Daniel 5:7

Schlachter Bibel

Der König schrie mit lauter Stimme, man solle die Wahrsager, Chaldäer und Sterndeuter holen. Und er hob an und sprach zu den Weisen von Babel: «Welcher Mensch diese Schrift lesen und sagen kann, was sie bedeutet, der soll mit Purpur bekleidet werden und eine goldene Kette an seinem Halse tragen und als Dritter im Reiche herrschen!»

Parallel Translations

Lutherbible (1912)
Und der König rief überlaut, daß man die Weisen, Chaldäer und Wahrsager hereinbringen sollte. Und er ließ den Weisen zu Babel sagen: Welcher Mensch diese Schrift liest und sagen kann, was sie bedeute, der soll in Purpur gekleidet werden und eine goldene Kette am Halse tragen und der dritte Herr sein in meinem Königreiche.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

aloud: Chal, with might, Daniel 4:14, *marg.

to bring: Daniel 2:2, Daniel 4:6, Genesis 41:8, Isaiah 44:25, Isaiah 44:26, Isaiah 47:13

be clothed: Daniel 5:16, Daniel 5:29, Daniel 2:6, Genesis 41:42-44, Numbers 22:7, Numbers 22:17, Numbers 24:11, 1 Samuel 17:25

scarlet: or, purple

a chain: Proverbs 1:9, Song of Solomon 1:10, Ezekiel 16:11

the third: Daniel 2:48, Daniel 6:2, Daniel 6:3, Esther 3:1, Esther 10:2, Esther 10:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 7:11 - wise men 1 Samuel 6:2 - called Esther 1:13 - the wise Esther 6:3 - What honour Isaiah 19:3 - and they Isaiah 47:9 - for the multitude Isaiah 47:12 - General Jeremiah 50:35 - her wise men Daniel 1:20 - the magicians Daniel 2:27 - cannot Daniel 5:15 - General Colossians 2:14 - the handwriting

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers,.... Or, "with strength" n; with a strong voice, as loud as he could; which is expressive of the fright he was in, and of his eagerness and impatience of information; laying aside all decency, and forgetting his royal majesty, like a man out of his senses, quite distracted, as it were: of the "astrologers", c.

:-,

:-, this was the usual course the kings of Babylon took, when they had matters of difficulty upon them, as appears from Daniel 2:2 and though they found it oftentimes fruitless and vain, yet still they pursued it so besotted and addicted were they to this kind of superstition:

and the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon; who were presently brought in from the several parts of the city where they dwelt, and probably many of them might be at court at that time; and being introduced into the hall where the king and his nobles were, he addressed them in the following manner;

whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof: pointing to the writing upon the wall, which continued; and which neither the king nor any about him could read or interpret, and therefore both are required to be done:

he shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck; or "with purple" o; the colour wore by persons of rank and figure; and the chain of gold was an emblem of honour and dignity, and more to be regarded for that than for the value of the gold of which it was made:

and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom; not rule over the third part of the kingdom, as Aben Ezra; but be the third man in the kingdom; next to the king and the queen mother, or to the king and the heir apparent; or one of the third principal rulers; or one of the three presidents of the kingdom, as Daniel afterwards was.

n בחיל "cum virtute", Vatablus; "in virtute", Montanus; "fortiter", Cocceius; "cum robore", Michaelis. o ארגונא "purpura", Vatablus, Pagninus; Montanus; Grotius, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Michaelis.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And the king cried aloud - Margin, as in the Chaldee, “with might.” This indicates a sudden and an alarming cry. The king was deeply terrified; and, unable himself to divine the meaning of the mysterious appearance of the hand, he naturally turned at once to those whose office it was to explain dreams and supernatural appearances.

To bring in the astrologers ... - See the note at Daniel 2:2; Daniel 4:7.

And said to the wise men of Babylon - Those just referred to - the astrologers, etc. Having the power, as was supposed, of interpreting the indications of coming events, they were esteemed as eminently wise.

Whosoever shall read this writing - It would seem from this that even the characters were not familiar to the king and to those who were with him. Evidently the letters were not in the ordinary Chaldee form, but in some form which to them was strange and unknown. Thus there was a double mystery hanging over the writing - a mystery in regard to the language in which the words were written, and to the meaning of the words. Many conjectures have been formed as to the language employed in this writing (compare the note at Daniel 5:24), but such conjectures are useless, since it is impossible now to ascertain what it was. As the writing, however, had a primary reference to the sacrilege committed in regard to the sacred vessels of the temple, and as Daniel was able to read the letters at once, it would seem not improbable that the words were in the Hebrew character then used - a character such as that found now in the Samaritan Pentateuch - for the Chaldee character now found in the Bible has not improbably been substituted for the more ancient and less elegant character now found in the Samaritan Pentateuch alone. There is no improbability in supposing that even the astrologers and the soothsayers were not familiar with that character, and could not readily read it.

And show me the interpretation thereof - The meaning of the words.

Shall be clothed with scarlet - The color worn usually by princes and by persons of rank. The margin is “purple.” So the Greek of Theodotion - πορφύραν porphuran. So also the Latin Vulgate - “purpura.” On the nature and uses of this color, see the note at Isaiah 1:18.

And have a chain of gold about his neck - Also indicative of rank and authority. Compare Genesis 41:42. When Joseph was placed over the land of Egypt, the king honored him in a similar manner, by putting “a gold chain about his neck.” This was common in Persia. See Xen. “Cyrop.” I. 3, 2, II. 4, 6, VIII. 5, 18; Anab. I. 5, 8. Upon most of the figures in the ruins of Persepolis the same ornament is now found. Prof. Stuart renders this, “a collar of gold.”

And shall be the third ruler in the kingdom - Of course, the king was first. Who the second was, or why the one who could disclose the meaning of the words should not be raised to the second rank, is not stated. It may be, that the office of prime minister was so fixed, or was held by one whose services were so important to the king, that he could not be at once displaced. Or the meaning may be, that the favored person who could interpret this would be raised to the third “rank” of dignity, or placed in the third class of those who held offices in the realm. The Chaldee is, “and shall rule third in the kingdom,” and the idea would seem rather to be that he should be of the third rank or grade in office. So Bertholdt understands it. Grotius understands it as the third person in rank. He says the first was the king; the second, the son of the king; the third, the prince of the Satraps.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Daniel 5:7. Whosoever shall read this writing — He knew it must be some awful portent, and wished to know what.