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As the king watched the hand that was writing,</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/daniel/5-5.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/11/27_Dan_05_05.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Daniel 5:5 - The Handwriting on the Wall" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. 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The king watched the hand as it wrote. <a href="/nlt/daniel/5.htm">New Living Translation</a> Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, <a href="/esv/daniel/5.htm">English Standard Version</a> Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. <a href="/bsb/daniel/5.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a> At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. As the king watched the hand that was writing, <a href="/kjv/daniel/5.htm">King James Bible</a> In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. <a href="/nkjv/daniel/5.htm">New King James Version</a> In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. <a href="/nasb_/daniel/5.htm">New American Standard Bible</a> Suddenly the fingers of a human hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. <a href="/nasb/daniel/5.htm">NASB 1995</a> Suddenly the fingers of a man&#8217s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king&#8217s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. <a href="/nasb77/daniel/5.htm">NASB 1977 </a> Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. <a href="/lsb/daniel/5.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a> Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand came out and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. <a href="/amp/daniel/5.htm">Amplified Bible</a> Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing opposite the lampstand on [a well-lit area of] the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the part of the hand that did the writing. <a href="/csb/daniel/5.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a> At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand that was writing, <a href="/hcsb/daniel/5.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a> At that moment the fingers of a man&#8217s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king&#8217s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand that was writing, <a href="/asv/daniel/5.htm">American Standard Version</a> In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. <a href="/cev/daniel/5.htm">Contemporary English Version</a> Suddenly a human hand was seen writing on the plaster wall of the palace. The hand was just behind the lampstand, and the king could see it writing. <a href="/erv/daniel/5.htm">English Revised Version</a> In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. <a href="/gwt/daniel/5.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a> Suddenly, the fingers of a person's hand appeared and wrote on the plaster wall opposite the lamp stand of the royal palace. The king watched as the hand wrote. <a href="/gnt/daniel/5.htm">Good News Translation</a> Suddenly a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster wall of the palace, where the light from the lamps was shining most brightly. And the king saw the hand as it was writing. <a href="/isv/daniel/5.htm">International Standard Version</a> At that moment, humanlike fingers of a hand appeared near the lamp stand of the royal palace and wrote on the plaster of the wall. <a href="/msb/daniel/5.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a> At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. As the king watched the hand that was writing, <a href="/net/daniel/5.htm">NET Bible</a> At that very moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the royal palace wall, opposite the lampstand. The king was watching the back of the hand that was writing. <a href="/nheb/daniel/5.htm">New Heart English Bible</a> In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. <a href="/wbt/daniel/5.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a> In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. <a href="/web/daniel/5.htm">World English Bible</a> In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. <div class="vheading2">Literal Translations</div><a href="/lsv/daniel/5.htm">Literal Standard Version</a> In that hour fingers of a man’s hand have come forth, and they are writing in front of the lampstand, on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king is seeing the extremity of the hand that is writing; <a href="/ylt/daniel/5.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a> In that hour come forth have fingers of a man's hand, and they are writing over-against the candlestick, on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king is seeing the extremity of the hand that is writing; <a href="/slt/daniel/5.