Belshazzar the king makes a great feast to a thousand of his lords — and commands that the golden vessels taken out of the Temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his consorts and his concubines, might drink from them. In the same hour come forth fingers of a man's hand, writing on the plaster of the palace wall; the king's countenance is changed, and his knees smite one against another. The queen remembers 'a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods.' Daniel reads the writing the wise men could not: 'MENE MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN' — God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end; you are weighed in the balances and found wanting; your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. Clothed in purple with a chain of gold, third ruler in the kingdom — 'in that night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
verse value 2920
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 46 letters. The shortest word is "great" (רַ֔ב, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·his·lords" (לְרַבְרְבָנ֖וֹהִי, 9 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "to·his·lords" (לְרַבְרְבָנ֖וֹהִי), "and·before" (וְלׇקֳבֵ֥ל), "the·thousand" (אַלְפָּ֖א). The root אלף appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "made" (root עבד, 40x in Daniel); "great" (root רב, 34x in Daniel). First appearance of the root בלשאצר ("Belshazzar") in Daniel. First appearance of the root לחם ("feast") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'thousand', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: בֵּלְשַׁאצַּ֣ר [Belshazzar] (623) + מַלְכָּ֗א [the·king] (91) + עֲבַד֙ [made] (76) + לְחֶ֣ם [feast] (78) + רַ֔ב [great] (202) + לְרַבְרְבָנ֖וֹהִי [to·his·lords] (505) + אֲלַ֑ף [thousand] (111) + וְלׇקֳבֵ֥ל [and·before] (168) + אַלְפָּ֖א [the·thousand] (112) + חַמְרָ֥א [wine] (249) + שָׁתֵֽה [drank] (705) = 2920.
Rashi
King Belshazzar He was his son, and he reigned after Evil-merodach, who reigned instead of Nebuchadnezzar, and (he) too was the son of Nebuchadnezzar. made a great feast We find in Josephon (Book 1, ch. 3) that he waged war by day with Darius the Mede and Cyrus and was victorious in the battle. So in the evening he made a feast, as Isaiah had prophesied about him: (21: 5) “Setting the table, setting up the lamp, eating, drinking. ‘Arise, princes, etc.’” For in the midst of the feast the enemies returned, waged war on the city and captured it. as much wine as the thousand The equivalent of one thousand men [was the amount] he was drinking [in] wine.
Ibn Ezra
Belshazzar made a great feast — [meaning] he prepared a meal. Before the thousand — [meaning] in front of a thousand lords — contrary to the practice of kings.
Metzudat David
Belshazzar – He was the son of Evil-merodach, who was the son of Nebuchadnezzar. When Scripture, in speaking of him, calls Nebuchadnezzar "his father," and likewise says "and you his son," [this is because] a grandfather is called "father" and a grandson is called "son." Made a great feast – He made a great feast for his thousand lords, because on that day they had defeated Darius's camp. Before the thousand – The king drank wine matching his thousand lords — as though he alone drank as much as all of them together.
Metzudat Zion
A great feast — literally 'much bread'; every feast is named after the bread [that is its centerpiece].
Malbim
The questions: (1–4) Why did he make this feast just then? And why did he command that the vessels of the Temple be brought out specifically at that feast? And why does it first say "to bring the vessels of gold and silver," and afterward say that only vessels of gold were brought? Why does it first say "from the temple that was in Jerusalem," and afterward, "from the temple of the house of God that was in Jerusalem"? And why does it say twice — "they drank in them," and "they drank wine"? Belshazzar the king made A great feast to A thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand — our Sages explained that they knew, from the prophecy of Jeremiah, that after seventy years the kingdom of Babylon would come to an end; they calculated the time and found that it had already been completed, yet saw that the promise had not come to pass and that the kingdom still stood in its strength. Moreover, according to what is told in Josippon, he had at that time fought against Media and Persia, who had risen against him in war, and his thousand officers had won the battle — a sign to him that his fortune still stood in its strength; and he reckoned that his idol and its guardian prince above had overpowered the God of gods. He therefore made the feast for the thousand officers who had won the war, and drank wine in their presence; and although it was the custom of kings in that era, when a king made a feast for his officers and servants, to eat and drink in a private chamber, he now showed them the greatness of their standing with him by drinking together with them.
