thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

TEKEL;  Thou art weighed  in the balances,  and art found  wanting. 

What does Daniel 5:27 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 5:17-31 - Weighed And Found Wanting
Daniel was unperturbed and undismayed. Calm and collected, he recognized his Father's handwriting, and read it, as the instructed may decipher a scroll which is illegible to the ordinary gaze. What to him were the gewgaws of the palace? With the wings of the angel of death overshadowing that awe-struck throng, it was of small importance that Belshazzar promised him the purple robe and chain of gold. It seems sometimes as though those fingers were busy still writing their awful sentence on the walls of national revelry. While a nation is drinking deep at its cups and countenancing uncleanness, the divine assay may be in progress and the verdict going forth: weighed and found wanting. There may be gold and glitter, revelry and mirth, the splendor of state, and the profusion of rich viands; but what of these if the people are ignorant, irreligious, and impure? Then, indeed, dry-rot has set in! The root sin of all is pride. May the Spirit of God, who ever brings with Him light and understanding and excellent wisdom be found in us, as in Daniel. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 5

1  Belshazzar's impious feast
5  A hand-writing unknown to the magicians, troubles the king
10  At the commendation of the queen Daniel is brought
17  He, reproving the king of pride and idolatry,
25  reads and interprets the writing
30  The monarchy is translated to the Medes

What do the individual words in Daniel 5:27 mean?

TEKEL You have been weighed in balances the and found wanting
תְּקֵ֑ל תְּקִ֥ילְתָּה בְמֹֽאזַנְיָ֖א וְהִשְׁתְּכַ֥חַתְּ חַסִּֽיר

תְּקֵ֑ל  TEKEL 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: תְּקַל 
Sense: to weigh.
תְּקִ֥ילְתָּה  You  have  been  weighed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: תְּקַל 
Sense: to weigh.
בְמֹֽאזַנְיָ֖א  in  balances  the 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural determinate
Root: מֹאזְנֵא  
Sense: scale, balance.
וְהִשְׁתְּכַ֥חַתְּ  and  found 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שְׁכַח  
Sense: to find.
חַסִּֽיר  wanting 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חַסִּיר  
Sense: lacking, wanting, deficient.