Open Bible Data Home  About  News  OET Key

OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB MSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV SLT Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Topics Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search

InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV

Dan C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12

Dan 5 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28 V29 V30 V31

OET interlinear DAN 5:20

◄ ← DAN 5:20 ↓ → ► ║ ©

Hebrew word order

    1. Hebrew word
    2. Hebrew lemma
    3. OET-LV words
    4. OET-RV words
    5. Strongs
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. Gloss
    8. CAPS codes
    9. OET tags
    10. OET word #
    1. וּ,כְ,דִי
    2. 514422,514423,514424
    3. And as that
    4. But
    5. 1768
    6. S-C,C,C
    7. and,as,that
    8. S
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359711
    1. רִם
    2. 514425
    3. it rose up
    4. -
    5. 7313
    6. V-Vqp3ms
    7. it_rose_up
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359712
    1. לִבְבֵ,הּ
    2. 514426,514427
    3. heart of his
    4. -
    5. 3825
    6. S-Ncmsc,Sp3ms
    7. heart_of,his
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359713
    1. וְ,רוּחֵ,הּ
    2. 514428,514429,514430
    3. and spirit of his
    4. -
    5. 7308
    6. S-C,Ncfsc,Sp3ms
    7. and,spirit_of,his
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359714
    1. תִּקְפַת
    2. 514431
    3. it grew strong
    4. -
    5. 8631
    6. V-Vqi3fs
    7. it_grew_strong
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359715
    1. לַ,הֲזָדָה
    2. 514432,514433
    3. to act presumptuously
    4. proud presumptuously
    5. 2103
    6. SV-R,Vhc
    7. to,act_presumptuously
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359716
    1. הָנְחַת
    2. 514434
    3. he was deposed
    4. -
    5. 5182
    6. V-VHp3ms
    7. he_was_deposed
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359717
    1. מִן
    2. 514435
    3. from
    4. -
    5. 4481
    6. S-R
    7. from
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359718
    2. 514436
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-maqqef
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 359719
    1. כָּרְסֵא
    2. 514437
    3. the throne of
    4. throne
    5. 3764
    6. S-Ncmsc
    7. the_throne_of
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359720
    1. מַלְכוּתֵ,הּ
    2. 514438,514439
    3. his kingdom
    4. -
    5. 4437
    6. S-Ncfsc,Sp3ms
    7. of,his_kingdom
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359721
    1. וִ,יקָרָ,ה
    2. 514440,514441,514442
    3. and the honour
    4. -
    5. 3367
    6. O-C,Ncmsd,Td
    7. and,the,honor
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359722
    1. הֶעְדִּיוּ
    2. 514443
    3. they removed
    4. -
    5. 5709
    6. V-Vhp3mp
    7. they_removed
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359723
    1. מִנֵּ,הּ
    2. 514444,514445
    3. from him
    4. -
    5. 4481
    6. S-R,Sp3ms
    7. from,him
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359724
    2. 514446
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-sof-pasuq
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 359725

OET (OET-LV) And_as_that it_rose_up heart_of_his and_spirit_of_his it_grew_strong to_act_presumptuously he_was_deposed from the_throne_of his_kingdom and_the_honour they_removed from_him.

OET (OET-RV) But when he became proud and stubborn and started acting presumptuously, he was disqualified from the throne, and his splendid reputation was deflated.

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:1–31: God judged King Belshazzar

The author continued to write in the Aramaic language. He wrote about how King Belshazzar gave a big banquet and made use of the sacred treasures from the Jerusalem temple. Belshazzar saw a hand writing a mysterious message on the wall. Only Daniel was able to explain the message, that God was about to punish Belshazzar. That same night an army of Medes and Persians conquered the city and killed Belshazzar.

English versions give different headings to Daniel 5. These include:

The Handwriting on the Wall (GW)

The Writing on the Wall (NIV)

King Belshazzar’s Banquet (CEV)

In some languages it may be more natural to write the heading in the form of a clause. For example, you could say:

King Belshazzar saw a hand write on the wall.

King Belshazzar had/gave a banquet/feast.

Some versions give headings to the subsections of Daniel 5. For example, the NLT has two headings:

The Writing on the Wall (5:1)

Daniel explains the writing (5:13)

The NRSV has three headings:

Belshazzar’s Feast (5:1)

The Writing on the Wall (5:5)

The Writing on the Wall Interpreted (5:13)

You should decide the number of headings that is best in your translation. The purpose of headings is to help readers to follow the events of the story. Headings also help the reader understand the relationships between the different parts of the story. You should try not to have more headings than necessary.