Ibn Yahya
Sixth section: 'Belshazzar the king' etc. — Now this Belshazzar was the son of Evil-Merodach, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, and he made a great feast for his lords, who numbered a thousand, and before these thousand he drank wine — so robust and strong was he, so inclined toward bodily indulgence. For to this day the custom among the Ashkenazim is that one takes a goblet of wine and hands it to the companion sitting across from him, saying in their language that he should drink; and then that companion is immediately obligated to fill another goblet with wine, and the two of them drink together, each from his own goblet, and this is a sign of affection between them. And Belshazzar, in order to show affection to his thousand lords, had to drink one goblet full of wine together with each one of them — a thousand goblets of wine in all — which was an astonishing thing: how could his stomach possibly hold so great a quantity?
Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his consorts and his concubines, might drink in them.
verse value 6101
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 106 letters. The shortest word is "that" (דִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·his·lords" (וְרַבְרְבָנ֔וֹהִי, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: that, that. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "in·taste·of" (בִּטְעֵ֣ם), "vessels·of" (לְמָאנֵי֙), "had·taken·out" (הַנְפֵּק֙). The root די appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "that" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "commanded" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel). First appearance of the root מאן ("vessels·of") in Daniel. First appearance of the root שגל ("his·consorts") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 6 words.
Rashi
said, with the counsel of the wine He said with the counsel of the wine that he had imbibed. to bring [as translated,] to bring. that...had taken out [as translated,] had taken out. his queen Aram. שֵּׁגְלָתֵה, an expression of a queen in Aramaic, like: (Neh. 2:6): “and the queen (וְהַשֵׁגָל) was sitting beside him.”
Ibn Ezra
While he tasted the wine — this was the wine’s doing: he drank and became drunk. His consorts — as in [the phrase] ‘and the queen sits beside him’: she is the lady appointed for the king’s bed. And likewise [the verb] ‘tishgalna’ [shall be lain with] refers to that very act. His concubines — his concubines. Now, he committed two evils here: that everyone drank from the holy vessels, and that they praised gods of gold, wood, and stone.
Metzudat David
While he tasted the wine – Egged on by the intoxication of the wine, he ordered that the gold and silver vessels be brought which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the Temple that was in Jerusalem. Might drink in them – So that the king, his lords, his queen, and his concubine would drink from them.
Metzudat Zion
His consorts — [this refers to] the queen set apart for him for the marital bed.
Malbim
Belshazzar — and in order to show that there was no need to fear Hashem's promise, given through His prophet, that the kingdom of Babylon would be brought to an end, he commanded that the vessels of the Sanctuary be brought and put to secular use, to show that God's power had grown weak, and that there was no need to fear the sanctity of His holy vessels. And Scripture states that Belshazzar said this "at the taste of the wine" — meaning that this was not the counsel of a king, but the counsel of wine, for to desecrate the sacred vessels of any god whatsoever was, in that era, a repugnant thing among the nations, and in this counsel he resembled a common man who drinks himself drunk, whom the wine leads astray. And he commanded that the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem be brought, so that the king, his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. And his offense was: (1) that he did not say to bring the vessels from "the temple of the house of God," as is said in the verse that follows — because he did not want to call it by the name of God at all, and in his eyes it was like the temple of ordinary men; (2) that he therefore commanded that both silver vessels and golden vessels be brought — for in the Temple of Hashem, the vessels used in the inner service before Hashem were of gold, while the vessels of the Temple not used in the inner service were of silver; and since, in his view, the Temple was not the Temple of Hashem but merely an ordinary house, the golden vessels that had served Hashem were, in his eyes, no different from the silver vessels that were simply part of the Temple's general contents — for he called it, in his own words, only "the temple that was in Jerusalem," not "the Temple of Hashem."
Ibn Yahya
Because of the abundance of wine-drinking, which gladdens the heart of man, he grew haughty and commanded that they bring the vessels of silver and gold that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out — for grandchildren are considered as children, and therefore he calls him his father even though he was actually his grandfather — so that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them, and it would be an honor and a glory to him for the great victory that his grandfather had won at that time in the land of Israel.
Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his lords, his consorts and his concubines, drank in them.
verse value 4682
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 84 letters. The shortest word is "that" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·his·lords" (וְרַבְרְבָנ֔וֹהִי, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: that, that. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "vessels·of" (מָאנֵ֣י), "were·taken·out" (הַנְפִּ֗קוּ), "of·house·of" (דִּֽי־בֵ֥ית). The root די appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "that" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "God" (root אלה, 57x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Rashi
were brought [as translated,] were brought. that they had taken out [as translated,] that they had taken out.
