The Meaning of Daniel 5:23 Explained

Daniel 5:23

KJV: But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

YLT: and against the Lord of the heavens thou hast lifted up thyself; and the vessels of His house they have brought in before thee, and thou, and thy great men, thy wives, and thy concubines, are drinking wine with them, and gods of silver, and of gold, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, that are not seeing, nor hearing, nor knowing, thou hast praised: and the God in whose hand is thy breath, and all thy ways, Him thou hast not honoured.

Darby: but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of the heavens; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy nobles, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

ASV: but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine from them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But hast lifted up  thyself against  the Lord  of heaven;  and they have brought  the vessels  of his house  before  thee, and thou,  and thy lords,  thy wives,  and thy concubines,  have drunk  wine  in them; and thou hast praised  the gods  of silver,  and gold,  of brass,  iron,  wood,  and stone,  which see  not,  nor  hear,  nor  know:  and the God  in whose hand  thy breath  [is], and whose [are] all  thy ways,  hast thou not  glorified: 

What does Daniel 5:23 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 5:23 mean?

And against Lord of heaven the you have lifted yourself up and vessels the of His house they have brought - before you you and you - and your lords your wives and your concubines wine have drunk from them and gods of silver the and gold bronze and iron wood and stone which not do see or hear or know You have praised and God the who [holds] your breath in His hand and all your ways owns not you have glorified
וְעַ֣ל מָרֵֽא־ שְׁמַיָּ֣א ׀ הִתְרוֹמַ֡מְתָּ וּלְמָֽאנַיָּ֨א דִֽי־ בַיְתֵ֜הּ הַיְתִ֣יו [קדמיך] (קָֽדָמָ֗ךְ) [ואנתה] (וְאַ֨נְתְּ) [ורברבניך] (וְרַבְרְבָנָ֜ךְ‪‬) שֵֽׁגְלָתָ֣ךְ וּלְחֵנָתָךְ֮ חַמְרָא֮ שָׁתַ֣יִן בְּהוֹן֒ וְלֵֽאלָהֵ֣י כַסְפָּֽא־ וְ֠דַהֲבָא נְחָשָׁ֨א פַרְזְלָ֜א אָעָ֣א וְאַבְנָ֗א דִּ֠י לָֽא־ חָזַ֧יִן וְלָא־ שָׁמְעִ֛ין וְלָ֥א יָדְעִ֖ין שַׁבַּ֑חְתָּ וְלֵֽאלָהָ֞א דִּֽי־ נִשְׁמְתָ֥ךְ בִּידֵ֛הּ וְכָל־ אֹרְחָתָ֥ךְ לֵ֖הּ לָ֥א הַדַּֽרְתָּ

וְעַ֣ל  And  against 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל  
Sense: upon, over, on account of, above, to, against.
מָרֵֽא־  Lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מָרֵא  
Sense: lord.
שְׁמַיָּ֣א ׀  of  heaven  the 
Parse: Noun, mdd
Root: שְׁמַיִן  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
הִתְרוֹמַ֡מְתָּ  you  have  lifted  yourself  up 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: רוּם  
Sense: to rise.
וּלְמָֽאנַיָּ֨א  and  vessels  the 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural determinate
Root: מָאן  
Sense: vessel, utensil.
בַיְתֵ֜הּ  His  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת  
Sense: house (of men).
הַיְתִ֣יו  they  have  brought 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֲתָה  
Sense: to come, arrive.
[קדמיך]  - 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
(קָֽדָמָ֗ךְ)  before  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: קֳדָם  
Sense: before, in front of.
(וְאַ֨נְתְּ)  and  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַנְתְּ 
Sense: you, thou (second pers.
[ורברבניך]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
(וְרַבְרְבָנָ֜ךְ‪‬)  and  your  lords 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רַבְרְבָנִין  
Sense: lord, noble.
שֵֽׁגְלָתָ֣ךְ  your  wives 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁגַל  
Sense: king’s wife, king’s concubine, (royal) consort.
וּלְחֵנָתָךְ֮  and  your  concubines 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לְחֵנָה  
Sense: concubine.
חַמְרָא֮  wine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: חֲמַר  
Sense: wine.
שָׁתַ֣יִן  have  drunk 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שְׁתָה  
Sense: (P’al) to drink.
בְּהוֹן֒  from  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
וְלֵֽאלָהֵ֣י  and  gods 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלָהּ  
Sense: god, God.
כַסְפָּֽא־  of  silver  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: כְּסַף  
Sense: silver.
וְ֠דַהֲבָא  and  gold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: דְּהַב  
Sense: gold.
נְחָשָׁ֨א  bronze 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: נְחָשׁ  
Sense: copper, bronze.
פַרְזְלָ֜א  and  iron 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: פַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
אָעָ֣א  wood 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אָע  
Sense: wood, beam, timber.
וְאַבְנָ֗א  and  stone 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone.
חָזַ֧יִן  do  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: חֲזָה  
Sense: to see, behold.
שָׁמְעִ֛ין  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שְׁמַע  
Sense: to hear.
יָדְעִ֖ין  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יְדַע  
Sense: to know.
שַׁבַּ֑חְתָּ  You  have  praised 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שְׁבַח  
Sense: (Pael) to laud, praise, adulate, adore.
וְלֵֽאלָהָ֞א  and  God  the 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אֱלָהּ  
Sense: god, God.
דִּֽי־  who  [holds] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
נִשְׁמְתָ֥ךְ  your  breath 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נִשְׁמָה  
Sense: breath, spirit.
בִּידֵ֛הּ  in  His  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יַד  
Sense: hand.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, whole, the whole.
אֹרְחָתָ֥ךְ  your  ways 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֲרַח  
Sense: way, path, course of life.
לֵ֖הּ  owns 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
הַדַּֽרְתָּ  you  have  glorified 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: הֲדַר  
Sense: (Pael) to glorify (God).