Daniel 5 26

Daniel 5:26 kjv

This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

Daniel 5:26 nkjv

This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it;

Daniel 5:26 niv

"Here is what these words mean: Mene : God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

Daniel 5:26 esv

This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end;

Daniel 5:26 nlt

This is what these words mean: Mene means 'numbered' ? God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end.

Daniel 5 verses

Daniel 5 26 meaning

Daniel 5:26 conveys the first part of God's divine message to Belshazzar, as interpreted by Daniel. The word "MENE" declares that God has meticulously counted and measured the duration of Belshazzar's kingdom, thereby decreeing its definitive end. It is a pronouncement of divine sovereignty and imminent judgment, revealing that God orchestrates the rise and fall of nations according to His perfect will.

Daniel 5 26 Context

Daniel 5:26 occurs at a pivotal moment in the Babylonian empire, during Belshazzar's impious feast. King Belshazzar, a co-regent with his father Nabonidus, sacrilegiously used the golden and silver vessels looted by Nebuchadnezzar from the temple in Jerusalem for his pagan revelries. This act, a direct defiance of the God of Israel and a demonstration of extreme hubris, immediately preceded the mysterious writing on the wall by a disembodied hand. Terrified and unable to find anyone among his wise men who could interpret the writing, Belshazzar's queen suggested summoning Daniel, renowned for his divine wisdom. Daniel, fearless and direct, rebuked Belshazzar for failing to humble himself despite witnessing the fate of Nebuchadnezzar, his predecessor, who was brought low by God. Against this backdrop of spiritual insolence and imminent historical collapse, Daniel delivers God's precise and unambiguous interpretation of the divine message written on the wall. The fall of Babylon by Cyrus the Great and the Medo-Persian army was imminent, occurring that very night.

Daniel 5 26 Word analysis

• This (Aramaic: zeh)
  • Highlights Daniel's authoritative identification of the source and nature of the message. It's not a riddle to be solved by human ingenuity, but a divine message revealed by God.
• is the interpretation (Aramaic: peshar millᵉthā')
  • Peshar signifies "interpretation" or "solution," distinct from merely transliterating the letters. Daniel is providing divine insight into the words' meaning and their divine implication, not just their phonetic sound.
  • Millᵉthā' means "word," "matter," or "thing." Daniel interprets the divine "thing" or message.
• MENE (Aramaic: mᵉnē')
  • One of the four cryptic words on the wall, repeated twice (though only listed once here in Daniel's interpretation before "TEKEL").
  • Derived from the Aramaic verb menā (מְנָה), meaning "to count," "to number," or "to appoint."
  • Presents a powerful double meaning, also evoking the monetary unit "mina" (approximately 50 shekels or about 1.25 pounds of silver/gold). This wordplay suggests both "numbered" and "measured/weighed," preparing for "TEKEL."
  • It represents God's divine audit, a sovereign assessment of a fixed period.
• God (Aramaic: ʾelāhā')
  • Explicitly names the ultimate subject and actor of the judgment. It is the one true God, the sovereign Lord of the universe, not a Babylonian deity, who is bringing about this fate.
  • Directly contrasts with the pagan gods worshipped by Belshazzar during his feast.
• has numbered (Aramaic: mᵉnāh)
  • Past tense verb, indicating a completed divine action or decree. The numbering is finished, and the time determined.
  • Emphasizes God's omniscience, omnipotence, and His absolute control over the flow of history and the lifespan of kingdoms. The duration of Belshazzar's rule was precisely set by God from its inception.
• your kingdom (Aramaic: malkhūtākh)
  • Specifically targets Belshazzar's reign, not a generic kingdom. It highlights his personal accountability for his actions and the direct application of God's judgment to his authority.
  • This phrase contrasts Belshazzar's temporal and fragile human power with God's eternal sovereignty.
• and brought it to an end (Aramaic: wᵉsheymathāh)
  • Wᵉ- means "and," connecting the numbering to its immediate consequence.
  • Sheymathāh (from the root sum or sim) means "to put," "to place," "to set." Here, in a Pe'al perfect participle form, it carries the strong sense of completion, establishing a final limit, or "bringing it to its designated place of termination."
  • This is not merely a warning but a declaration of a completed divine sentence; the kingdom's end is decreed and imminent. The very act of numbering (Mene) had already implied this appointed end.

Words-group analysis:

• "This is the interpretation of the thing:": This opening clarifies Daniel's role, asserting that his following words are a divinely granted explanation of a sacred mystery, not a mere guess or human cleverness. It underscores the revelation's authenticity and authority.
• "MENE, God has numbered your kingdom,": Directly links the cryptic, mysterious word "MENE" to a specific, active subject "God," and a precise action "numbered," applied to "your kingdom." This shows God as the direct, active agent overseeing earthly reigns. It means God has precisely quantified its duration, marking its destined span.
• "and brought it to an end.": This final phrase is the chilling consequence. The numbering is not for observation, but for a conclusive verdict. It is the immediate, non-negotiable conclusion that follows God's prior assessment and timing. The kingdom's time is not just running out; it has definitively been counted and declared finished by the Divine Judge.

Daniel 5 26 Bonus section

• The immediacy of the fulfillment of Daniel's interpretation is striking: "that very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed" (Dan 5:30). This validates the divine origin and prophetic accuracy of Daniel's words.
• Daniel's interpretation wasn't a warning, but a declarative judgment that had already been rendered in the divine courtroom. The hand's writing was merely the physical manifestation of a spiritual verdict.
• The phrase "MENE, MENE" often appears as part of the full inscription (Dan 5:25), with Daniel focusing his interpretation here on the singular concept for clarity. The repetition intensifies the idea of "numbering," underscoring its certainty and completeness.

Daniel 5 26 Commentary

Daniel 5:26 presents the divine reckoning for Belshazzar's sacrilege and pride. God, the ultimate Sovereign, meticulously counts the days of every human reign and empire, assigning their limits. The "MENE" reveals that Babylon's appointed time, once measured, had expired. Belshazzar's brazen use of sacred vessels was the culmination of defiance that activated this precise, predetermined end. God's judgment is not arbitrary but flows from His character and righteous governance of history, marked by precision, decree, and execution. The phrase signifies that Belshazzar's ungodly rule has reached the boundary God established, and it would now cease. It's a testament to God's control over human history and the accountability of all rulers to Him.