Daniel 5:23
Daniel 5:23 in Multiple Translations
Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.
But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine from them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.
But you have been lifting yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and they have put the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your women, have taken wine in them; and you have given praise to gods of silver and gold, of brass and iron and wood and stone, who are without the power of seeing or hearing, and without knowledge: and to the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not given glory;
You have arrogantly defied the Lord of heaven and you had the cups and bowls of his Temple brought to you. You and your nobles, your wives and concubines, drank wine from them as you praised gods made of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone that can't see or hear or know anything. But you have not honored God who holds in his hand your very breath and everything you do.
But hast lift thy selfe vp against the Lord of heauen, and they haue brought the vessels of his House before thee, and thou and thy princes, thy wiues and thy concubines haue drunke wine in them, and thou hast praysed the gods of siluer and golde, of brasse, yron, wood and stone, which neither see, neither heare, nor vnderstand: and the God in whose hand thy breath is and all thy wayes, him hast thou not glorified.
and against the Lord of the heavens thou hast lifted up thyself; and the vessels of His house they have brought in before thee, and thou, and thy great men, thy wives, and thy concubines, are drinking wine with them, and gods of silver, and of gold, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, that are not seeing, nor hearing, nor knowing, thou hast praised: and the God in whose hand [is] thy breath, and all thy ways, Him thou hast not honoured.
but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t see, or hear, or know; and you have not glorified the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways.
But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drank wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is , and whose are all thy ways, thou hast not glorified.
But hast lifted thyself up against the Lord of heaven: and the vessels of his house have been brought before thee: and thou, and thy nobles, and thy wives, and thy concubines have drunk wine in them: and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and of gold, and of brass, of iron, and of wood, and of stone, that neither see, nor hear, nor feel: but the God who hath thy breath in his hand, and all thy ways, thou hast not glorified.
You have considered yourself to be greater than God, the Lord of heaven. So you have commanded your servants to bring to you these sacred cups, which were dedicated to the Supreme God, and which were taken from his temple in Jerusalem. You and your officials and your wives and your ◄concubines/slave wives► have been drinking wine from these cups, while you have been praising your own gods—gods which are made of gold and silver and bronze and iron and wood and stone. Those are gods that cannot see, that cannot hear, and that do not know anything! You have not honored the God who gives you breath and who controls everything that happens to you.
Berean Amplified Bible — Daniel 5:23
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Daniel 5:23 Interlinear (Deep Study)
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Hebrew Word Reference — Daniel 5:23
Study Notes — Daniel 5:23
- Context
- Cross References
- Daniel 5:23 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Daniel 5:23
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Daniel 5:23
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Daniel 5:23
- Trapp's Commentary on Daniel 5:23
- Ellicott's Commentary on Daniel 5:23
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Daniel 5:23
- Cambridge Bible on Daniel 5:23
- Barnes' Notes on Daniel 5:23
- Whedon's Commentary on Daniel 5:23
- Sermons on Daniel 5:23
Context — Daniel Interprets the Handwriting
23Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.
24Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription. 25Now this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 12:10 | The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind. |
| 2 | Daniel 4:37 | Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 10:23 | I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps. |
| 4 | Isaiah 2:12 | For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is exalted— it will be humbled— |
| 5 | Isaiah 37:23 | Whom have you taunted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! |
| 6 | Job 31:4 | Does He not see my ways and count my every step? |
| 7 | Proverbs 20:24 | A man’s steps are from the LORD, so how can anyone understand his own way? |
| 8 | Psalms 115:4–8 | Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats. Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them. |
| 9 | Jeremiah 50:29 | Summon the archers against Babylon, all who string the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. |
| 10 | Habakkuk 2:18–19 | What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it— or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.” |
Daniel 5:23 Summary
[This verse tells us that Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, was punished for using the special cups and bowls from God's temple to drink wine and praise his false idols, as seen in Daniel 5:23. He forgot that the one true God is the one who gives us life and breath, as stated in Acts 17:25. We can learn from Belshazzar's mistake by remembering to always give glory to God and not to the things we own or worship. By doing so, we can avoid the same kind of punishment and instead receive God's blessing and favor, as promised in Psalm 37:3-4.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the significance of the vessels from the Lord's house being used by Belshazzar?
The vessels from the Lord's house were brought to Belshazzar, symbolizing his disrespect and disregard for the God of Israel, as seen in Daniel 5:23, similar to the desecration of the temple in 2 Chronicles 36:10.
Why did Belshazzar praise his idols instead of the one true God?
Belshazzar praised his idols because he failed to acknowledge the power and authority of the God of heaven, as stated in Daniel 5:23, and instead chose to worship created things, as warned against in Romans 1:25.
What does it mean that God holds our breath and ways in His hand?
This phrase, found in Daniel 5:23, signifies God's sovereignty and control over every aspect of our lives, as also seen in Psalm 139:16 and Job 12:10, emphasizing our dependence on Him for every breath and every step.
How does this verse relate to the concept of idolatry in the Bible?
Daniel 5:23 illustrates the concept of idolatry, where created things are worshiped instead of the Creator, as discussed in Romans 1:21-23 and Isaiah 44:9-20, highlighting the foolishness of idolatry and the importance of worshiping the one true God.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways I may be 'exalting myself against the Lord of heaven' in my own life, and how can I humble myself before Him?
- In what ways do I prioritize the worship of created things over the worship of the Creator, and how can I shift my focus to glorify God?
- How do I acknowledge God's sovereignty over my life, and in what areas do I need to surrender control to Him?
- What are some 'vessels' in my life that God has entrusted to me, and how can I use them to glorify Him?
Gill's Exposition on Daniel 5:23
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Daniel 5:23
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Daniel 5:23
Trapp's Commentary on Daniel 5:23
Ellicott's Commentary on Daniel 5:23
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Daniel 5:23
Cambridge Bible on Daniel 5:23
Barnes' Notes on Daniel 5:23
Whedon's Commentary on Daniel 5:23
Sermons on Daniel 5:23
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Weighed and Found Wanting by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, Daniel preaches to Belshazzar, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, about the consequences of pride and disobedience to God. He reminds Belshazzar of how Nebuchadnezzar |
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(Daniel) Daniel in the Lion's Den by Willie Mullan | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the story of Daniel in the lion's den. He begins by discussing the prosperity of Daniel, who was chosen as one of the 120 princes over the k |
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An Immediate Call to Repent by Dan Biser | This sermon emphasizes the urgent need for repentance in the face of societal and church challenges, highlighting the prevalence of sin, evil, and the lack of urgency and true repe |
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Bible Survey - Daniel by Peter Hammond | Peter Hammond preaches on the life of Daniel, a wise and righteous prophet who remained faithful to God despite being exiled to Babylon. Daniel's integrity and courage in the face |
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Belshazzar's Feast and the Fall of Babylon by Arno Clemens Gaebelein | Arno Clemens Gaebelein delves into the historical account of Belshazzar's feast and the divine judgment that followed, showcasing the defiance and blasphemy against God that led to |
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Open Intercourse With God. by Horatius Bonar | Horatius Bonar emphasizes the natural and necessary relationship between God and humanity, asserting that open and direct communication with our Creator is essential to our existen |
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Who Then Is He That Can Stand Before Me? by F.B. Meyer | F.B. Meyer explores the profound question of who can stand before God, emphasizing the vast chasm between human frailty and divine holiness. He illustrates that if one cannot withs |







