Daniel 5 · Verse 2

Daniel 5:2

Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
Daniel 5:2, King James Version

Daniel 5:2 in other translations

BSBUnder the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
WEBBelshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded that the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem be brought to him, that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them.
ASVBelshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink therefrom.
YLTBelshazzar hath said--while tasting the wine--to bring in the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple that is in Jerusalem, that drink with them may the king, and his great men, his wives, and his concubines.
DARBYBelshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, might drink in them.
BBEBelshazzar, while he was overcome with wine, gave orders for them to put before him the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem; so that the king and his lords, his wives and his other women, might take their drink from them.
WebsterBelshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink in them.

What does Daniel 5:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. whiles he tasted the wine--While under the effects of wine, men will do what they dare not do when sober. his father Nebuchadnezzar--that is, his forefather. So "Jesus ... the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Mt 1:1). Daniel does not say that the other kings mentioned in other writers did not reign between Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar, namely, Evil-merodach (Jr 52:31), Neriglissar, his brother-in-law, and Laborasoarchod (nine months). Berosus makes Nabonidus, the last king, to have been one of the people, raised to the throne by an insurrection. As the inscriptions show that Belshazzar was distinct from, and joint king with, him, this is not at variance with Daniel, whose statement that Belshazzar was son (grandson) of Nebuchadnezzar is corroborated by Jeremiah (Jr 27:7). Their joint, yet independent, testimony, as contemporaries, and having the best means of information, is more trustworthy than any of the heathen historians, if there were a discrepancy. Evil-merodach, son of Nebuchadnezzar (according to Berosus), reigned but a short time (one or two years), having, in consequence of his bad government, been dethroned by a plot of Neriglissar, his sister's husband; hence Daniel does not mention him. At the elevation of Nabonidus as supreme king, Belshazzar, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, was doubtless suffered to be subordinate king and successor, in order to conciliate the legitimate party. Thus the seeming discrepancy becomes a confirmation of genuineness when cleared up, for the real harmony must have been undesigned. wives ... concubines--not usually present at feasts in the East, where women of the harem are kept in strict seclusion. Hence Vashti's refusal to appear at Ahasuerus' feast (Es 1:9-12). But the Babylonian court, in its reckless excesses, seems not to have been so strict as the Persian. Xenophon [Cyropædia, 5.2,28] confirms Daniel, representing a feast of Belshazzar where the concubines are present. At the beginning "the lords" (Da 5:1), for whom the feast was made, alone seem to have been present; but as the revelry advanced, the women were introduced. Two classes of them are mentioned, those to whom belonged the privileges of "wives," and those strictly concubines (2Sa 5:13; 1Ki 11:3; So 6:8).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Whiles he tasted the wine - He relished it, got heated by it, and when Wine got fully in, Wit went wholly out; and in consequence he acted the profane part of which we immediately read.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Daniel 5:1-9

Belshazzar's impious feast; the hand-writing on the wall. (Dn 5:1-9) Daniel is sent for to interpret it. (Dn 5:10-17) Daniel warns the king of his destruction. (Dn 5:18-31) Verses 1-9 Belshazzar bade defiance to the judgments of God. Most historians consider that Cyrus then besieged Babylon. Security and sensuality are sad proofs of approaching ruin. That mirth is sinful indeed, which profanes sacred things; and…

Read the full comment on Daniel 5:1-9 →

Daniel 5:2 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.

בֵּלְשַׁאצַּ֞רbe.le.sha.TzarBelshazzarH1113
אֲמַ֣ר\׀'a.Marhe saidH560
בִּטְעֵ֣םbit.'Emin [the] taste ofH2942
חַמְרָ֗אcham.Ra'wine theH2562
לְהַיְתָיָה֙le.hay.ta.Yahto bringH858
לְמָאנֵי֙le.ma.Nei<obj.> [the] vessels ofH3984
דַּהֲבָ֣אda.ha.Va'<the> goldH1722
וְכַסְפָּ֔אve.khas.Pa'and <the> silverH3702
דִּ֤יdiwhichH1768
הַנְפֵּק֙han.Pekhe had brought outH5312
נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֣רne.vu.khad.ne.TzarNebuchadnezzarH5020
אֲב֔וּהִי'a.Vu.hifather hisH2
מִן\־min-fromH4481
הֵיכְלָ֖אheikh.La'temple theH1965
דִּ֣יdiwhichH1768
בִירוּשְׁלֶ֑םvi.ru.she.Lem[was] in JerusalemH3390
וְיִשְׁתּ֣וֹןve.yish.Tonso they may drinkH8355
בְּה֗וֹןbe.Honwith <the> them
מַלְכָּא֙mal.Ka'king theH4430
וְרַבְרְבָנ֔וֹהִיve.rav.re.va.No.hiand nobles hisH7261
שֵׁגְלָתֵ֖הּshe.ge.la.Tehwives hisH7695
וּלְחֵנָתֵֽהּ\׃u.le.che.na.Tehand concubines hisH3904

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

Cross references for Daniel 5:2

  • Daniel 1:2

    And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

  • 2 Kings 24:13

    And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, as the Lord had said.

  • Daniel 5:23

    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:

  • 2 Kings 25:15

    And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.

  • Jeremiah 27:16-22

    Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste? But if they be prophets, and if the word of the Lord be with them, let them now make intercession to the Lord of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon. For thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city, …

  • Ezra 1:7-11

    Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods; Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. …

  • 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 5:18

    O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:

  • Daniel 5:13

    Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?

  • 2 Chronicles 36:18

    And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.

  • 2 Chronicles 11:20

    And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

  • 2 Samuel 9:7

    And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Belshazzar.Belshazzar is said by Josephus to be the same as Naboandelus, the Nabonadius of Ptolemy, and the Labynetus of Herodotus. He reigned seven years, during which time he was engaged in unsuccessful wars with the Medes and Persians; and at this very time was besieged by Cyrus.
the golden.
1:2; 2Ki 24:13; 25:15; 2Ch 36:10,18; Ezr 1:7-11; Jer 27:16-22
Jer 52:19
father. or, grandfather.
11,13,18; 2Sa 9:7; 2Ki 8:25-27; 2Ch 11:20; 15:16; Jer 27:7
taken out. Chal. brought forth. might.
4,23

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

Context

  • Daniel 5:1

    Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

  • Daniel 5:2

    Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.

  • Daniel 5:3

    Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.

Read all of Daniel 5

Daniel 5:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Belsasar, con el gusto del vino, mandó que trajesen los vasos de oro y de plata que Nabucodonosor su padre había traído del templo de Jerusalem; para que bebiesen con ellos el rey y sus príncipes, sus mujeres y sus concubinas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Belshatsar, comme il buvait le vin, commanda d’apporter les vases d’or et d’argent que son père Nebucadnetsar avait tirés du temple qui était à Jérusalem, afin que le roi et ses grands, ses femmes et ses concubines, y boivent.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Belsazar befahl, als der Wein ihm schmeckte, daß man die goldenen und die silbernen Gefäße herbeibrächte, welche sein Vater Nebukadnezar aus dem Tempel zu Jerusalem weggenommen hatte, auf daß der König und seine Gewaltigen, seine Frauen und seine Kebsweiber daraus tränken.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Præcepit ergo jam temulentus ut afferrentur vasa aurea et argentea, quæ asportaverat Nabuchodonosor pater ejus de templo, quod fuit in Ierusalem, ut biberent in eis rex, et optimates ejus, uxoresque ejus, et concubinæ.