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Daniel 5:8

in Daniel 5

So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Then came in all the king’s wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.

KJV

Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

This verse in Daniel 5

Commentary

7 notes on this verse
Then came in all the king’s wise men - The classes above referred to, Dan 5:7. But they could not read the writing - The character was an unknown character to them. It may have been a character which was not found in any language, and which made the power of Daniel to read it the more remarkable, or it may have been, as suggested in the notes at Dan 5:7, a foreign character with which they had no acquaintance, though familiar to Daniel.

This site's exposition

third highest ruler in the kingdom

on Daniel 5:7-9

The king calls for “the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners”, and “they could not read the inscription,” the second time Babylon's experts fail. The reward of purple, “a gold chain,” and “the third highest ruler in the kingdom” has puzzled readers expecting first or second place.

This site's exposition

could not read the inscription

Why Babylon's experts failed is debated. Adam Clarke held that the words were written in the old Hebrew script, strange to the Chaldeans but familiar to Daniel. Albert Barnes allowed either that reading or a script found in no language at all.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Hippolytus of Rome

Commentary on Daniel 3.15.2-3 · Written before 235.

proposed

And so after all were called, the king said to them, "'Whoever shall read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, shall be clothed in purple and a golden necklace shall be upon his neck and he shall rule as third in my kingdom.'

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

Then came in all the king's wise men,....

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,

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

They could not read the writing - Because it was in the pure Hebrew, not the Chaldean character. See below.

The words behind it

12 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.

  • אֱדַ֙יִן֙then

    ʾedayinH116 →57 times

  • עָֽלִּ֔ין[were] going in

    alalinH5954 →14 times

  • כֹּ֖לall

    kolH3606 →82 times

  • חַכִּימֵ֣י[the] wise men of

    chakimeiH2445 →14 times

  • מַלְכָּ֑אking the

    malka'H4430 →180 times

  • וְלָֽא־and not

    vela'-H3809 →82 times

  • כָהֲלִ֤ין[they were] able

    khahalinH3546 →4 times

  • כְּתָבָא֙writing the

    ketava'H3792 →12 times

  • לְמִקְרֵ֔אto read aloud

    lemikre'H7123 →11 times

  • וּפִשְׁרֵ֖הּand interpretation its

    ufishrahH6591 →31 times

  • לְהוֹדָעָ֥הto make known

    lehodaahH3046 →47 times

  • לְמַלְכָּֽא׃to king the

    lemalka'H4430 →180 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 4:7

    When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 44:25

      who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    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.

    it leads to

    • Daniel 5:7–8

      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…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Isaiah 47:12

      So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror!

  • Through

    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.

    it leads to

    • Daniel 4:7

      When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.

    • Exodus 7:22

      But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

    • Daniel 4:5

      I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.

    • Daniel 1:20

      In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

    • Matthew 2:1

      After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,

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 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Daniel; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 3.15.2-3; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.