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 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel 5:28 | "Peres" Explained: Kingdoms divided and given to Medes and Persians. | Daniel 5:28 |
| Isaiah 47:1 | Judgment on Babylon for pride and oppression. | Isa 47:1 |
| Jeremiah 51 | Detailed prophecy of Babylon's destruction and overthrow. | Jer 51 |
| Jeremiah 25 | Prophecy of Babylon's desolation after 70 years. | Jer 25:11-14 |
| Ezekiel 26 | Prophecy against Tyre, paralleling judgment on proud kingdoms. | Ezek 26 |
| Revelation 18 | Description of Babylon's fall in the end times. | Rev 18 |
| Psalm 37:2 | Wickedness of the ungodly will be cut off. | Ps 37:2 |
| Psalm 75:7 | God is the judge; he puts down one and sets up another. | Ps 75:7 |
| Ecclesiastes 3 | A time for everything, including destruction and building. | Eccl 3:3 |
| Acts 17:26 | God determined the times and places of human nations. | Acts 17:26 |
| Daniel 2:21 | God removes kings and sets up kings. | Dan 2:21 |
| Daniel 4:17 | The Most High rules in the kingdoms of men and gives them to whom he will. | Dan 4:17 |
| Daniel 4:32 | Belshazzar's father Nebuchadnezzar humbled by God. | Dan 4:32 |
| 1 Samuel 2:7 | The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts. | 1 Sam 2:7 |
| Proverbs 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Prov 16:18 |
| Isaiah 14:12-15 | Parallel prophecy about the fall of a king of Babylon. | Isa 14:12-15 |
| John 3:30 | He must increase, but I must decrease. (Spirit of John the Baptist about Christ) | John 3:30 |
| Luke 1:52 | God has brought down rulers from their thrones and has exalted those who were humble. | Luke 1:52 |
| Habakkuk 2:6-8 | Judgment on the nations that greedily acquire territory. | Hab 2:6-8 |
| Zechariah 1:15 | God's anger against the nations that are at ease. | Zech 1:15 |
Daniel 5 verses
Daniel 5 26 Meaning
This verse declares that God has numbered the days of the Babylonian kingdom and brought it to an end. The writing on the wall was a divine judgment, pronouncing the doom of Belshazzar and his empire. The interpretation signifies the culmination of God's judgment against Babylon for its sin and defiance.
Daniel 5 26 Context
Chapter 5 depicts Belshazzar's feast where a disembodied hand writes a message on the wall. This occurs during the final night of Babylonian rule, under the reign of Belshazzar, who was co-regent with his father Nabonidus. The festival was marked by blasphemous use of vessels taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. The appearance of the writing signifies impending doom, and Daniel is called to interpret it. The verse presented is the interpretation itself, delivering a sentence of condemnation. Historically, Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians under Cyrus the Great in 539 BC, a rapid and unexpected conquest that mirrored the prophecy's timing.
Daniel 5 26 Word Analysis
מְנָא (mĕnā’): "numbered," "counted." This emphasizes God's precise, divinely ordained decree. It's not random; each day had its appointed time.
תְּקִיל (tĕqīl): "weighed," "balanced." This suggests a judicial process, as if the kingdom's actions were put on a scale and found wanting.
פְּרִיס (pərîs): "divided," "portioned." This foretells the partition of the kingdom among conquerors. This is the Aramaic root for the "Peres" from verse 25.
God's Sovereignty: The collective words convey God's absolute control over kingdoms, cycles, and judgments. The counting, weighing, and dividing are acts of divine sovereignty and justice.
Kingdoms of Men: The context establishes that human empires, despite their apparent power, are ultimately subject to God's timetable and justice. This was a critical point for an audience living under foreign dominion.
Daniel 5 26 Bonus Section
The Aramaic words used are forms of "to count," "to weigh," and "to divide." The repetition of these roots in the interpreted phrases for "Mene," "Tekel," and "Peres" highlights the specific divine action taken against Babylon. The Aramaic word "Pares" (from which "Peres" comes) also means "Persian," creating a clever double meaning pointing to the conquerors. The entire episode serves as a stark warning against pride, idolatry, and the misuse of divine privileges. This theme resonates throughout Scripture, illustrating God’s consistent action against those who exalt themselves against Him and His people.
Daniel 5 26 Commentary
The verse provides a direct interpretation of the divine message. "Mene" signifies that God has counted the days of Belshazzar's reign and the Babylonian kingdom and brought them to their predestined conclusion. "Tekel" implies that Belshazzar and his kingdom have been weighed in the balance of God's justice and found deficient—lacking righteousness, mercy, or due obedience. "Peres" reveals the consequence: the kingdom will be divided and given to the Medes and Persians. This prophecy of judgment was fulfilled that very night with the fall of Babylon to Cyrus. The message underscores the principle that God is sovereign over all earthly kingdoms, appointing their rise and fall according to His righteous standards. Belshazzar’s impious feast and defilement of sacred vessels were the final provocations that sealed his doom. The weighing metaphor speaks to accountability before God. The division signifies the swift transfer of power to other nations due to the failure to uphold God's covenant principles or, in the case of Babylon, its egregious paganism and oppression.