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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 V20 V21 V22 V23 V25 V26 V27 V28 V29 V30 V31
OET (OET-LV) In_then from before_him it_was_sent_out[fn] the_palm of the_hand and_the_writing this it_was_inscribed.
5:24 OSHB note: BHS has been faithful to the Leningrad Codex where there might be a question of the validity of the form and we keep the same form as BHS.
OET (OET-RV) “So then its from his presence that the palm of a hand was sent, and this message was written.
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.
Daniel continued speaking to King Belshazzar in 5:22, but he changed the topic. He began to rebuke the king.
Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
That is the reason God made the hand appear and write these words on the wall.
And so God caused the hand to write this message on the wall.
Therefore: There are two ways to interpret the Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as Therefore:
It introduces the conclusion or result of the previous action. For example:
That is why (NJB)
So (NRSV) (BSB, NIV, NJB, REB, GNT, CEV, NCV, NRSV, GW, NLT, NJPS, NET)
It introduces a new stage of the narrative and adds emphasis. This is its usual meaning. For example
Then (RSV) (KJV, RSV, NASB, ESV)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with the majority of modern English versions.
He sent the hand: The Aramaic says more literally “from his presence the hand was sent.” This is a passive clause. It tells where the hand came from. God caused the hand to appear. However, in some languages it may not be natural to use the verb “to send” with the word hand. If that is true in your language, you may say:
He…made the hand appear (NJPS)
God caused the hand to be seen
the hand: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as the hand is literally “the palm of the hand.” See the Notes at 5:5a. Use the word in your language that most naturally describes the part of the body that people use to write with.
that wrote the inscription: The Aramaic text is more literally “and this inscription was written” (RSV). The BSB translates this passive clause as an active clause. Use whichever form is more natural in your language. The phrase the inscription refers to the letters or “words” (GNT) on the wall. It does not indicate what kind of tool or marker the hand used, if any.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
וּכְתָבָ֥א דְנָ֖ה רְשִֽׁים
and,the,writing this(ms) inscribed
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: “and it wrote this message”
5:1-30 Earthly kingdoms all pass away. As Nebuchadnezzar’s dream implied, Babylon would pass away and a new sovereign kingdom would take its place (2:39). After Nebuchadnezzar’s death in 562 BC, violence and debauchery increased in the palaces of Babylon until, during Belshazzar’s feast in 539 BC, even God’s holy vessels were polluted and defiled. God’s judgment came with lightning swiftness that night (5:30), and the next kingdom took over (see 2:32, 39; 5:31).
OET (OET-LV) In_then from before_him it_was_sent_out[fn] the_palm of the_hand and_the_writing this it_was_inscribed.
5:24 OSHB note: BHS has been faithful to the Leningrad Codex where there might be a question of the validity of the form and we keep the same form as BHS.
OET (OET-RV) “So then its from his presence that the palm of a hand was sent, and this message was written.
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.