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a> In the same moment went forth fingers of a man's hand and wrote before the candlestick upon the lime of the wall of the temple of the king: and the king saw the palm of the hand that wrote.<div class="vheading2">Catholic Translations</div><a href="/drb/daniel/5.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a> In the same hour there appeared fingers, as it were of the hand of a man, writing over against the candlestick upon the surface of the wall of the king's palace: and the king beheld the joints of the hand that wrote. <a href="/cpdv/daniel/5.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a> In the same hour, there appeared fingers, as of the hand of a man, writing on the surface of the wall, opposite the candlestick, in the king’s palace. And the king observed the part of the hand that wrote. <a href="/nabre/daniel/5.htm">New American Bible</a> Suddenly, opposite the lampstand, the fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace. When the king saw the hand that wrote, <a href="/nrsvce/daniel/5.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a> Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the wall of the royal palace, next to the lampstand. The king was watching the hand as it wrote.<div class="vheading2">Translations from Aramaic</div><a href="/lamsa/daniel/5.htm">Lamsa Bible</a> In that very hour there appeared the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote opposite the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the palm of the man's hand that wrote. <a href="/hpbt/daniel/5.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a> And at that moment, the fingers of the hand of a man came out and they wrote next to a lamp on the plaster of the wall in the palace of the King, and the King saw the palm of the hand of the man who wrote<div class="vheading2">OT Translations</div><a href="/jps/daniel/5.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a> In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the palm of the hand that wrote. <a href="/sep/daniel/5.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a> In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote in front of the lamp on the plaster of the wall of the king's house: and the king saw the knuckles of the hand that wrote. <a href="/parallel/daniel/5-5.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv">Audio Bible</div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/shUZJK-vYxI?start=1752" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="vheadingv">Context</div><a href="/bsb/daniel/5.htm">The Handwriting on the Wall</a> 5<a href="/hebrew/bah- (Prep:: 3fs) -- ">At</a> <a href="/hebrew/8160.htm" title="8160: ša·‘ă·ṯāh (N-fsd) -- A brief time, moment. (Aramaic) from a root corresponding to sha'ah; properly, a look, i.e. A moment.">that moment</a> <a href="/hebrew/677.htm" title="677: ’eṣ·bə·‘ān (N-fp) -- A finger, toe. (Aramaic) corresponding to etsba'.">the fingers</a> <a href="/hebrew/1768.htm" title="1768: dî (Pro-r) -- Who, which, that, because. ">of</a> <a href="/hebrew/606.htm" title="606: ’ĕ·nāš (N-ms) -- Man, mankind. (Aramaic) or renash (Aramaic); corresponding to 'enowsh; a man.">a human</a> <a href="/hebrew/3028.htm" title="3028: yaḏ- (N-fsc) -- Hand. (Aramaic) corresponding to yad.">hand</a> <a href="/hebrew/5312.htm" title="5312: nə·p̄a·qū (V-Qal-Perf-3fp) -- To go or come out or forth. (Aramaic) a primitive root; to issue; causatively, to bring out.">appeared</a> <a href="/hebrew/3790.htm" title="3790: wə·ḵā·ṯə·ḇān (Conj-w:: V-Qal-Prtcpl-fp) -- To write. (Aramaic) corresponding to kathab.">and wrote</a> <a href="/hebrew/5922.htm" title="5922: ‘al- (Prep) -- Upon, over, above. (Aramaic) corresponding to al.">on</a> <a href="/hebrew/1528.htm" title="1528: gî·rā (N-msd) -- Chalk, plaster. (Aramaic) corresponding to gir; lime.">the plaster</a> <a href="/hebrew/1768.htm" title="1768: dî- (Pro-r) -- Who, which, that, because. ">of</a> <a href="/hebrew/3797.htm" title="3797: ḵə·ṯal (N-msc) -- A wall. (Aramaic) corresponding to kothel.">the wall,</a> <a href="/hebrew/6903.htm" title="6903: lā·qo·ḇêl (Prep-l) -- (Aramaic) or qobel (Aramaic); (corresponding to qabal; in front of; usually on account of, so as, since, hence.">near</a> <a href="/hebrew/5043.htm" title="5043: neḇ·raš·tā (N-fsd) -- The candlestick. (Aramaic) from an unused root meaning to shine; a light; plural (collectively) a chandelier.">the lampstand</a> <a href="/hebrew/1768.htm" title="1768: dî (Pro-r) -- Who, which, that, because. ">in</a> <a href="/hebrew/4430.htm" title="4430: mal·kā (N-msd) -- King. (Aramaic) corresponding to melek; a king.">the royal</a> <a href="/hebrew/1965.htm" title="1965: hê·ḵə·lā (N-msd) -- A palace, temple. (Aramaic) corresponding to heykal.">palace.