Daniel 5:1 kjv
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
Daniel 5:1 nkjv
Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.
Daniel 5:1 niv
King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them.
Daniel 5:1 esv
King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
Daniel 5:1 nlt
Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.
Daniel 5 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel 5:1 | Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. | Immediate Context |
| Isaiah 5:11 | Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may follow intoxicating drink, who stay up late at night till wine inflames them! | Theme of excess |
| Isaiah 5:22 | Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and men of valor at mixing strong drink | Theme of drunken revelry |
| Proverbs 20:1 | Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. | Danger of wine |
| Proverbs 23:20 | Be not among winebibbers, or among gluttonous eaters of meat, | Warning against excess |
| Habakkuk 2:15 | Woe to you who make your neighbor drink your [fierce] wine, and make him drunken, so as to gaze at their naked bodies! | Consequences of excess |
| Luke 21:34 | “But watch yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with objection and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. | Call for watchfulness |
| 1 Corinthians 6:10 | nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. | Excludes drunkards |
| Romans 13:13 | Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. | Living rightly |
| Galatians 5:21 | ...by which I warn you—as I have warned you before—that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. | Drunkenness forbidden |
| Ephesians 5:18 | And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. | Spirit vs. wine |
| 1 Peter 4:3 | The time that is left is enough for you to have lived as the Gentiles want, pursuing fornication, and lust, and drunkenness, revellings, carousing, and lawless idolatry. | Condemnation of carousing |
| Genesis 9:21 | When Noah drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. | Early mention of wine's effect |
| Deuteronomy 14:26 | And you may spend the money on whatever you desire—oxen, sheep, wine, strong drink, whatever your appetite may be. You shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household. | Permitted use of wine |
| Psalm 104:15 | ...and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread to strengthen man's heart. | Wine for joy |
| John 2:3, 10 | When the wine failed, Jesus’ mother said to him, ... “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the inferior. But you have kept the good wine until now.” | Wine at Cana |
| Ecclesiastes 10:17 | Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of noble birth, and whose princes eat and drink in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! | Proper use of wine |
| Revelation 17:2 | by whom the kings of the earth have committed immorality, and with whom the inhabitants of the earth have become drunk on the wine of her immorality.” | Symbolic wine |
| Revelation 18:3 | For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of their sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich through the extravagant luxury of her sensuality. | Symbolic wine and excess |
Daniel 5 verses
Daniel 5 1 Meaning
Belshazzar, the king, made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
Daniel 5 1 Context
This verse introduces chapter 5 of Daniel, which details the downfall of King Belshazzar and the Babylonian Empire. Historically, this event is understood to have occurred during the reign of Nabonidus, Belshazzar's father. Nabonidus spent much of his time away from Babylon, often in the Arabian desert, leaving Belshazzar to rule in his stead. The feast described is likely a celebration of a Babylonian festival, possibly the Sakon or "sacred day," or a triumph associated with the ongoing struggles of the empire. The Babylonian army was engaged in conflicts with the Medes and Persians. The prophet Daniel is present at this event, having served in Nebuchadnezzar's court and likely continuing under Belshazzar.
Daniel 5 1 Word Analysis
- Belshazzar (Biblical Hebrew: בֵּלְשַׁצַּר, Bēlšatṣar): A Nabataean or general West Semitic name, likely meaning "May Bel protect the king." It refers to Belshazzar, son of Nabonidus, who served as regent.
- king (Biblical Hebrew: מַלְכָּא, malḵā): Ruler, sovereign. This designates Belshazzar's royal authority.
- made (Biblical Hebrew: עָבַד, ʿāḇaḏ): Performed, did, carried out. Here, it signifies orchestrating or holding the event.
- great (Biblical Hebrew: רַב, raḇ): Large, abundant, many. Indicates the scale of the feast.
- feast (Biblical Hebrew: סְעוּדְתָּא, səʿuḏtā): A meal, banquet, repast. A celebratory meal.
- thousand (Biblical Hebrew: אַלְפִין, ʾalp̄in): A specific large number, but often used to represent "many" or "numerous." Refers to the significant number of attendees.
- his lords (Biblical Hebrew: רַבְרְבָנִים, raḇrəḇānîn): Chief men, nobles, dignitaries. The high-ranking officials and elites of the kingdom.
- drank (Biblical Hebrew: שָׁתָה, šātâ): To imbibe, consume liquids. Focuses on the act of drinking.
- wine (Biblical Hebrew: חֲמַר, ḥəmar): An alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes. Central to the revelry.
- before (Biblical Hebrew: לָקֳבֵל, lāqɔḇēl): In front of, opposite, facing. Suggests the public nature of the drinking and feasting.
Group Analysis: The verse sets a scene of opulence and indulgence by the Babylonian king and his court. The "great feast" and the presence of "a thousand of his lords" underscore the wealth and power of the empire at its apex. The act of "drinking wine before the thousand" highlights the celebratory and possibly excessive nature of the gathering, setting the stage for the divine judgment to follow.
Daniel 5 1 Bonus Section
The number "thousand" (Hebrew: eleph) is often used in Scripture not as an exact count but as a representation of a large, unquantifiable multitude. This usage amplifies the grandeur and significance of the feast. The "lords" (rabrîm) implies the highest echelon of the Babylonian government and society, signifying that the entire ruling class was partaking in this ostentatious display. The wine itself, while often used for celebration (Deuteronomy 14:26; Psalm 104:15), also carries a warning in Scripture about potential excess and moral compromise, as seen in prophetic warnings against drunkenness. Belshazzar's act of drinking wine before his guests emphasizes a communal indulgence, setting a unified tone for the events that are about to unfold, culminating in a supernatural manifestation.
Daniel 5 1 Commentary
Belshazzar hosted a lavish banquet for a large number of his noblemen. The scale of the event, involving a thousand dignitaries and significant consumption of wine, points to a time of perceived security and abundance for Babylon. This extravagance, however, occurs on the eve of Babylon's destruction, symbolizing the empire's moral and spiritual complacency. The gathering serves as a backdrop for the divine intervention that will soon reveal the kingdom's fate and Belshazzar's spiritual blindness, contrasting with the sobriety and faithfulness expected of God's people. The excessive drinking foreshadows the inability of Belshazzar and his court to comprehend the supernatural signs to come.