Daniel 5:6 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Daniel 5:6 kjv
Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
Daniel 5:6 nkjv
Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.
Daniel 5:6 niv
His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.
Daniel 5:6 esv
Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.
Daniel 5:6 nlt
and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.
Daniel 5 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 15:15 | "Then were the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seized the mighty men of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away." | Fear and trembling of enemies of God |
| Josh 2:9, 11 | "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that dread of you has fallen upon us... our hearts melted within us, and no spirit was left in any." | Rahab describing fear of the God of Israel |
| 1 Sam 4:13 | "And as soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died..." | Sudden physical collapse upon news of divine judgment |
| Psa 48:6 | "Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor." | Physical anguish upon judgment/terror |
| Psa 55:4-5 | "My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me." | Profound personal distress and terror |
| Psa 76:7 | "You, only You, are to be feared; and who can stand before You when once You are angry?" | Unbearable fear of God's wrath |
| Isa 13:6-8 | "Wail, for the day of the LORD is near... all hands will be feeble, and every man’s heart will melt. They will be dismayed; pains and anguish..." | Babylon's judgment and widespread physical collapse |
| Isa 21:3-4 | "Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me... My mind reels, horror overwhelms me." | Prophetic vision causing deep physical/mental distress |
| Isa 24:19-20 | "The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken... like a hut, and it sways like a hammock." | Figurative collapse of stability |
| Nah 2:10 | "She is stripped, stripped, laid bare; every heart melts, and all knees tremble; anguish is in all loins, and all faces grow pale!" | Strong parallel of judgment leading to total physical collapse |
| Jer 30:6 | "Ask now, and see if a male can give birth. Why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor?" | Image of utter weakness and agony |
| Dan 4:30-33 | (Nebuchadnezzar's arrogance and subsequent humbling) | Contrast: Nebuchadnezzar's pride vs Belshazzar's blasphemy. Belshazzar saw this. |
| Job 40:16 | "Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his might is in the sinews of his belly." | Loins as seat of strength; contrast to "loosed" |
| Matt 27:3-5 | (Judas' remorse, not repentance, leading to physical end) | Parallel: Terror/despair without true repentance |
| Acts 9:4-6 | "he fell to the ground and heard a voice... trembling and astonished he said, 'Lord, what do You want me to do?'" | Sudden divine encounter causing fall/trembling and change. Unlike Belshazzar, Saul repents. |
| Rom 1:18 | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." | Divine wrath is active and visible. |
| Heb 10:31 | "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God." | The profound terror of divine judgment |
| Rev 6:15-17 | "Then the kings of the earth and the great men... hid themselves in the caves... and said to the mountains... 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who is seated... and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?'" | Universal fear and physical reaction to God's wrath |
| Psa 34:16 | "The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth." | God's active opposition to evil doers |
| Pro 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | Universal principle of pride's downfall |
Daniel 5 verses
Daniel 5 6 meaning
Daniel 5:6 describes King Belshazzar's sudden and overwhelming terror upon seeing the mysterious handwriting on the wall. His face instantly changed color, reflecting deep alarm. His mind was plagued by distressing thoughts, causing such intense fear that his physical strength failed; the joints of his hips gave way, and his knees involuntarily struck against each other, indicating complete physical collapse and uncontrollable trembling.
Daniel 5 6 Context
Daniel 5:6 takes place at a sacrilegious feast hosted by King Belshazzar of Babylon. In a brazen act of defiance against the God of Israel, the king ordered the sacred vessels plundered from the temple in Jerusalem to be brought in for his revelers to drink wine from, praising their Babylonian gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. This direct blasphemy immediately provoked divine intervention: a mysterious disembodied hand appeared and wrote a message on the palace wall (Daniel 5:1-5). Verse 6 vividly describes Belshazzar's physical and psychological reaction to this terrifying supernatural event. He, unlike his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar, had witnessed God's power through Daniel's ministry, yet chose to despise the true God. This scene foreshadows the swift and irreversible judgment about to fall upon him and the Babylonian empire.
Daniel 5 6 Word analysis
- Then (אֱדַיִן - edayin): An Aramaic adverb indicating immediate temporal succession, signifying that Belshazzar's reaction was instantaneous and directly provoked by the sight of the writing.
