The Meaning of Daniel 5:5 Explained

Daniel 5:5

KJV: In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

YLT: In that hour come forth have fingers of a man's hand, and they are writing over-against the candlestick, on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king is seeing the extremity of the hand that is writing;

Darby: In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

ASV: In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

Discover Daniel 5:5

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Daniel 5:5?

MEANING: What does Daniel 5:5 Mean?

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

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Daniel 5:5?

What is the context of Daniel 5:5?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

What does Daniel 5:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Like Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar received an omen from God. In Nebuchadnezzar"s case it was two dreams (chs1; 4). In Belshazzar"s, it was handwriting on a wall. The night of revelry became a night of revelation. ^[1]

"In the ruins of Nebuchadnezzar"s palace archeologists have uncovered a large throne room56 feet wide and173feet long which probably was the scene of this banquet. Midway in the long wall opposite the entrance there was a niche in front of which the king may well have been seated. Interestingly, the wall behind the niche was covered with white plaster as described by Daniel , which would make an excellent background for such a writing." ^[2]

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 5:5 mean?

In same hour the - appeared the fingers of a hand of man and wrote opposite the lampstand on plaster the of wall palace the king's the and king the saw the part of hand the that wrote

בַּהּ־ שַׁעֲתָ֗ה [נפקו] (נְפַ֙קָה֙) אֶצְבְּעָן֙ דִּ֣י יַד־ אֱנָ֔שׁ וְכָֽתְבָן֙ לָקֳבֵ֣ל נֶבְרַשְׁתָּ֔א עַל־ גִּירָ֕א דִּֽי־ כְתַ֥ל הֵיכְלָ֖א מַלְכָּ֑א וּמַלְכָּ֣א חָזֵ֔ה פַּ֥ס יְדָ֖ה דִּ֥י כָתְבָֽה

שַׁעֲתָ֗ה	same hour the
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate Root: שָׁעָה Sense: brief time, moment.
[נפקו]	-
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine plural
(נְפַ֙קָה֙)	appeared
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine plural Root: נְפַק Sense: to go or come out, bring or come forth.
אֶצְבְּעָן֙	the fingers
Parse: Noun, feminine plural Root: אֶצְבַּע Sense: finger, toe.
יַד־	a hand
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct Root: יַד Sense: hand.
אֱנָ֔שׁ	of man
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: אֱנָשׁ Sense: man, human being.
וְכָֽתְבָן֙	and wrote
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine plural Root: כְּתַב Sense: to write.
לָקֳבֵ֣ל	opposite
Parse: Preposition-l Root: קֳבֵל Sense: front prep.
נֶבְרַשְׁתָּ֔א	the lampstand
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate Root: נֶבְרְשָׁה Sense: lamp stand, candlestick.
גִּירָ֕א	plaster the
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate Root: גִּיר Sense: chalk, plaster.
כְתַ֥ל	wall
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct Root: כְּתַל Sense: a wall.
הֵיכְלָ֖א	palace the
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate Root: הֵיכַל Sense: palace, temple.
מַלְכָּ֑א	king's the
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate Root: מֶלֶךְ Sense: king.
וּמַלְכָּ֣א	and king the
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular determinate Root: מֶלֶךְ Sense: king.
חָזֵ֔ה	saw
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular Root: חֲזָה Sense: to see, behold.
פַּ֥ס	the part
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct Root: פַּס Sense: palm of the hand.
יְדָ֖ה	of hand the
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate Root: יַד Sense: hand.
דִּ֥י	that
Parse: Pronoun, relative Root: דִּי Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
כָתְבָֽה	wrote
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular Root: כְּתַב Sense: to write.

What are the major concepts related to Daniel 5:5?

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