</a> <a href="/hebrew/4430.htm" title="4430: ū·mal·kā (Conj-w:: N-msd) -- King. (Aramaic) corresponding to melek; a king.">As the king</a> <a href="/hebrew/2370.htm" title="2370: ḥā·zêh (V-Qal-Prtcpl-ms) -- See, behold. (Aramaic) or chazah (Aramaic); corresponding to chazah; to gaze upon; mentally to dream, be usual (i.e. Seem).">watched</a> <a href="/hebrew/6447.htm" title="6447: pas (N-msc) -- Palm (of the hand). (Aramaic) from a root corresponding to pacac; the palm (of the hand, as being spread out).">the hand</a> <a href="/hebrew/3028.htm" title="3028: yə·ḏāh (N-fsd) -- Hand. (Aramaic) corresponding to yad."></a> <a href="/hebrew/1768.htm" title="1768: dî (Pro-r) -- Who, which, that, because. ">that</a> <a href="/hebrew/3790.htm" title="3790: ḵā·ṯə·ḇāh (V-Qal-Prtcpl-fs) -- To write. (Aramaic) corresponding to kathab.">was writing,</a> 6his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div> <a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><a href="/exodus/31-18.htm">Exodus 31:18</a> When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. <a href="/2_kings/19-35.htm">2 Kings 19:35</a> And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! <a href="/isaiah/37-36.htm">Isaiah 37:36</a> Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! <a href="/1_kings/13-4.htm">1 Kings 13:4</a> Now when King Jeroboam, who was at the altar in Bethel, heard the word that the man of God had cried out against it, he stretched out his hand and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out toward him withered, so that he could not pull it back. <a href="/job/20-24.htm">Job 20:24-25</a> Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce him. / It is drawn out of his back, the gleaming point from his liver. Terrors come over him. <a href="/ezekiel/8-3.htm">Ezekiel 8:3</a> He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes jealousy was seated. <a href="/ezekiel/10-2.htm">Ezekiel 10:2</a> And the LORD said to the man clothed in linen, “Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in. <a href="/2_chronicles/26-19.htm">2 Chronicles 26:19</a> Uzziah, with a censer in his hand to offer incense, was enraged. But while he raged against the priests in their presence in the house of the LORD before the altar of incense, leprosy broke out on his forehead. <a href="/psalms/78-49.htm">Psalm 78:49</a> He unleashed His fury against them, wrath, indignation, and calamity—a band of destroying angels. <a href="/isaiah/29-14.htm">Isaiah 29:14</a> Therefore I will again confound these people with wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will vanish, and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.” <a href="/matthew/24-30.htm">Matthew 24:30</a> At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. <a href="/luke/11-20.htm">Luke 11:20</a> But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. <a href="/john/8-6.htm">John 8:6</a> They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger. <a href="/acts/12-23.htm">Acts 12:23</a> Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. <a href="/acts/13-11.htm">Acts 13:11</a> Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.</div> <a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div>In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.the same.<a href="/daniel/4-31.htm">Daniel 4:31,33</a> While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee… <a href="/job/20-5.htm">Job 20:5</a> That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?<a href="/psalms/78-30.htm">Psalm 78:30,31</a> They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, … wrote.<a href="/daniel/5-8.htm">Daniel 5:8,15,24-28</a> 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… <a href="/colossians/2-14.htm">Colossians 2:14</a> Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;<a href="/revelation/20-12.htm">Revelation 20:12-15</a> And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works… <div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/daniel/1-15.htm">Appeared</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/13-11.htm">Candlestick</a> <a href="/jeremiah/52-21.htm">Fingers</a> <a href="/daniel/3-26.htm">Forth</a> <a href="/daniel/4-35.htm">Hand</a> <a href="/daniel/4-33.htm">Hour</a> <a href="/daniel/2-34.htm">Human</a> <a href="/daniel/3-6.htm">Immediately</a> <a href="/daniel/4-31.htm">King's</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/13-11.htm">Lampstand</a> <a href="/ezekiel/47-20.htm">Opposite</a> <a href="/daniel/4-29.htm">Palace</a> <a href="/ezekiel/41-26.htm">Palm</a> <a href="/daniel/2-42.htm">Part</a> <a href="/isaiah/38-21.htm">Plaister</a> <a href="/ezekiel/22-28.htm">Plaster</a> <a href="/daniel/4-31.htm">Royal</a> <a href="/lamentations/4-6.htm">Suddenly</a> <a href="/ezekiel/46-23.htm">Wall</a> <a href="/ezekiel/37-20.htm">Writing</a> <a