Daniel 5:11
in Daniel 5There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
KJV
There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
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This verse in Daniel 5
Commentary
9 notes on this verseVerse 11. "'There is a man in thy kingdom who possesses within him the spirit of the holy gods.'" All the authorities except Symmachus, who adheres to the Chaldee original, render: "the spirit of God." "'...and in the days of thy father, wisdom, and knowledge were found in him...'" She calls Nebuchadnezzar his father, according to the custom of the Scriptures, even though, as we remarked before, he was actually his great-grandfather.
This site's exposition
the queen
on Daniel 5:10-12
The queen who enters unsummoned is read by the bench as the queen mother, likely Nebuchadnezzar's own widow, since she remembers Daniel's service under the former king in detail Belshazzar's own generation had apparently forgotten or ignored. Her praise of Daniel, an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, and the interpreting of dreams, is offered as inherited memory rather than new information, which the bench reads as an indictment of a court that had let Daniel slip to the margins during Belshazzar's reign. She names him precisely, Daniel whom the king named Belteshazzar, closing the identification before Daniel is even sent for.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Then at this point, "the queen, having heard what happened, came into the house of the drinking bout and said to the king, 'Let not your thoughts trouble you, and let not your form be changed. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of God, and in the days of your father watchfulness and understanding were found in him. And king Nebuchadnezzar your father set him as chief of the enchanters, magicians, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. Because the Spirit of God abounds in him and thoughts and understanding are his, he interprets dreams and explains difficulties, and solves riddles; his name is Daniel. And the king gave him the name Baltasar. And so now let him be called and he will explain the interpretation to you.'" [Daniel 5:10-12] And so for what reason did the queen enter and call to mind Daniel? For did all the magistrates and friends of the king not know him? Or did they not know the things which occurred to Nebuchadnezzar, as he alone saw the dreams which were meant for him, and he set him as chief of the wise men of Babylon? They themselves also knew, but being destroyed by him, since he was adorned with heavenly wisdom, they did not want to proclaim to the king concerning him, so that he might not come and interpret the writing, and later they would be shamed. This not only happened to Daniel then, but also even now it occurs to many. For when one of the saints acquires grace from God and is found wiser than others, immediately everyone begins coveting, hating, persecuting, insulting, dishonoring, talking down, and setting him at naught, so that by this they imagine him to be nothing. For similarly it also happened upon the prophets and upon the Lord and upon the apostles. In this way also we observe these things coming upon Daniel in Babylon. For Scripture puts forth these things as a proof that they happened in this way.
Now, by "alertness" she referred to vigilance of soul, and by "understanding" to a grasp of hidden things and an insight into what escaped many. "Your father King Nebuchadnezzar," she went on, "made him chief of magicians, soothsayers, astrologers, and fortune tellers," adding the reason, …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Yet what was the wisdom of them both compared with the treasures of wisdom hidden in Christ? (2.) He had an admirably good heart: An excellent spirit was found in him, which was a great ornament to his wisdom and knowledge, and qualified him to receive that gift; for God gives to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy.
She entreated him not to be discouraged by the insufficiency of his wise men to solve this riddle, for that there was a man in his kingdom that had more than once helped his grandfather at such a dead lift, and, no doubt, could help him,
There is a man in thy kingdom,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Nebuchadnezzar thy father - See the note on Dan 5:1 (note).