Historical Background:

Nabonidus was the king of Babylon from 556 to 539 B.C. Historical records indicate that he married Nitocris, the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, and that Belshazzar was their oldest son.See the ancient Greek historian Herodotus and the Nabonidus Chronicles. While Nabonidus was absent from Babylon during the last ten years of his reign, Belshazzar acted as king in his place.

Daniel 5 describes the last night of the Babylonian empire. From other historic sources we know that Cyrus, the king of Persia, attacked the Babylonian army during the 7th month of the year 539 B.C. On the 15th day of that month, they attacked the town of Sippar and King Nabonidus fled. The next day Cyrus’ army entered the city of Babylon without any battle and killed its ruler, Belshazzar. Daniel 5 describes what Belshazzar was doing on the last day of the Babylonian empire.

Paragraph 5:20–21

Daniel told Belshazzar how God had humbled Nebuchadnezzar because of his pride.

5:20a

But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride,

But: The common Aramaic conjunction that the BSB translates as But here introduces a contrast. In contrast to the time when the king ruled with great power (5:18–19), there came a time when God no longer allowed him to rule. Translate this contrast in a way that is natural in your language.

when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride: Scholars have understood the Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as when in two ways:

  1. The connector introduces a temporal (time) clause. For example:

    when (RSV) (BSB, ESV, KJV, RSV/NRSV, NIV, NJPS, GW, NLT, REB, CEV)

  2. The connector introduces a reason. For example:

    because his heart grew swollen with pride, and his spirit stiff with arrogance (NJB) (NJB, GNT)

Both aspects of the connection are true. God humbled Nebuchadnezzar when and because he became proud. If you have a way to express both ideas, that is good. If you must choose between the two options, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with the majority of English versions.

his heart became arrogant: The Aramaic clause that the BSB translates as his heart became arrogant is more literally “his heart rose up.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Nebuchadnezzar became proud or arrogant. Here are some other ways to translate this:

his heart was filled with pride

he became proud (CEV)

his heart: In the Aramaic language, the heart was the part of the body where people thought, made decisions, and felt emotions. There are different ways to translate this:

Translate this idea in a way that is natural in your language.

and his spirit was hardened: The Aramaic text is more literally “and his spirit grew strong.” In this context, the word meaning spirit is a synonym for “heart.” Not only did the king become proud, but he also became strong or hardened. He became stubborn, obstinate, and inflexible. He determined to do whatever he wanted to do. Here are some other ways to translate this:

and he refused to change his thoughts/thinking

and he became stubborn

with pride: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as with pride is more literally “to act presumptuously.” This verb occurs only here in the Old Testament. It probably describes the king as behaving/acting in an overconfident, arrogant way. His actions and behavior were in accordance with his prideful thinking. Here are some other ways to translate this:

he became…presumptuous (REB)

that he became overconfident (GW)

he behaved/acted in a proud/arrogant way

5:20b

he was deposed from his royal throne,

No Aramaic connector joins this clause to the previous one, and the BSB does not supply one. This clause indicates the result of 5:20a–b: Nebuchadnezzar was deposed because of his pride. Indicate this in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

so (NCV)

he was deposed from his royal throne: The Aramaic verb that the BSB translates as he was deposed means that Nebuchadnezzar was forced to give up his position as king. He was removed from his throne. That is, he could not longer sit on it to rule the country. This is a passive verb. Here are some ways to translate this:

his royal throne: The Aramaic phrase that the BSB translates as his royal throne is literally “the throne of his kingdom.” This is a figure of speech. The royal throne was a symbol of royal power. It represented the king’s position as the ruler of the kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar was no longer allowed to rule as king over Babylon. There are at least two ways to translate this:

Translate in a way that is natural in your language and makes the meaning clear.

