DAN 5:8 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) When all the king’s wise men of the king got there, none of them could read the writing or tell the king what it meant.

5:8 OSHB variant note: עללין: (x-qere) ’עָֽלִּ֔ין’: lemma_5954 n_1.1 morph_AVqrmpa id_27tbG עָֽלִּ֔ין

5:8 OSHB variant note: ו/פשר/א: (x-qere) ’וּ/פִשְׁרֵ֖/הּ’: lemma_c/6591 n_0.0 morph_AC/Ncmsd/Sp3ms id_27BK2 וּ/פִשְׁרֵ֖/הּ

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Then all the wise men of the king came in, but they could not read the writing or make known the intepretation to the king.

UST But when all those wise men came in, none of them could read the writing, or tell him what it meant.

BSB So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for [him].

OEB No OEB DAN book available

WEBBE Then all the king’s wise men came in; but they could not read the writing, and couldn’t make known to the king the interpretation.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET So all the king’s wise men came in, but they were unable to read the writing or to make known its interpretation to the king.

LSV Then all the wise men of the king are coming up, and they are not able to read the writing, and to make known the interpretation to the king;

FBV However, after all the king's wise men had come in, they could not read the writing or explain to him what it meant.

T4T But when all those wise men came in, none of them could read the writing, or tell him what it meant.

LEB Then all the wise men of the king came in, but they were not able to read the writing or to make known its explanation.[fn]

5:8 Aramaic “the explanation/ interpretation”

BBE Then all the king's wise men came in: but they were not able to make out the writing or give the sense of it to the king.

Moff But not one of all the king’s sages could read the writing or explain the meaning of it to the king.

JPS Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.

ASV Then came in all the king’s wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.

DRA Then came in all the king’s wise men, but they could neither read the writing, nor declare the interpretation to the king.

YLT Then coming up are all the wise men of the king, and they are not able to read the writing, and the interpretation to make known to the king;

Drby Then came in all the king's wise men, but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.

RV Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.

SLT Then came in all the king’s wise ones: and they were not able to read the writing, and to make known the interpretation to the king.

Wbstr Then came in all the king's wise men : but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation of it.

KJB-1769 Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

KJB-1611 Then came in all the kings wise men, but they could not reade the writing, nor make knowen to the king the interpretation thereof.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Upon this came al the kinges wise men, but they coulde neither reade the wryting, nor shewe the king the interpretation.
(Upon this came all the kings wise men, but they could neither read the writing, nor show the king the interpretation.)

Gnva Then came all the Kings wise men, but they could neither reade the writing, nor shewe the King the interpretation.
(Then came all the Kings wise men, but they could neither read the writing, nor show the King the interpretation. )

Cvdl Vpon this, came all the kynges wyse men: but they coude nether rede the wrytinge, ner shewe the kynge what it signified.
(Upon this, came all the kings wise men: but they could neither read the writing, nor show the king what it signified.)

Wycl Thanne alle the wise men of the kyng entriden, and miyten not rede the scripture, nether schewe to the kyng the interpretyng therof.
(Then all the wise men of the king entered, and might not read the scripture, neither show to the king the interpreting thereof.)

Luth Da wurden alle Weisen des Königs heraufgebracht; aber sie konnten weder die Schrift lesen noch die Deutung dem Könige anzeigen.
(So became all ways/manners the kings upgebracht; but they/she/them could neither the writing read still the interpretation to_him king(s) show/display(v).)

ClVg Tunc ingressi omnes sapientes regis non potuerunt nec scripturam legere, nec interpretationem indicare regi.
(Then having_entered everyone wise_people king not/no they_could but_not scripturam lawfullyre, but_not interpretation to_indicidate to_rule. )

SOTN 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 5:7–9

The king summoned his advisers to interpret the writing on the wall. A number of English versions begin a new paragraph at this verse.

5:8a

So all the king’s wise men came in,

All the king’s wise/expert advisers entered the banquet hall/room,
Although all the king’s scholars/experts came forward,

So: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as So here introduces a new stage in the action in an emphatic way.

all the king’s wise men came in: The Aramaic verb that the BSB translates as came in is literally “were going in. It probably refers to the entrance of the various wise men into the very room where the lamp was shining and the words were visible. Perhaps the king had got up from the banquet hall and gone outside the room to wait for and speak to the wise men in the previous verse. Now they entered the dining hall to see what the writing was. There is implied information here: after entering, the wise men looked at the writing on the wall. In some languages it may be natural to imply this by indicating that the wise men approached the writing. For example:

The royal advisers came forward (GNT)

5:8b

but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.

but they were unable to read the writing or explain what the words meant.
none of them could read the words on the wall and none of them could interpret/explain their meaning.

but: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as but here introduces a contrast. Although all the wise advisers came and looked at the writing, none of them could read the message. Translate this contrast in a way that is natural in your language.

they could not read the inscription: The text does not say why the king and his guests could not read the writing. Possibly the letters on the wall were only consonants, with no vowel marks. Or possibly they were in a script that those present did not know, rather than the usual Aramaic script.

or interpret it for him: The Aramaic text says literally “and make known to the king the interpretation.” The Aramaic verb meaning “make known” is different from the verb in 5:7c, but it has the same meaning, “inform, cause to know.” Other ways to translate this include:

or tell him what it meant (NLT)

or explain its meaning

or interpret its message

Parallel DAN 5:8

Section 5:1–31: God judged King Belshazzar

Paragraph 5:7–9

5:8a

5:8b