Skip to content
mannafest.faith

Daniel 5:7

in Daniel 5

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 clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

KJV

The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

This verse in Daniel 5

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

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

Verse 7. The king therefore cried out vehemently that the magicians should be brought in, and the Chaldeans and the soothsayers..." Forgetting about the experiences of Nebuchadnezzar, he was following after the ancient and ingrained error of his family, so that instead of summoning a prophet of God he summons the magicians and Chaldeans and soothsayers. "...he shall be clothed in purple and he shall have a golden necklace about his neck."

This site's exposition

the third ruler in the kingdom

on Daniel 5:7-9

The king's wise men are called for exactly as Nebuchadnezzar once called for his, and fail exactly as they once failed, the second such scene in the book and the second time Babylon's own experts cannot read what Babylon's own God has written. The promised reward, scarlet clothing, a gold chain, and the third ruler in the kingdom, has puzzled readers expecting first or second place, and the evidence lane answers it directly below rather than treating it as a slip of the pen. Verse 9 leaves the whole court astonied, the same word used of Nebuchadnezzar's counselors, tying this failure to the pattern the book has already established twice.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Tertullian

ON IDOLATRY 18 · Written before 220.

proposed

Now we have to consider the mere ornaments and trappings of office. Each has its proper dress for daily and for ceremonial use. In Egypt and Babylon, the purple robe and gold necklaces were marks of rank, just as provincial priests have their golden wreaths and their robes of state.… But there was a difference in the obligation. They were conferred on men who earned the king's friendship, simply as a mark of honor.… Purple as such, then, was not yet a mark of high office among the barbarians, but of free birth. Joseph, who had been a slave, and Daniel, who had changed his status by captivity, attained citizenship of Egypt or Babylon by means of the garments that indicated free birth among the barbarians.

A commentator

Hippolytus of Rome

Commentary on Daniel 3.15.1 · Written before 235.

proposed

When the king saw this he quaked in fear and was in much distress, and he shouted in strength to bring in magicians, Chaldeans and soothsayers, not knowing that it is not possible for these to read the letters of God, but it is possible for those who from childhood practiced the law of God who also recognize the divine letters from their fathers.

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

He knew what these pretenders to wisdom aimed at, and what would please them, and therefore promised them a scarlet robe and a gold chain, glorious things in the eyes of those that know no better. Nay, he should be primus par regni--chief minister of state, the third ruler in the kingdom, next to the king and his heir apparent.
The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers,.... Or, "with strength" (n); with a strong voice, as loud as he could; which is expressive of the fright he was in, and of his eagerness and impatience of information; laying aside all decency, and forgetting his royal majesty, like a man out of his senses, quite distracted, as it were: of the "astrologers", &c.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

The interpretation of the mystical characters by Daniel, who was at length brought in to him, and dealt plainly with him, and showed him his doom written,
3 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The world wishes to be deceived and shuts its eyes against the light [CALVIN]. The Hebrews think the words were Chaldee, but in the old Hebrew character (like that now in the Samaritan Pentateuch). third ruler--The first place was given to the king; the second, to the son of the king, or of the queen; the third, to the chief of the satraps.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Whosoever shall read this writing - He knew it must be some awful portent, and wished to know what.
And the king cried aloud - Margin, as in the Chaldee, “with might.” This indicates a sudden and an alarming cry. The king was deeply terrified; and, unable himself to divine the meaning of the mysterious appearance of the hand, he naturally turned at once to those whose office it was to explain dreams and supernatural appearances. To bring in the astrologers ... - See the note at Dan 2:2; Dan 4:

The words behind it

31 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.

  • קָרֵ֤א[was] calling

    kare'H712311 times

  • מַלְכָּא֙king the

    malka'H4430180 times

  • בְּחַ֔יִלwith power

    bechayilH24297 times

  • לְהֶֽעָלָה֙to bring in

    lehealahH595414 times

  • לְאָ֣שְׁפַיָּ֔א<obj.> conjurers the

    leashefaiya'H8266 times

  • כַּשְׂדָּאֵ֖יChaldeans the

    kasdaeH37798 times

  • וְגָזְרַיָּ֑אand astrologers the

    vegazeraiya'H15056 times

  • עָנֵ֨ה[was] replying

    ʾanehH603230 times

  • מַלְכָּ֜אking the

    malka'H4430180 times

  • וְאָמַ֣ר׀and [was] saying

    veamarH56071 times

  • לְחַכִּימֵ֣יto [the] wise men of

    lechakimeiH244514 times

  • בָבֶ֗לBabylon

    vavelH89525 times

  • דִּ֣יthat

    diH1768345 times

  • כָל־any

    khol-H360682 times

  • אֱ֠נָשׁperson

    ʾenoshH60625 times

  • דִּֽי־who

    di-H1768345 times

  • יִקְרֵ֞הhe will read aloud

    yikrehH712311 times

  • כְּתָבָ֣הwriting the

    ketavah'H379212 times

  • דְנָ֗הthis

    denahH183658 times

  • וּפִשְׁרֵהּ֙and interpretation its

    ufishrehH659131 times

  • יְחַוִּנַּ֔נִיhe will declare to me

    yechavvinaniH232414 times

  • אַרְגְּוָנָ֣א<the> purple

    ʾargevana'H7113 times

  • יִלְבַּ֗שׁhe will be clothed

    yilbashH38483 times

  • וְהַֽמְנִיכָ֤אand necklace the

    vehamonkha'H20023 times

  • דִֽי־of

    di-H1768345 times

  • דַהֲבָא֙<the> gold

    dahava'H172223 times

  • עַֽל־[will be] on

    ʾal-H5922104 times

  • צַוְּארֵ֔הּneck his

    tzaverehH66763 times

  • וְתַלְתִּ֥יand third

    vetaltiH8523

  • בְמַלְכוּתָ֖אin kingdom the

    vemalkhuta'H443757 times

  • יִשְׁלַֽט׃ סhe will rule

    yishlatH79817 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

    Daniel 5:16

    But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in…

    it leads to

    • Daniel 5:29

      Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

      Reached by 3 separate paths from here.

    • Genesis 40:8

      “We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

  • Through

    Daniel 2:48

    Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.

    it leads to

    • 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.”

    • Daniel 4:9

      “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my…

    • Daniel 5:11

      There 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…

    • Genesis 41:39–43

      Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.

  • Through

    Daniel 5:29

    Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

    it leads to

    • Daniel 5:16

      But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in…

  • 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 2:48

      Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.

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 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Daniel; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 3.15.1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Tertullian, ON IDOLATRY 18.