href="/jeremiah/51-60.htm">Wrote</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/daniel/8-1.htm">Appeared</a> <a href="/zechariah/4-2.htm">Candlestick</a> <a href="/matthew/20-34.htm">Fingers</a> <a href="/daniel/7-2.htm">Forth</a> <a href="/daniel/5-23.htm">Hand</a> <a href="/matthew/6-27.htm">Hour</a> <a href="/daniel/7-4.htm">Human</a> <a href="/daniel/10-17.htm">Immediately</a> <a href="/daniel/5-6.htm">King's</a> <a href="/zechariah/4-2.htm">Lampstand</a> <a href="/daniel/12-5.htm">Opposite</a> <a href="/daniel/6-18.htm">Palace</a> <a href="/daniel/5-24.htm">Palm</a> <a href="/daniel/5-24.htm">Part</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/27-2.htm">Plaister</a> <a href="/leviticus/14-41.htm">Plaster</a> <a href="/daniel/5-20.htm">Royal</a> <a href="/daniel/8-5.htm">Suddenly</a> <a href="/daniel/9-25.htm">Wall</a> <a href="/daniel/5-7.htm">Writing</a> <a href="/daniel/5-24.htm">Wrote</a><div class="vheading2">Daniel 5</div>1. <a href="/daniel/5-1.htm">Belshazzar's impious feast.</a> 5. <a href="/daniel/5-5.htm">A hand-writing unknown to the magicians, troubles the king.</a> 10. <a href="/daniel/5-10.htm">At the commendation of the queen Daniel is brought.</a> 17. <a href="/daniel/5-17.htm">He, reproving the king of pride and idolatry,</a> 25. <a href="/daniel/5-25.htm">reads and interprets the writing.</a> 30. <a href="/daniel/5-30.htm">The monarchy is translated to the Medes</a> </div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/daniel/5.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/daniel/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/daniel/5.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div>At that moment This phrase indicates a sudden and divine intervention. The timing is significant, occurring during King Belshazzar's feast, a moment of revelry and blasphemy against God. It underscores the immediacy of God's response to human actions, particularly those that challenge His holiness.the fingers of a human hand appeared The appearance of the hand is a supernatural event, emphasizing God's direct involvement. In biblical literature, the hand often symbolizes power and authority. This manifestation serves as a visible sign of God's judgment, reminiscent of other divine interventions, such as the plagues in Egypt.and wrote on the plaster of the wall Writing on the wall signifies a message from God, often associated with judgment or revelation. The use of plaster suggests a permanent record, indicating the seriousness of the message. Archaeological findings confirm that walls in Babylonian palaces were often plastered, aligning with the historical context.near the lampstand in the royal palace The lampstand's presence highlights the visibility and clarity of the message. In biblical symbolism, light often represents truth and revelation. The royal palace setting underscores the message's importance, as it is directed at the heart of Babylonian power and authority.As the king watched the hand that was writing King Belshazzar's direct observation of the event emphasizes his accountability. The king's reaction, as described later in the chapter, reveals his fear and recognition of divine judgment. This moment parallels other biblical instances where leaders witness God's power, such as Pharaoh during the Exodus.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <a href="/topical/b/belshazzar.htm">Belshazzar</a> The king of Babylon who held a great feast and used the sacred vessels from the Jerusalem temple, showing disrespect for God. 2. <a href="/topical/t/the_hand.htm">The Hand</a> A divine manifestation that wrote on the wall, symbolizing God's direct intervention and judgment. 3. <a href="/topical/t/the_wall.htm">The Wall</a> The location in the royal palace where the writing appeared, emphasizing the public and undeniable nature of God's message. 4. <a href="/topical/t/the_lampstand.htm">The Lampstand</a> Positioned near the writing, it highlights the visibility and clarity of God's message to all present. 5. <a href="/topical/t/the_royal_palace.htm">The Royal Palace</a> The setting of the event, representing the center of Babylonian power and authority, which is being challenged by God's sovereignty.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty.htm">God's Sovereignty</a> The event underscores God's ultimate authority over earthly kingdoms and rulers. No power is beyond His reach. <a href="/topical/d/divine_judgment.htm">Divine Judgment</a> The writing on the wall serves as a reminder that God holds individuals and nations accountable for their actions. <a href="/topical/r/reverence_for_the_sacred.htm">Reverence for the Sacred</a> Belshazzar's misuse of the temple vessels highlights the importance of respecting what is holy and dedicated to God. <a href="/topical/v/visibility_of_god's_message.htm">Visibility of God's Message</a> The placement of the writing near the lampstand signifies that God's messages are meant to be seen and understood. <a href="/topical/u/urgency_of_repentance.htm">Urgency of Repentance</a> Belshazzar's immediate judgment calls believers to live in a state of readiness and repentance, acknowledging that life is fleeting.