The Meaning of Daniel 5:30 Explained

Daniel 5:30

KJV: In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

YLT: In that night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans is slain,

Darby: In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

ASV: In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

In that night  was Belshazzar  the king  of the Chaldeans  slain. 

What does Daniel 5:30 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Herodotus, Xenophon, Berossus, the Babylonian Chronicles, and Cyrus (on the Cyrus Cylinder) all described the fall of Babylon in writings that have remained to the present day. [1] Isaiah and Jeremiah had predicted Babylon"s fall ( Isaiah 13:17-22; Isaiah 21:1-10; Isaiah 47:1-5; Jeremiah 51:33-58). The Persians diverted the water from the Euphrates River that flowed south through Babylon into an ancient lake located to the north. This allowed them to walk into the city on the riverbed and scale the undefended walls that flanked the river. [2] Herodotus pictured Babylon"s fall as follows:
"Hereupon the Persians who had been left for the purpose at Babylon by the river-side, entered the stream, which had now sunk so as to reach about midway up a man"s thigh, and thus got into the town. Had the Babylonians been appraised of what Cyrus was about, or had they noticed their danger, they would never have allowed the Persians to enter the city, but would have destroyed them utterly; for they would have made fast all the street-gates which gave upon the river, and mounting upon the walls along both sides of the stream, would so have caught the enemy as it were in a trap. But, as it was, the Persians came upon them by surprise and took the city. Owing to the vast size of the place, the inhabitants of the central parts (as the residents at Babylon declare), long after the outer portions of the town were taken, knew nothing of what had chanced, but as they were engaged in a festival, continued dancing and revelling [3] until they learnt the capture but too certainly." [4]
"The downfall of Babylon is in type the downfall of the unbelieving world [5]. In many respects, modern civilization is much like ancient Babylon, resplendent with its monuments of architectural triumph, as secure as human hands and ingenuity could make it, and yet defenseless against the judgment of God at the proper hour. Contemporary civilization is similar to ancient Babylon in that it has much to foster human pride but little to provide human security. Much as Babylon fell on the sixteenth day of Tishri (Oc11or12) 539 B.C, as indicated in the Nabonidus Chronicle, so the world will be overtaken by disaster when the day of the Lord comes ( 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 [6]). The disaster of the world, however, does not overtake the child of God; Daniel survives the purge and emerges triumphant as one of the presidents of the new kingdom in chapter6." [7]
The record of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel is the story of an overbearing king who experienced temporary judgment, but the story of Belshazzar is one of a sacrilegious king who suffered permanent judgment. Xenophon also recorded Belshazzar"s death. The night of revelry that had become a night of revelation now turned into a night of retribution. [8]
"Historically, Belshazzar perhaps fell because he could not handle a political crisis; but more profoundly, as Daniel sees it, he fell because of his irresponsibility before God ..." [9]

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 5:30 mean?

In [that] night was slain Belshazzar king of Chaldean Chaldeans the -
בֵּ֚הּ בְּלֵ֣ילְיָ֔א קְטִ֕יל בֵּלְאשַׁצַּ֖ר מַלְכָּ֥א [כשדיא] (כַשְׂדָּאָֽה) פ

בֵּ֚הּ  In  [that] 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֲבִיהוּא  
Sense: a son of Aaron destroyed for sacrificing strange fire to God.
בְּלֵ֣ילְיָ֔א  night 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: לֵילֵי  
Sense: night.
קְטִ֕יל  was  slain 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קְטַל  
Sense: to slay, kill.
בֵּלְאשַׁצַּ֖ר  Belshazzar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּלְאשַׁצַּר 
Sense: king of Babylon at the time of its fall; he to whom Daniel interpreted the writing on the wall.
מַלְכָּ֥א  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
[כשדיא]  of  Chaldean 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
(כַשְׂדָּאָֽה)  Chaldeans  the 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדָּי  
Sense: the inhabitants of Chaldea, living on the lower Euphrates and Tigris.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation