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Daniel 5:17

in Daniel 5

In response, Daniel said to the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

KJV

Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

This verse in Daniel 5

Commentary

9 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE · Written before 420.

Verse 17. "To this Daniel made answer before the king, saying: 'Thy gifts be unto thyself, and bestow the presents of thy house upon someone else...'" We should follow the example of a man like Daniel, who despised the honor and gifts of a king, and who without any reward even in that early day followed the Gospel injunction: "Freely have ye received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8) And besides, when one is announcing sad tidings, it is unbecoming for him willingly to accept gifts.

This site's exposition

Let thy gifts be to thyself

Daniel refuses the reward before he has even read the writing, let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another, a single verse the bench treats as the moral center of the whole scene: he will tell Belshazzar the truth whether or not it is rewarded, because the truth does not change with the fee. Gill contrasts this refusal with Daniel's earlier acceptance of honors under Nebuchadnezzar, reading the difference as circumstance rather than principle, since here the king's own doom is the message and no gift could soften what must be said. He still promises to read the writing and make known the interpretation, refusing payment, not the task.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

John Chrysostom

ON THE EPISTLES TO THE HEBREWS, HOMILY 26:8-9 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

Why then, you ask, being so humble did Daniel not repel either the adoration that was paid him by the king or the offerings? This I will not say, for it is sufficient for me simply to mention the question, and the rest I leave to you, that at least in this way I may stir up your thoughts.… For that [Daniel] did not do this out of arrogance is evident from his saying, "your gifts be to yourself."

A commentator

Hippolytus of Rome

Commentary on Daniel 3.17.2 · Written before 235.

proposed

But the blessed Daniel, not taking pleasure in earthly gifts nor being lifted up at kingly glory answered, "Let your gifts, O king, be to you and give the present of your house to another. But I shall read the writing and I shall make known the interpretation to you." [Daniel 5:17]

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

He slights the offer he made him of rewards, is not pleased that it was mentioned, for he is not one of those that divine for money; what gratuities Nebuchadnezzar gave him afterwards he gladly accepted, but he scorned to bargain for them, or to read the writing to the king for and in consideration of such and such honours promised him.
Then Daniel answered and said before the king,.... With great freedom, boldness, and intrepidity: let thy gifts be to thyself; remain with thee; I neither want them, nor desire them; nor will I receive them on condition of reading and interpreting the writing: and give thy rewards to another; which he had promised to those that could read and interpret the handwriting on the wall; even to be clothed with scarlet, have a golden chain, and be the third ruler in the kingdom.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

For here he declares his interpretation of the words is not from the desire of reward. The honors in Da 5:29 were doubtless urged on him, without his wish, in such a way that he could not with propriety refuse them. Had he refused them after announcing the doom of the kingdom, he might have been suspected of cowardice or treason.
2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Let thy gifts be to thyself - They could be of little use to any, as the city was in a few hours to be taken and pillaged.
Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself - That is, “I do not desire them; I do not act from a hope of reward.” Daniel means undoubtedly to intimate that what he would do would be done from a higher motive than a desire of office or honor. The answer is one that is eminently dignified.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

and give your lavish gifts [as translated,] and give your lavish gifts.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Daniel 5:17:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

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

18 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • בֵּאדַ֜יִן<in> then

    bedayinH11657 times

  • עָנֵ֣ה[was] replying

    ʾanehH603230 times

  • דָנִיֵּ֗אלDaniel

    daniyelH184157 times

  • וְאָמַר֙and [say] saying

    veamarH56071 times

  • קֳדָ֣םbefore

    kodamH692542 times

  • מַלְכָּ֔אking the

    malka'H4430180 times

  • מַתְּנָתָךְ֙gifts your

    matenatokhH49783 times

  • לָ֣ךְfor yourself

    lakh

  • לֶֽהֶוְיָ֔ןlet them be

    lehevyanH193471 times

  • וּנְבָ֥זְבְּיָתָ֖ךְand rewards your

    unevazebeyatakhH5023

  • לְאָחֳרָ֣ןto another

    leochoranH3215 times

  • הַ֑בgive!

    havH305228 times

  • בְּרַ֗םnevertheless

    beramH12975 times

  • כְּתָבָא֙writing the

    ketava'H379212 times

  • אֶקְרֵ֣אI will read aloud

    ʾekre'H712311 times

  • לְמַלְכָּ֔אto king the

    lemalka'H4430180 times

  • וּפִשְׁרָ֖אand interpretation the

    ufishra'H659131 times

  • אֲהוֹדְעִנֵּֽהּ׃I will make known to him

    ʾahodinehH304647 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Psalms 119:46

    I will speak of Your testimonies before kings, and I will not be ashamed.

    it leads to

    • Romans 1:16

      I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.

    • Matthew 10:18–19

      On My account, you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

    • Acts 26:1–2

      Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:

  • Through

    2 Kings 5:16

    But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.” And although Naaman urged him to accept it, he refused.

    it leads to

    • 1 Kings 13:8

      But the man of God replied, “If you were to give me half your possessions, I still would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 2 Kings 3:14

      Then Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not for my regard for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at…

  • Through

    Daniel 2:6

    But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”

    it leads to

    • Daniel 5:7

      The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be…

  • Through

    Genesis 14:23

    that I will not accept even a thread, or a strap of a sandal, or anything that belongs to you, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

    it leads to

    • 2 Kings 5:16

      But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.” And although Naaman urged him to accept it, he refused.

  • Through

    2 Kings 3:13

    Elisha, however, said to the king of Israel, “What have we to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and of your mother!” “No,” replied the king of Israel, “for…

    it leads to

    • 1 Kings 22:6

      So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will…

Where this verse is studied

About Daniel

Daniel Interprets the Writing on the Wall — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Daniel Interprets the Writing on the Wall — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
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); Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 3.17.2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE; John Chrysostom, ON THE EPISTLES TO THE HEBREWS, HOMILY 26:8-9; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.