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
There is a man in thy kingdom - To wit, Daniel. As the queen-mother had lived in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, and recollected the important service which he had rendered in interpreting the dream of the king, it was natural that her mind should at once recur to him. It would seem, also, that though Daniel was no longer employed at court, yet that she still had an acquaintance with him, so far at least as to know that he was accessible, and might be called in on this occasion.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
The queen, in response to the words of the king The queen, because she heard the words of the king and his princes, came to the banquet hall.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
All because, etc. because a superior spirit, knowledge and understanding are within him, and the talent to tell riddles.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
28 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אִיתַ֨י | ʾitai | there | H383 → | 17 times |
| גְּבַ֜ר | gevar | [is] a man | H1400 → | 21 times |
| בְּמַלְכוּתָ֗ךְ | bemalkhutakh | in kingdom your | H4437 → | 57 times |
| דִּ֠י | di | who | H1768 → | 345 times |
| ר֣וּחַ | ruach | a spirit of | H7308 → | 11 times |
| אֱלָהִ֣ין | ʾelahin | gods | H426 → | 95 times |
| קַדִּישִׁין֮ | kadishin | holy | H6922 → | 13 times |
| בֵּהּ֒ | beh | [is] in him | ||
| וּבְיוֹמֵ֣י | uveyomei | and in [the] days of | H3118 → | 16 times |
| אֲב֗וּךְ | ʾavukh | father your | H2 → | 9 times |
| נַהִיר֧וּ | nahiru | illumination | H5094 → | 3 times |
| וְשָׂכְלְתָנ֛וּ | vesakheletanu | and insight | H7924 → | 3 times |
| וְחָכְמָ֥ה | vechakhemah | and wisdom | H2452 → | 8 times |
| כְּחָכְמַת־ | kechakhemat- | like [the] wisdom of | H2452 → | 8 times |
| אֱלָהִ֖ין | ʾelahin | gods | H426 → | 95 times |
| הִשְׁתְּכַ֣חַת | hishtekhachat | it was found | H7912 → | 18 times |
| בֵּ֑הּ | beh | in him | ||
| וּמַלְכָּ֤א | umalka' | and king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
| נְבֻֽכַדְנֶצַּר֙ | nevukhadnetzar | Nebuchadnezzar | H5020 → | 31 times |
| אֲב֔וּךְ | ʾavukh | father your | H2 → | 9 times |
| רַ֧ב | rav | chief of | H7229 → | 15 times |
| חַרְטֻמִּ֣ין | chartumin | [the] magicians | H2749 → | 5 times |
| אָֽשְׁפִ֗ין | ʾashefin | conjurers | H826 → | 6 times |
| כַּשְׂדָּאִין֙ | kasdain | Chaldeans | H3779 → | 8 times |
| גָּזְרִ֔ין | gazerin | astrologers | H1505 → | 6 times |
| הֲקִימֵ֖הּ | hakimeh | he appointed him | H6966 → | 35 times |
| אֲב֥וּךְ | ʾavukh | father your | H2 → | 9 times |
| מַלְכָּֽא׃ | malka' | king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
אִיתַ֨יthere
ʾitaiH383 →17 times
גְּבַ֜ר[is] a man
gevarH1400 →21 times
בְּמַלְכוּתָ֗ךְin kingdom your
bemalkhutakhH4437 →57 times
דִּ֠יwho
diH1768 →345 times
ר֣וּחַa spirit of
ruachH7308 →11 times
אֱלָהִ֣יןgods
ʾelahinH426 →95 times
קַדִּישִׁין֮holy
kadishinH6922 →13 times
בֵּהּ֒[is] in him
beh
וּבְיוֹמֵ֣יand in [the] days of
uveyomeiH3118 →16 times
אֲב֗וּךְfather your
ʾavukhH2 →9 times
נַהִיר֧וּillumination
nahiruH5094 →3 times
וְשָׂכְלְתָנ֛וּand insight
vesakheletanuH7924 →3 times
וְחָכְמָ֥הand wisdom
vechakhemahH2452 →8 times
כְּחָכְמַת־like [the] wisdom of
kechakhemat-H2452 →8 times
אֱלָהִ֖יןgods
ʾelahinH426 →95 times
הִשְׁתְּכַ֣חַתit was found
hishtekhachatH7912 →18 times
בֵּ֑הּin him
beh
וּמַלְכָּ֤אand king the
umalka'H4430 →180 times
נְבֻֽכַדְנֶצַּר֙Nebuchadnezzar
nevukhadnetzarH5020 →31 times
אֲב֔וּךְfather your
ʾavukhH2 →9 times
רַ֧בchief of
ravH7229 →15 times
חַרְטֻמִּ֣ין[the] magicians
chartuminH2749 →5 times
אָֽשְׁפִ֗יןconjurers
ʾashefinH826 →6 times
כַּשְׂדָּאִין֙Chaldeans
kasdainH3779 →8 times
גָּזְרִ֔יןastrologers
gazerinH1505 →6 times
הֲקִימֵ֖הּhe appointed him
hakimehH6966 →35 times
אֲב֥וּךְfather your
ʾavukhH2 →9 times
מַלְכָּֽא׃king the
malka'H4430 →180 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Daniel 4:18This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you are able, because…
it leads to
- Daniel 5:15
Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this inscription and interpret it for me, but they could not give its interpretation.
- Genesis 41:8
In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
- Genesis 41:15
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
- Daniel 5:8
So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.
- Daniel 4:7–9
When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.
- Daniel 5:15
Through
Daniel 2:11What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 6:16
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and…
- Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit,…
- John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- 2 Corinthians 6:16
Where this verse is studied
About Daniel
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 3.15.5-16.5; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 5:11.