5:20c

and his glory was taken from him.

and: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as and here introduces something else that happened to Nebuchadnezzar. This second event is closely connected to the previous event (5:20c).

his glory was taken from him: The Aramaic verb that the BSB translates as was taken is literally “they took away.” The subject is indefinite. It is implied that God caused people to do this. There are at least two ways to translate the phrase that the BSB translates as his glory was taken from him:

his glory: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as his glory does not include the pronoun his. However, this idea is implied by the context. The phrase refers to Nebuchadnezzar’s great fame. People all over the known world had respected, honored, feared, and admired him. Now they did so no longer. In some languages it may be natural to use a verb to translate this idea. For example:

they did not honor him any longer

The same Aramaic word that means glory occurs at 2:6b, where it is translated as “honor,” 4:30b, and 5:18b. See the Notes and Display for other suggestions of how to translate it.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

רִ֣ם לִבְבֵ֔⁠הּ

lifted_up heart_of,his

Here heart refers to the king himself. Alternate translation: “the king was arrogant”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

וְ⁠רוּחֵ֖⁠הּ תִּֽקְפַ֣ת

and,spirit_of,his hardened

Here spirit refers to the king himself. Alternate translation: “and the king was hardened”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠רוּחֵ֖⁠הּ תִּֽקְפַ֣ת

and,spirit_of,his hardened

the stubbornness of the king is spoken of as if he were hardened. Alternate translation: “and the king became stubborn”

לַ⁠הֲזָדָ֑ה

to,act_presumptuously

He was rudely and overly confident.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

הָנְחַת֙ מִן־כָּרְסֵ֣א מַלְכוּתֵ֔⁠הּ

deposed from/more_than throne_of of,his_kingdom

Here “throne” refers to his authority to rule. Alternate translation: “his authority was taken away”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

הָנְחַת֙ מִן־כָּרְסֵ֣א מַלְכוּתֵ֔⁠הּ

deposed from/more_than throne_of of,his_kingdom

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “the people took away his kingdom”

TSN Tyndale Study Notes:

5:20 A rebel against God characteristically has a heart and mind that are puffed up (or hardened) with arrogance (see Exod 7:13; Josh 11:20; Isa 14:3-5). Nebuchadnezzar was brought down when he became puffed up with arrogance, and Belshazzar would be as well.

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

    1. OET-LV words
    2. OET-RV words
    3. Strongs
    4. Hebrew word
    5. Hebrew lemma
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. Gloss
    8. CAPS codes
    9. OET tags
    10. OET word #
    1. And as that
    2. But
    3. 1987,3418,1654
    4. A
    5. 514422,514423,514424
    6. S-C,C,C
    8. S
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359711
    1. it rose up
    2. -
    3. 7391
    4. A
    5. 514425
    6. V-Vqp3ms
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359712
    1. heart of his
    2. -
    3. 3712,1978
    4. A
    5. 514426,514427
    6. S-Ncmsc,Sp3ms
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359713
    1. and spirit of his
    2. -
    3. 1987,7390,1978
    4. A
    5. 514428,514429,514430
    6. S-C,Ncfsc,Sp3ms
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359714
    1. it grew strong
    2. -
    3. 8195
    4. A
    5. 514431
    6. V-Vqi3fs
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359715
    1. to act presumptuously
    2. proud presumptuously
    3. 3705,2164
    4. A
    5. 514432,514433
    6. SV-R,Vhc
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359716
    1. he was deposed
    2. -
    3. 4914
    4. A
    5. 514434
    6. V-VHp3ms
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359717
    1. from
    2. -
    3. 4129
    4. A
    5. 514435
    6. S-R
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359718
    1. the throne of
    2. throne
    3. 3683
    4. A
    5. 514437
    6. S-Ncmsc
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359720
    1. his kingdom
    2. -
    3. 4465,1978
    4. A
    5. 514438,514439
    6. S-Ncfsc,Sp3ms
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359721
    1. and the honour
    2. -
    3. 1987,2972,1819
    4. A
    5. 514440,514441,514442
    6. O-C,Ncmsd,Td
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359722
    1. they removed
    2. -
    3. 5545
    4. A
    5. 514443
    6. V-Vhp3mp
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359723
    1. from him
    2. -
    3. 4129,1978
    4. A
    5. 514444,514445
    6. S-R,Sp3ms
    8. -
    9. Y-538; TProphecies_of_Daniel
    10. 359724

OET (OET-LV) And_as_that it_rose_up heart_of_his and_spirit_of_his it_grew_strong to_act_presumptuously he_was_deposed from the_throne_of his_kingdom and_the_honour they_removed from_him.

OET (OET-RV) But when he became proud and stubborn and started acting presumptuously, he was disqualified from the throne, and his splendid reputation was deflated.

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.OET logo mark

◄ ← DAN 5:20 ↑ → ► ║ ©