Daniel 5 · Verse 11

Daniel 5:11

There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
Daniel 5:11, King James Version

Daniel 5:11 in other translations

BSBThere 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 of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king,
WEBThere is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. The king, Nebuchadnezzar, your father—yes, the king, your father—made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers,
ASVThere is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
YLTthere is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and, in the days of thy father, light, and understanding, and wisdom--as the wisdom of the gods--was found in him; and king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, chief of the scribes, enchanters, Chaldeans, soothsayers, established him--thy father, O king--
DARBYThere is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holygods; and in the days of thy father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of thegods was found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, even the king thy father, made him master of the scribes, magicians, Chaldeans, and astrologers;
BBEThere is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, light and reason like the wisdom of the gods were seen in him: and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him master of the wonder-workers, and the users of secret arts, and the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs;
WebsterThere is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and sooth-sayers;

What does Daniel 5:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
11. spirit of the holy gods--She remembers and repeats Nebuchadnezzar's language (Da 4:8, 9, 18). As Daniel was probably, according to Oriental custom, deprived of the office to which Nebuchadnezzar had promoted him, as "master of the magicians" (Da 4:9), at the king's death, Belshazzar might easily be ignorant of his services. the king ... thy father the king ... thy father--The repetition marks with emphatic gravity both the excellencies of Daniel, and the fact that Nebuchadnezzar, whom Belshazzar is bound to reverence as his father, had sought counsel from him in similar circumstances.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 Nebuchadnezzar thy father - See the note on Dan 5:1 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Daniel 5:10-17

Daniel was forgotten at court; he lived privately, and was then ninety years of age. Many consult servants of God on curious questions, or to explain difficult subjects, but without asking the way of salvation, or the path of duty. Daniel slighted the offer of reward. He spoke to Belshazzar as to a condemned criminal. We should despise all the gifts and rewards this world can give, did we see, as we may by faith…

Read the full comment on Daniel 5:10-17 →

Daniel 5:11 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אִיתַ֨י'i.TaithereH383
גְּבַ֜רge.Var[is] a manH1400
בְּמַלְכוּתָ֗ךְbe.mal.khu.Takhin kingdom yourH4437
דִּ֠יdiwhoH1768
ר֣וּחַRu.acha spirit ofH7308
אֱלָהִ֣ין'e.la.HingodsH426
קַדִּישִׁין֮ka.di.ShinholyH6922
בֵּהּ֒beh[is] in him
וּבְיוֹמֵ֣יu.ve.yo.Meiand in [the] days ofH3118
אֲב֗וּךְ'a.Vukhfather yourH2
נַהִיר֧וּna.hi.RuilluminationH5094
וְשָׂכְלְתָנ֛וּve.sa.khe.le.ta.Nuand insightH7924
וְחָכְמָ֥הve.cha.khe.Mahand wisdomH2452
כְּחָכְמַת\־ke.cha.khe.mat-like [the] wisdom ofH2452
אֱלָהִ֖ין'e.la.HingodsH426
הִשְׁתְּכַ֣חַתhish.te.Kha.chatit was foundH7912
בֵּ֑הּBehin him
וּמַלְכָּ֤אu.mal.Ka'and king theH4430
נְבֻֽכַדְנֶצַּר֙ne.vu.khad.ne.TzarNebuchadnezzarH5020
אֲב֔וּךְ'a.Vukhfather yourH2
רַ֧בravchief ofH7229
חַרְטֻמִּ֣יןchar.tu.Min[the] magiciansH2749
אָֽשְׁפִ֗ין'a.she.FinconjurersH826
כַּשְׂדָּאִין֙kas.da.'InChaldeansH3779
גָּזְרִ֔יןga.ze.RinastrologersH1505
הֲקִימֵ֖הּha.ki.Mehhe appointed himH6966
אֲב֥וּךְ'a.Vukhfather yourH2
מַלְכָּֽא\׃mal.Ka'king theH4430

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Daniel 5:11

  • Daniel 4:8-9

    But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.

  • Daniel 2:47-48

    The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.

  • Daniel 4:18

    This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

  • Daniel 5:14

    I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.

  • Acts 12:22

    And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

  • Daniel 2:11

    And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

  • 2 Samuel 14:17

    Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the Lord thy God will be with thee.

  • Genesis 41:11-15

    And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. …

  • Revelation 3:9

    Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

  • Acts 14:11

    And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a man.
2:47; 4:8,9,18; Ge 41:11-15
father. or, grandfather.
2
light.
2:11; 2Sa 14:17; Ac 12:22; 14:11; Re 3:9
Nebuchadnezzar.Nebuchadnezzar was certainly the grandfather of Belshazzar; but the term father in Hebrew and Chaldee is frequently used to denote a progenitor, or ancestor, however remote.
father. or, grandfather.
2
master.
2:48; 4:9; Ac 16:16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Daniel 5:10

    Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:

  • Daniel 5:11

    There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

  • Daniel 5:12

    Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

Read all of Daniel 5

Daniel 5:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
En tu reino hay un varón, en el cual mora el espíritu de los dioses santos; y en los días de tu padre se halló en él luz é inteligencia y sabiduría, como ciencia de los dioses: al cual el rey Nabucodonosor, tu padre, el rey tu padre constituyó príncipe sobre todos los magos, astrólogos, Caldeos, y adivinos:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
il y a un homme dans ton royaume, en qui est l’esprit des dieux saints; et, aux jours de ton père, de la lumière, et de l’intelligence, et une sagesse comme la sagesse des dieux, ont été trouvées en lui; et le roi Nebucadnetsar, ton père, – ton père, ô roi, l’a établi chef des devins, des enchanteurs, des Chaldéens, des augures,
German
Elberfelder 1871
Es ist ein Mann in deinem Königreich, in welchem der Geist der heiligen Götter ist; und in den Tagen deines Vaters wurden Erleuchtung und Verstand und Weisheit gleich der Weisheit der Götter bei ihm gefunden; und der König Nebukadnezar, dein Vater, hat ihn zum Obersten der Schriftgelehrten, der Beschwörer, der Chaldäer und der Wahrsager erhoben, dein Vater, o König!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Est vir in regno tuo, qui spiritum deorum sanctorum habet in se, et in diebus patris tui scientia et sapientia inventæ sunt in eo: nam et rex Nabuchodonosor pater tuus principem magorum, incantatorum, Chaldæorum, et aruspicum constituit eum, pater, inquam, tuus, o rex: