Daniel 5 10

Daniel 5:10 kjv

Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:

Daniel 5:10 nkjv

The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, "O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change.

Daniel 5:10 niv

The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. "May the king live forever!" she said. "Don't be alarmed! Don't look so pale!

Daniel 5:10 esv

The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, "O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change.

Daniel 5:10 nlt

But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, "Long live the king! Don't be so pale and frightened.

Daniel 5 verses

Daniel 5 10 meaning

Daniel 5:10 depicts the timely and authoritative intervention of the Queen Mother amidst Belshazzar's terror and the paralyzing fear of his nobles. Informed of the bizarre and alarming events in the banqueting hall, she enters to offer counsel. Her initial words serve as a customary respectful greeting to the king, quickly followed by a direct command for him not to let his fearful thoughts or the visible signs of his distress continue, preparing to suggest a solution rooted in past experiences.

Daniel 5 10 Context

Daniel chapter 5 chronicles Belshazzar's blasphemous feast, where he desecrated vessels from God's temple by using them for idolatrous revelry. This act of profound disrespect to the God of Israel directly triggered the divine intervention of the handwriting on the wall (Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin). Prior to this verse, the king and his assembled nobles are paralyzed by fear, as none of their own "wise men" can decipher or understand the mysterious inscription. This verse immediately follows the description of their failure, depicting the unexpected and dramatic entrance of the Queen Mother, likely aware of past events from Nebuchadnezzar's reign, into a chaotic scene. Historically, the Babylonian Empire was in decline, with the Medo-Persian army already at its gates, setting a backdrop of political instability that Belshazzar recklessly ignored. The queen's appearance and counsel are a pivotal moment, connecting the present crisis to the historical wisdom available through Daniel.

Daniel 5 10 Word analysis

• Now (אֲזַ֡י – ʾǎzay): This Aramaic temporal adverb serves as a strong connective, indicating an immediate shift in the narrative and introducing the queen's entrance as a direct response to the previously described terror.
• the queen (מַלְכְּתָא֙ – malkĕtā): This refers not to Belshazzar's principal wife, but most likely to the Queen Mother, identified by some as Nitocris, daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, or the mother/grandmother of Belshazzar, a powerful figure with distinct authority and deep memory of the past regime. Her presence signifies an emergency profound enough to break normal court protocol.
• because of the words (מִלְּתֵ֤א – millətē): More literally, "at the report of," or "at the news concerning." This indicates she was outside the main banqueting hall but received information about the king's terrifying experience and the nobles' reactions.
• the king and his nobles: Emphasizes that the panic was widespread among the highest echelons of Babylonian society, a collective state of terror witnessed and reported.
• came into the banqueting hall (עַלַ֖ת לְבֵ֥ית מִשְׁתְּיָ֑א – ʿălāt lĕḯṯ mištĕyā): Her deliberate entry underscores her status and her readiness to intervene in a crisis that had overwhelmed everyone else present. The "banqueting hall" is where the desecration and divine judgment occurred, a place now filled with fear.
• The queen spoke (עֲנָ֨ת מַלְכְּתָא֙ – ʿănāt malkĕtā): She takes the initiative to address the situation directly, demonstrating leadership and wisdom.
• O king, live forever! (מַלְכָּ֗א לְעָלְמִין֙ חֱיִ֔י – malkā lĕʿalmîn ḥĕyî): A conventional, deferential greeting used when addressing a monarch (compare Dan 2:4; 3:9; 6:6, 21). This respectful formality immediately precedes her counsel, aiming to stabilize the king. Its inclusion also creates dramatic irony given the impending fall of Belshazzar that very night.
• Do not let your thoughts trouble you (לָֽא־ יְבַהֲלָ֣ךְ רַעְיוֹנָ֗ךְ – lāʾ yəḇahălāḵ raʿyônāḵ): A direct exhortation. "Thoughts" (raʿyônāḵ) refers to the terrifying considerations and implications arising from the divine message, which are unsettling him. The verb yḇahal means "to terrify," "to disturb," or "to alarm," describing the mental distress Belshazzar experiences.
• nor let your face be pale (וְזִיוָ֖ךְ לָ֥א יִשְׁתַּנֵּֽא – wəzīwāḵ lāʾ yištannē): "Your brightness/countenance not change." This refers to the physical manifestation of terror that altered Belshazzar's appearance (compare Dan 5:6 where his knees knock and face changes color). It suggests not just pallor, but a profound and unsettling alteration in his complexion and composure due to fear, a loss of regal dignity.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Now the queen...came into the banqueting hall": This sudden entry marks a pivotal turning point in the unfolding crisis, bringing an external voice of potential wisdom into the panicked, enclosed court. It suggests a hierarchical intervention, bypassing the failed official channels of interpretation.
• "because of the words of the king and his nobles": The collective fear and verbal expressions of terror from both king and court were significant enough to reach and mobilize the Queen Mother, highlighting the depth of their distress and the unprecedented nature of the event.
• "The queen spoke, saying, 'O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be pale'": Her opening words balance traditional reverence with direct psychological intervention. She immediately seeks to calm the king's visible distress and racing thoughts, positioning herself as a source of rational guidance in a situation dominated by irrational fear, setting the stage for her to propose a practical solution.

Daniel 5 10 Bonus section

The identity of "the queen" as the Queen Mother (rather than Belshazzar's wife/consort) is crucial. Aramaic often differentiates between wives (ʾǎnṯĕtā) and the more authoritative royal mother (malkĕtā). Her elevated status and advanced age likely gave her direct knowledge or strong oral tradition regarding Nebuchadnezzar's encounters with the God of Heaven and Daniel's unparalleled wisdom. Her intervention underscores that even within the pagan court of Babylon, there was an awareness, however suppressed, of the God of Israel's past powerful demonstrations through Daniel. She is depicted as the sole figure capable of remembering and proposing the one person who could truly help Belshazzar, ironically making her the unintentional catalyst for the message of doom to be properly understood. This demonstrates God's sovereignty working through seemingly unlikely individuals, even in a hostile environment, to ensure His word is declared.

Daniel 5 10 Commentary

This verse serves as a dramatic entry point for the Queen Mother, whose appearance represents the reintroduction of the "memory" of God's power and Daniel's prophetic insight into a decadent and godless court. Belshazzar's overwhelming panic (visible in his changed countenance and troubled thoughts) signifies a man completely unequipped to handle a divine encounter, having previously rejected the knowledge of God that Nebuchadnezzar had acquired. The queen, acting as an unexpected source of counsel, immediately grasps the gravity of the situation beyond what the king's advisors could offer. Her words, though conventional, aim to stabilize the king, paving the way for her crucial suggestion to consult Daniel—the one figure in the kingdom with access to true, divinely-revealed wisdom, directly contrasting with the failure of Babylon's own sorcerers and astrologers. It sets the stage for God's ultimate judgment to be clearly delivered through His prophet.