The Meaning of Daniel 5:4 Explained

Daniel 5:4

KJV: They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

YLT: they have drunk wine, and have praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

Darby: They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

ASV: They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They drank  wine,  and praised  the gods  of gold,  and of silver,  of brass,  of iron,  of wood,  and of stone. 

What does Daniel 5:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 5:1-16 - The Handwriting On The Wall
The name of Belshazzar has been deciphered in inscriptions found at Babylon, from which it is inferred that he was associated with his father in the kingdom, and was left to defend Babylon. He was therefore a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, the word "father," Daniel 5:11, being used in the sense of "ancestor." The great walls of the banqueting hall covered with sculptures and sumptuous decorations; the tablets covered by cuneiform descriptions of the triumphs of former kings; what a feast this was with the thousand lords; the most beautiful women of the land; the concourse of magnates of religion and the state! The wine flowed in rivers, and laughter rang through the vaulted hall. Upon the table stood the vessels of the Temple, and notably the seven-branched candlestick, which cast its radiance on the wall, clearly illumining the fingers of the hand that wrote. The words, though Chaldee, may have been written in Hebrew characters. Conscience anticipated Daniel, and filled the king's heart with foreboding. The queen may have been the great Nitocris, wife of Nebuchadnezzar, the ancestor of the present king. God has His own way of bringing His people to the front when He needs them. [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 5:4 mean?

they drank wine and praised gods of gold the and silver bronze and iron wood and stone
אִשְׁתִּ֖יו חַמְרָ֑א וְ֠שַׁבַּחוּ לֵֽאלָהֵ֞י דַּהֲבָ֧א וְכַסְפָּ֛א נְחָשָׁ֥א פַרְזְלָ֖א אָעָ֥א וְאַבְנָֽא

אִשְׁתִּ֖יו  they  drank 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שְׁתָה  
Sense: (P’al) to drink.
חַמְרָ֑א  wine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: חֲמַר  
Sense: wine.
וְ֠שַׁבַּחוּ  and  praised 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שְׁבַח  
Sense: (Pael) to laud, praise, adulate, adore.
לֵֽאלָהֵ֞י  gods 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלָהּ  
Sense: god, God.
דַּהֲבָ֧א  of  gold  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: דְּהַב  
Sense: gold.
וְכַסְפָּ֛א  and  silver 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: כְּסַף  
Sense: silver.
נְחָשָׁ֥א  bronze 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: נְחָשׁ  
Sense: copper, bronze.
פַרְזְלָ֖א  and  iron 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: פַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
אָעָ֥א  wood 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אָע  
Sense: wood, beam, timber.
וְאַבְנָֽא  and  stone 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone.