Daniel 5 30

Daniel 5:30 kjv

In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

Daniel 5:30 nkjv

That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain.

Daniel 5:30 niv

That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain,

Daniel 5:30 esv

That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.

Daniel 5:30 nlt

That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed.

Daniel 5 verses

Daniel 5 30 meaning

Daniel 5:30 records the immediate and dramatic fulfillment of God's judgment proclaimed by Daniel against King Belshazzar. It states that Belshazzar, the reigning king of Babylon, was killed that very night, directly linking his demise to the profane feast and the divine decree interpreted by Daniel. This verse marks the swift end of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and highlights the terrifying precision of God's timing and sovereign rule over human affairs.

Daniel 5 30 Context

Daniel chapter 5 opens with King Belshazzar hosting a lavish feast for a thousand of his lords. In an act of profound hubris and sacrilege, he commands that the sacred gold and silver vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem by his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar be brought out. The king and his guests then drink wine from these holy vessels, praising their own pagan gods while dishonoring the God of Israel. Immediately, a disembodied hand appears and writes a mysterious message on the palace wall. Terrified, Belshazzar summons his wise men, who are unable to interpret the writing. Eventually, Daniel, renowned for his divine wisdom, is called. He boldly rebukes Belshazzar for his pride and for not humbling himself despite knowing Nebuchadnezzar's experience with God's sovereignty. Daniel then interprets the writing: "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin," announcing that God has numbered the days of Belshazzar's kingdom and brought it to an end, that he has been weighed and found lacking, and that his kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Daniel 5:30 delivers the stunning and instantaneous culmination of this prophecy. Historically, this occurred on the night of October 12, 539 BC, when Cyrus the Great's Persian army diverted the Euphrates river and marched into the unwalled city of Babylon during a feast, catching the defenders by surprise and resulting in Belshazzar's death.

Daniel 5 30 Word analysis

• בֵּהּ בְּלֵילְיָא הַוּא (beleh b'leylya hawa - "that very night" or "in that night"):
  • Significance: Emphasizes the immediacy and swiftness of God's judgment. It leaves no room for escape, repentance, or delay, highlighting divine punctuality.
  • Meaning: "In that night," stressing precision of time.
• בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר (Belshaṭṭsar - "Belshazzar"):
  • Significance: The subject of the divine decree; his specific name being named underlines his personal culpability. He was not just a king, but the king guilty of flagrant sacrilege.
  • Meaning: Bel-protect-the-king (Babylonian name).
• מַלְכָּא כַּשְׂדָּאָה (malkā Kasdāʾāh - "king of the Chaldeans"):
  • Significance: Identifies his position and the specific empire over which he ruled, the Neo-Babylonian or Chaldean Empire, thus linking his demise to the kingdom's end. "Chaldeans" here functions as a broader term for Babylonians.
• קְטִיל (qəṭil - "was slain" or "was killed"):
  • Significance: Passive voice. Indicates that his death was an act carried out upon him, rather than self-inflicted, likely by divine orchestration through human agents (the invaders). The abruptness conveys finality and violence.
  • Meaning: From Aramaic root qatal (to kill).
• בֵּהּ בְּלֵילְיָא הַוּא בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר מַלְכָּא כַּשְׂדָּאָה קְטִיל (beleh b'leylya hawa Belshaṭṭsar malkā Kasdāʾāh qəṭil) - "that very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was slain":
  • Significance: This full phrase forms a declarative statement of accomplished fact, directly fulfilling Daniel's prophetic interpretation. It powerfully conveys the direct correlation between Belshazzar's defiance and his sudden demise. The timing—"that very night"—is crucial, highlighting the divine precision and the terrifying swiftness of God's judgment against impenitent pride and sacrilege. The fall of the king immediately precedes the fall of his kingdom, demonstrating the personal responsibility of leaders before God.

Daniel 5 30 Bonus section

• The Aramaic phrase "that very night" (beleh b'leylya hawa) not only highlights immediacy but also contrasts with the extended, luxurious feast. What started as a night of revelry turned into a night of divine reckoning.
• Belshazzar's death and the fall of Babylon that night directly confirm the veracity of Daniel's prophecy and, by extension, the absolute authority of the God of Israel over all pagan deities and human powers, forming a strong polemic against the polytheistic beliefs and claims of Babylon.
• The phrase "the writing on the wall" originated from the preceding events in this chapter and serves as an idiomatic expression in many cultures, signifying a clear and ominous warning of impending doom that should not be ignored. Belshazzar's inability or refusal to understand its true significance, even after Daniel's interpretation, led to his ultimate downfall.

Daniel 5 30 Commentary

Daniel 5:30 serves as the abrupt and decisive climax of the dramatic narrative, powerfully illustrating the immediacy and certainty of God's judgment against pride, idolatry, and sacrilege. Belshazzar, fully aware of his ancestor Nebuchadnezzar's lessons on divine sovereignty, chose defiant rebellion by desecrating sacred vessels from Jerusalem, prompting God's immediate and unequivocal response. The verse encapsulates divine timing, where prophecy is fulfilled within hours of its utterance, leaving no opportunity for the king to repent or escape. It demonstrates God's absolute sovereignty over nations and their rulers; human pride is futile before the Most High, who exalts and abases as He wills. This event marks not just the end of a king, but the complete overthrow of a formidable empire, signifying that God is indeed the one who "removes kings and sets up kings" (Dan 2:21), a timeless truth that applies to all authority figures, reminding them of their accountability to a higher power.