- the king's (מַלְכָּא - malkā): Refers specifically to Belshazzar, whose elevated status makes his complete loss of composure particularly significant. His supposed divine authority and stability are instantly undone.
- face (זִיפַוֹהִי - zîp̄āwōhī): More literally, "his appearance" or "his brightness/color." In ancient Near Eastern thought, the king's face reflected his state of mind and divine favor; a change in it was deeply symbolic.
- turned pale (אֶשְׁתַּנִּיּוּ - ’eštannîyū): An Aramaic passive verb, "was changed, altered." Implies an involuntary, radical, and sudden change of color, highlighting overwhelming fear stripping away all outward signs of confidence and regal composure.
- and he was so alarmed (וְרַעְיוֹנֵהּ יְבַהֲלוּנֵּהּ - weraʿyôneh yəba̱hălūnneh): Lit. "and his thoughts alarmed him." 'Ra'yon' are thoughts or considerations, implying his mental faculties were plunged into disarray, generating intense inner terror and confusion beyond a simple emotional response. The root 'bāhal' means to be terrified or in great haste, underscoring mental panic.
- that his hip joints (וְקִטְרֵי חַרְצֵהּ - wəqiṭrê ḥarṣēh): 'Qeṭar' means "knots" or "joints"; 'ḥarṣā' refers to "loins" or "hips," often associated with the seat of physical strength, power, and reproductive capacity (Job 40:16). This indicates a fundamental loss of stability.
- became loose (אֶשְׁתַּרּוֹ - ’ešṭarrô): An Aramaic passive verb meaning "were loosed," "untied," or "dissolved." This signifies a total loss of physical integrity and strength, as if the very foundations of his body (and kingship) were coming apart.
- and his knees (וְאַרְכֻבָּתֵהּ - wə’arkubbātēh): Knees, being crucial for standing and stability, highlight the complete physical incapacitation.
- knocked together (דָּא לְדָא נָקְשָׁן - dā ləḏā nāqšān): Lit. "this one to this one knocking." 'Nāqash' means to strike or knock. This is a vivid, onomatopoeic description of uncontrollable, involuntary trembling, rendering him unable to stand firm.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Then the king’s face turned pale and he was so alarmed that his hip joints became loose and his knees knocked together." The sentence flows as a cause-and-effect progression: the divine manifestation causes inner alarm ("thoughts alarmed him"), which manifests outwardly as paleness, and then physiologically as complete bodily collapse (loose joints, knocking knees). This progression highlights the pervasive and comprehensive nature of his fear, encompassing mental, emotional, and physical faculties, signaling the profound spiritual truth of God's unassailable power over human defiance.
Daniel 5 6 Bonus section
The Aramaic terms in this verse, particularly the passive verbs describing the involuntary changes, underscore the sudden and total lack of control Belshazzar experienced. The detailed physical description is not mere literary embellishment but a theological statement: even the most powerful human ruler is nothing before the sovereign God. His "hip joints became loose" (Aramaic 'qiṭrê ḥarṣēh ’ešṭarrô') carries deep symbolic weight beyond just the literal loss of physical stability. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the loins ('ḥarṣēh') represented strength, vitality, and even generational power. Their "loosening" symbolically dismantles not only the king's personal power but also the perceived strength and continuity of his entire kingdom and dynasty. This immediate physical unraveling foreshadows the swift political downfall of Babylon, signaling the very core of his rule was being untied by divine decree. The scene is a direct polemic against the supposed strength and permanence of pagan empires and their gods, highlighting their impotence when confronted by the Living God.
Daniel 5 6 Commentary
Daniel 5:6 masterfully depicts the devastating psychological and physical impact of divine judgment on a proud king. Belshazzar's immediate and extreme reaction, far beyond simple fear, indicates a spiritual confrontation where human power is utterly undone by God's manifest presence. The physical details—paleness, mental anguish, loosening of hip joints (symbolizing loss of core strength and stability), and knocking knees (symbolizing total collapse and incapacity to stand)—paint a vivid picture of a ruler utterly stripped of his regal bearing and control. This serves as a powerful testament to Yahweh's sovereignty over earthly monarchs and empires, directly challenging the perceived omnipotence of Babylonian rule and its false gods. Belshazzar's terror, though profound, leads not to repentance like Nebuchadnezzar's earlier experience but to further confusion, solidifying his path toward inevitable destruction.