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_daniel_5.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Daniel 5</a> <a href="/q/is_daniel_5_5_scientifically_plausible.htm">In Daniel 5:5, how could a disembodied hand literally write on the wall, and isn’t this account scientifically implausible?</a> <a href="/q/what_happened_to_belshazzar.htm">What happened to Belshazzar during the feast?</a> <a href="/q/how_do_biblical_idioms_shape_todayand#8217;s_christian_language.htm">How do biblical idioms shape modern Christian language?</a> <a href="/q/proof_of_god's_judgments_in_history.htm">(Jeremiah 17:13) Is there any historical or archaeological proof that God’s judgments, such as the writing of names in the dust, were visibly carried out? </a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/daniel/5.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(5) In the same hour--i.e., suddenly and unexpectedly. (Comp. <a href="/daniel/3-6.htm" title="And whoever falls not down and worships shall the same hour be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace.">Daniel 3:6</a>.) Observe that it was only a portion of the hand that the king saw (comp. <a href="/daniel/5-24.htm" title="Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.">Daniel 5:24</a>), and that we are not told whether the guests saw the hand or not. That the writing was visible to all is plain from <a href="/daniel/5-8.htm" title="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.">Daniel 5:8</a>. We remark here, as in other supernatural manifestations recorded in Scripture, that a portion only has been witnessed by many, while the whole has been seen only by one or by a few. (Comp. <a href="/context/john/12-28.htm" title="Father, glorify your name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.">John 12:28-29</a>; <a href="/acts/9-7.htm" title="And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.">Acts 9:7</a>.)Candlestick.--This, of course, would make both the hand and the writing more distinctly visible to the king. . . . <div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/daniel/5.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div>Verse 5. - In the same hour oame forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. The two versions given in the Septuagint here do not seriously differ from each other or from the Massoretic text, only that they both omit "the part of," and represent the king as seeing the hand. Theodotion has ἀστραγάλους, which maybe rendered "finger-joints;" otherwise this version is very like both the Massoretic and the LXX. The Peshitta presents no point of remark. The word translated "lamp" (nebhrashta) became in Talmudic times the equivalent of menoorah, "the golden candlestick." From this it has been supposed that "the candlestick" was the golden candlestick which later proved the crowining glory of Titus's triumph, and is still to be seen carved on his arch. When the other vessels of the house of the Lord were brought to deck the table of the monarch, it would not be unnatural that the golden candlestick should also be brought. In the great hall in which a thousand guests were accommodated, more lamps than one would be required. The Septuagint (text) adds, "over against the king:" this would individualize the lamp referred to; but there does not seem to be any support for this reading, which may be due to the desire to explain the satatus emphaticus. Gesenius derives the word נֶבְרַשְׁתָּא from נור, "light," and אש, "flame." As ו as a consonant was unused in Assyrian, this derivation is by no means impossible We know that the Ninevite monarchs surrounded the great halls of their palaces with bas-reliefs of their victories. The remains of Babylon have not given us anything like the gypsum slabs of Kouyounjik. Yet the Babylonian monarchs not unlikely followed the same praetices as those of Nineveh. The walls were built and plastered, and then the slabs were moved up to them. In the case of Belshazzar, the palace walls might well be fresh; no gypsum slabs had yet recorded his prowess. As he looks to the white plaster, the fingers of a hand come out of the darkness, and write opposite him. "The king," thus it is in the Massoretic text, saw the "part" of the hand that wrote. Pas is the word. Furst renders it "wrist;" Gesenius, "the extremity;" Winer, vola manus," the hollow of the baud;" with this Buxtorf agrees. The balance of meanings seems to be in favour of "hollow of the hand," only it is difficult to understand the position of the hand relatively to the king when he saw the hollow of the hand. The smoke from the numerous lamps would obscure the roof of the hall of the palace; however numerous the lamps, their light would be unable to pierce the darkness, so out of the darkness came the hand. <a href="/commentaries/daniel/5-5.