Daniel 5:5-7
New English Translation
5 At that very moment the fingers of a human hand appeared[a] and wrote on the plaster of the royal palace wall, opposite the lampstand.[b] The king was watching the back[c] of the hand that was writing. 6 Then all the color drained from the king’s face[d] and he became alarmed.[e] The joints of his hips gave way,[f] and his knees began knocking together. 7 The king called out loudly[g] to summon[h] the astrologers, wise men, and diviners. The king proclaimed[i] to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and disclose its interpretation would be clothed in purple[j] and have a golden collar[k] placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom.
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- Daniel 5:5 tn Aram “came forth.”
- Daniel 5:5 sn The mention of the lampstand in this context is of interest because it suggests that the writing was in clear view.
- Daniel 5:5 tn While Aramaic פַּס (pas) can mean the palm of the hand, here it seems to be the back of the hand that is intended.
- Daniel 5:6 tn Aram “[the king’s] brightness changed for him.”
- Daniel 5:6 tn Aram “his thoughts were alarming him.”
- Daniel 5:6 tn Aram “his loins went slack.”
- Daniel 5:7 tn Aram “in strength.”
- Daniel 5:7 tn Aram “cause to enter.”
- Daniel 5:7 tn Aram “answered and said.”
- Daniel 5:7 sn Purple was a color associated with royalty in the ancient world.
- Daniel 5:7 tn The term translated “golden collar” here probably refers to something more substantial than merely a gold chain (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT) or necklace (cf. NASB).
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