Daniel 5 4

Daniel 5:4 kjv

They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

Daniel 5:4 nkjv

They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

Daniel 5:4 niv

As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

Daniel 5:4 esv

They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Daniel 5:4 nlt

While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Daniel 5 verses

Daniel 5 4 Meaning

This verse describes the blasphemous action of Belshazzar, the king, who, in a state of revelry, commanded that the gold and silver vessels, plundered from the Temple of God in Jerusalem, be brought forth to worship his idols. This act was a deliberate defiance of the Most High God and a gross desecration of sacred objects.

Daniel 5 4 Context

In the context of Daniel chapter 5, King Belshazzar is hosting a great feast for his thousand guests. He is celebrating his reign and perhaps a perceived victory or security of his kingdom, seemingly unconcerned about the encroaching Medes and Persians led by Cyrus. This feast takes place amidst a dire military situation for Babylon. The specific act described in verse 4 occurs as a culmination of the revelry, where Belshazzar, in a moment of pride and intoxication, commands the sacred vessels, previously taken from Jerusalem by his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar, to be brought out for his worship of pagan gods. This is an act of extreme hubris and defiance against the God of Israel, setting the stage for the dramatic judgment that follows immediately after in the chapter.

Daniel 5 4 Word Analysis

• וַהֲנָפִ֣קוּ (wa-hă-nā-p̄i-qū): This is the Qal perfect, 3rd person masculine plural of the verb נָפַק (nāp̄aq). The root נָפַק typically means "to go out," "to come forth," or "to produce." In this context, it carries the sense of "brought forth" or "produced and brought" into the presence of the king. It signifies an action initiated and executed.
• אֳנִ֣יַת (ʔo-nî-yat): This is the construct state of the noun אֳנִיָּה (ʔo-nî-yah), which means "vessels" or "ships." In this context, it refers to the consecrated, sacred vessels belonging to the Temple.
• זְהַב־ (zhahav): Gold.
• וְדַ֣י (wə-day): And silver. This conjunction links gold and silver, indicating the precious materials of the vessels.
• דִּ֣י (dî): Which. A relative pronoun introducing a description of the vessels.
• נְטִילוּ (nə-ṭî-lû): This is the Piel perfect, 3rd person masculine plural of the root נָטַל (nāṭal), meaning "to lift," "to take," or "to carry away." Here, it specifically refers to the act of being "taken" or "carried away" from the Temple.
• מִן־ (min): From. A preposition indicating the source.
• מִקְדַּשׁ־ (miq-dash): Sanctuary, Holy Place. Specifically referring to the Temple in Jerusalem.
• אֱלָהַ֣י (ʔe-lā-hay): My God. Used here ironically by Belshazzar, or perhaps referring to the God whose vessels they were, despite his current intention. It emphasizes the origin of the vessels.
• דִּֽי־ (dî): Who. A relative pronoun referring back to "my God."
• בָּבֶל (bā-vel): Babylon. This identifies the location from which the vessels were taken in a broader sense, referencing the conquest.
• וְיִסְגְּדוּן־ (wə-yiṣ-gə-dûn): And they shall worship. This is the Qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural of the verb סָגַד (sā-gad), meaning "to worship" or "to bow down." It indicates the intended action with the vessels, an act of worship towards the king's idols.
• לְהוֹן (lə-hōn): To them. A pronominal suffix indicating the objects of worship – the idols.

Word Group Analysis:

• "brought the golden vessels that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem": This phrase highlights the origin of the vessels and the desecration involved in their transfer. The emphasis is on the sanctity of the original purpose and location.
• "and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines, might drink wine from them": This second part of the verse (connected to v.3 and the action in v.4) emphasizes the blasphemous purpose of using these sacred items for drunken revelry and idolatry, directly contrasting with their intended use for worship of the true God. The use of "my God" in v.4 underscores this intentional defiance.

Daniel 5 4 Bonus Section

The mention of "my God" by Belshazzar when referring to the vessels plundered from Jerusalem is particularly poignant. It is unclear whether he is sarcastically acknowledging the God whose holy items he is defiling, or if he is attempting to exert a strange sort of dominion over the God of Israel as he did over his people. Regardless, it marks his explicit defiance. The immediate divine response, the writing on the wall, directly addresses this blasphemy by stating, "you have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted yourselves up against the Lord of heaven." This underscores that the transgression was not merely an act of war or political power, but a spiritual rebellion against the Sovereign of the universe.

Daniel 5 4 Commentary

Belshazzar's command to bring forth the vessels of the Temple of God in Jerusalem is a pivotal moment signifying the height of Babylon's arrogance and idolatry. It wasn't just a political conquest; it was a theological affront. By using these holy artifacts, consecrated for the worship of the Lord of Heaven, to praise his pagan deities, Belshazzar demonstrated a profound ignorance of spiritual realities and a deliberate disrespect for the divine power that he was ultimately defying. This action exposed the hollowness of Babylonian strength and leadership, directly inviting the judgment that was soon to follow, as God's honor was being trampled.