Daniel 5:12
in Daniel 5did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon Daniel, therefore, and he will give you the interpretation.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.
KJV
Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.
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This verse in Daniel 5
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Forasmuch as an excellent spirit - Not an excellent spirit in the sense in which that phrase is sometimes used now, as denoting a good and pious spirit, but a spirit or mind that excels; that is, that is “distinguished” for wisdom and knowledge. Interpreting of dreams - Margin, “or, of an interpreter.” This was regarded as a great attainment, and was supposed to prove that one who could do it was inspired by the gods. And showing of hard sentences - The meaning of enigmatical or obscure sentences.
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
Daniel, having become a receptacle of the divine Spirit, gives wise advice on everything, makes intelligent utterances on everything, clarifies riddles in dreams, removes the obscurity from what is hidden in some obscurity and by setting free what is held in bondage in secret recesses, …
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.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 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.
Forasmuch as an excellent spirit,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
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
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כָּל־ | kol- | as to | ||
| קֳבֵ֡ל | kovel | because | H6903 → | 29 times |
| דִּ֣י | di | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| ר֣וּחַ׀ | ruach | a spirit | H7308 → | 11 times |
| יַתִּירָ֡ה | yatirah | extraordinary | H3493 → | 8 times |
| וּמַנְדַּ֡ע | umanda' | and understanding | H4486 → | 4 times |
| וְשָׂכְלְתָנ֡וּ | vesakheletanu | and insight | H7924 → | 3 times |
| מְפַשַּׁ֣ר | mefashar | an interpreter of | H6590 → | |
| חֶלְמִין֩ | chelmin | dreams | H2493 → | 22 times |
| וַֽאַֽחֲוָיַ֨ת | vaachavayat | and declaring of | H263 → | |
| אֲחִידָ֜ן | ʾachidan | riddles | H280 → | |
| וּמְשָׁרֵ֣א | umeshare' | and loosening of | H8271 → | 6 times |
| קִטְרִ֗ין | kitrin | knots | H7001 → | 3 times |
| הִשְׁתְּכַ֤חַת | hishtekhachat | it was found | H7912 → | 18 times |
| בֵּהּ֙ | beh | in him | ||
| בְּדָ֣נִיֵּ֔אל | bedaniyel | in Daniel | H1841 → | 57 times |
| דִּֽי־ | di- | whom | H1768 → | 345 times |
| מַלְכָּ֥א | malka' | king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
| שָׂם־ | som- | he made | H7761 → | 26 times |
| שְׁמֵ֖הּ | shemeh | name his | H8036 → | 12 times |
| בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּ֑ר | beleteshatzar | Belteshazzar | H1096 → | 8 times |
| כְּעַ֛ן | kean | now | H3705 → | 13 times |
| דָּנִיֵּ֥אל | daniyel | Daniel | H1841 → | 57 times |
| יִתְקְרֵ֖י | yitkerei | let him be summoned | H7123 → | 11 times |
| וּפִשְׁרָ֥ה | ufishrah' | and interpretation the | H6591 → | 31 times |
| יְהַֽחֲוֵֽה׃ פ | yehachaveh | he will declare | H2324 → | 14 times |
כָּל־as to
kol-
קֳבֵ֡לbecause
kovelH6903 →29 times
דִּ֣יthat
diH1768 →345 times
ר֣וּחַ׀a spirit
ruachH7308 →11 times
יַתִּירָ֡הextraordinary
yatirahH3493 →8 times
וּמַנְדַּ֡עand understanding
umanda'H4486 →4 times
וְשָׂכְלְתָנ֡וּand insight
vesakheletanuH7924 →3 times
מְפַשַּׁ֣רan interpreter of
mefasharH6590 →
חֶלְמִין֩dreams
chelminH2493 →22 times
וַֽאַֽחֲוָיַ֨תand declaring of
vaachavayatH263 →
אֲחִידָ֜ןriddles
ʾachidanH280 →
וּמְשָׁרֵ֣אand loosening of
umeshare'H8271 →6 times
קִטְרִ֗יןknots
kitrinH7001 →3 times
הִשְׁתְּכַ֤חַתit was found
hishtekhachatH7912 →18 times
בֵּהּ֙in him
beh
בְּדָ֣נִיֵּ֔אלin Daniel
bedaniyelH1841 →57 times
דִּֽי־whom
di-H1768 →345 times
מַלְכָּ֥אking the
malka'H4430 →180 times
שָׂם־he made
som-H7761 →26 times
שְׁמֵ֖הּname his
shemehH8036 →12 times
בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּ֑רBelteshazzar
beleteshatzarH1096 →8 times
כְּעַ֛ןnow
keanH3705 →13 times
דָּנִיֵּ֥אלDaniel
daniyelH1841 →57 times
יִתְקְרֵ֖יlet him be summoned
yitkereiH7123 →11 times
וּפִשְׁרָ֥הand interpretation the
ufishrah'H6591 →31 times
יְהַֽחֲוֵֽה׃ פhe will declare
yehachavehH2324 →14 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 6:3Soon, by his extraordinary spirit, Daniel distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps. So the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
it leads to
- Daniel 5:14
I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.
- Proverbs 22:29
Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
- Genesis 41:38–41
So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?”
- Esther 10:3
For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews and highly favored by his many kinsmen, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.
- Daniel 9:23
At the beginning of your petitions, an answer went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly precious. So consider the message and understand the vision:
- Daniel 5:14
Through
Daniel 1:7The chief official gave them new names: To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
it leads to
- Daniel 4:8
But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream:
- Daniel 4:8
Through
Proverbs 12:26A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the ways of the wicked lead them astray.
it leads to
- 1 John 2:26
I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
- James 1:13–14
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.
- 1 John 2:26
Where this verse is studied
About Daniel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 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; 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 5:12.