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a> <a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div>At בַּהּ־ (bah-) Preposition | third person feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/.htm">Strong's Hebrew</a> that moment שַׁעֲתָ֗ה (ša·‘ă·ṯāh) Noun - feminine singular determinate <a href="/hebrew/strongs_8160.htm">Strong's 8160: </a> A brief time, moment the fingers אֶצְבְּעָן֙ (’eṣ·bə·‘ān) Noun - feminine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_677.htm">Strong's 677: </a> Something to sieze with, a finger, a toe of דִּ֣י (dî) Pronoun - relative <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1768.htm">Strong's 1768: </a> Who, which, that, because a human אֱנָ֔שׁ (’ĕ·nāš) Noun - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_606.htm">Strong's 606: </a> Man, mankind hand יַד־ (yaḏ-) Noun - feminine singular construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3028.htm">Strong's 3028: </a> A hand appeared נְפַ֙קָה֙ (nə·p̄a·qāh) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5312.htm">Strong's 5312: </a> To go or come out or forth and wrote וְכָֽתְבָן֙ (wə·ḵā·ṯə·ḇān) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3790.htm">Strong's 3790: </a> To grave, to write on עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5922.htm">Strong's 5922: </a> Above, over, upon, against the plaster גִּירָ֕א (gî·rā) Noun - masculine singular determinate <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1528.htm">Strong's 1528: </a> Chalk, plaster of דִּֽי־ (dî-) Pronoun - relative <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1768.htm">Strong's 1768: </a> Who, which, that, because the wall, כְתַ֥ל (ḵə·ṯal) Noun - masculine singular construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3797.htm">Strong's 3797: </a> A wall near לָקֳבֵ֣ל (lā·qo·ḇêl) Preposition-l <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6903.htm">Strong's 6903: </a> In front of, before, because of, because that the lampstand נֶבְרַשְׁתָּ֔א (neḇ·raš·tā) Noun - feminine singular determinate <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5043.htm">Strong's 5043: </a> A light, plural, a chandelier in דִּ֣י (dî) Pronoun - relative <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1768.htm">Strong's 1768: </a> Who, which, that, because the royal מַלְכָּ֑א (mal·kā) Noun - masculine singular determinate <a href="/hebrew/strongs_4430.htm">Strong's 4430: </a> A king palace. הֵיכְלָ֖א (hê·ḵə·lā) Noun - masculine singular determinate <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1965.htm">Strong's 1965: </a> A large public building, palace, temple As the king וּמַלְכָּ֣א (ū·mal·kā) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular determinate <a href="/hebrew/strongs_4430.htm">Strong's 4430: </a> A king watched חָזֵ֔ה (ḥā·zêh) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_2370.htm">Strong's 2370: </a> To gaze upon, mentally to dream, be usual the hand פַּ֥ס (pas) Noun - masculine singular construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6447.htm">Strong's 6447: </a> Palm (of the hand) that דִּ֥י (dî) Pronoun - relative <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1768.htm">Strong's 1768: </a> Who, which, that, because was writing, כָתְבָֽה׃ (ḵā·ṯə·ḇāh) Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3790.htm">Strong's 3790: </a> To grave, to write <div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/daniel/5-5.htm">Daniel 5:5 NIV</a> <a href="/nlt/daniel/5-5.htm">Daniel 5:5 NLT</a> <a href="/esv/daniel/5-5.htm">Daniel 5:5 ESV</a> <a href="/nasb/daniel/5-5.htm">Daniel 5:5 NASB</a> <a href="/kjv/daniel/5-5.htm">Daniel 5:5 KJV</a> <a href="//bibleapps.com/daniel/5-5.htm">Daniel 5:5 BibleApps.com</a> <a href="//bibliaparalela.com/daniel/5-5.htm">Daniel 5:5 Biblia Paralela</a> <a href="//holybible.com.cn/daniel/5-5.htm">Daniel 5:5 Chinese Bible</a> <a href="//saintebible.com/daniel/5-5.htm">Daniel 5:5 French Bible</a> <a href="/catholic/daniel/5-5.htm">Daniel 5:5 Catholic Bible</a> <a href="/daniel/5-5.htm">OT Prophets: Daniel 5:5 In the same hour came forth (Dan. Da Dn) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/daniel/5-4.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Daniel 5:4"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Daniel 5:4" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/daniel/5-6.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Daniel 5:6"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Daniel 5:6" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>