Metzudat David
Then – Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the Temple of the house of God that was in Jerusalem, and the king, his lords, his queen, and his concubine drank from them; and for brevity's sake [Scripture] did not mention the silver vessels as well, since that is understood on its own.
Malbim
Then — then they brought the golden vessels that had been taken out of the house of God that was in Jerusalem. Now his officers and servants did regard it as the house of God, and knew that Hashem dwelt there; but they thought that their idol was mightier than He, and had prevailed over Him so as to nullify His promises. Therefore they brought only the golden vessels — the ones that had served before Hashem in holiness — so as to give thanks with them to their idol, which had triumphed over Him. The third offense was that the king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them; for it was the custom for the king's wives to remain within, and not to come to the feast of the officers, as is explained regarding [Queen] Vashti; but here they cast off restraint by calling the women to the feast, and they, too, drank from the sacred vessels — enough to cause disgrace and wrath.
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
verse value 2352
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "wood" (אָעָ֥א, 3 letters) and the longest is "drank" (אִשְׁתִּ֖יו, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "drank" (אִשְׁתִּ֖יו), "and·praised" (וְ֠שַׁבַּ֠חוּ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·gods·of" (root אלה, 57x in Daniel); "iron" (root פרזל, 20x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wine', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 8 words. Full calculation: אִשְׁתִּ֖יו [drank] (717) + חַמְרָ֑א [wine] (249) + וְ֠שַׁבַּ֠חוּ [and·praised] (322) + לֵֽאלָהֵ֞י [the·gods·of] (76) + דַּהֲבָ֧א [gold] (12) + וְכַסְפָּ֛א [and·silver] (167) + נְחָשָׁ֥א [brass] (359) + פַרְזְלָ֖א [iron] (318) + אָעָ֥א [wood] (72) + וְאַבְנָֽא [and·stone] (60) = 2352.
Metzudat David
They drank wine, and praised the gods – Of gold and silver, etc. — meaning the mute idols made from gold, etc., from one or another of these materials.
Malbim
They drank wine — the fourth offense was that they drank wine [from the sacred vessels], which is a greater disgrace than any other use, for "wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler." The fifth offense was that they praised the gods of gold and silver, as though these idols had overpowered the God of Israel, and had nullified His words and His promises.
Ibn Yahya
They drank the wine from them and praised their gods — gods of silver and gold, wood and stone — for that victory; and this thing was evil in the eyes of Hashem.
In the same hour fingers of a man’s hand came forth, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the palm of the hand that wrote.
verse value 5100
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 82 letters. Verse gematria: 5100 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "of" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·that·hour" (בַּהּ־שַׁעֲתָ֗ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: of, of, that. 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "in·that·hour" (בַּהּ־שַׁעֲתָ֗ה), "came·forth" (נְפַ֙קָה֙), "fingers" (אֶצְבְּעָן֙). The root די appears 3 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "of" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "saw" (root חזה, 30x in Daniel). First appearance of the root כתב ("and·wrote") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·king', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 6 words.
Rashi
the fingers...emerged The fingers of a human hand emerged from heaven. opposite the candelabrum opposite the menorah that was before the table, and a similar word appears (in Tractate Yoma 37a): “made a candelabrum (נִבְרֶשֶׁת) of gold.” on the plaster on the lime that is plastered on the wall, like (Isa. 27:9): “like crushed chalkstones (אַבְנֵי גֵר),” which resemble lime.
Ibn Ezra
The candlestick — [meaning] a lamp/lampstand. Upon the plaster — like stones of ‘gir’, that is, lime plaster/whitewash. The wall of the palace — similar to [the phrase] ‘behind our wall’. The palm of the hand — [meaning] a piece of a hand. And likewise [the phrase] ‘let there be a portion [pissat] of grain’, and also ‘a coat of many pieces [ketonet passim]’ — all of these derive from the root of [the phrase] ‘for the faithful have failed [pasu]’. And behold, they saw hands without a body.
Metzudat David
In the same hour – At that moment a cluster of fingers, like those of a human hand, came forth and wrote, opposite the candelabrum, on the plaster coating of the wall of the king's palace. And the king – And the king saw the palm of the hand that was writing.
Metzudat Zion
The candlestick — a lamp; and our Sages state, 'she made a golden candelabrum' (Yoma 37). The plaster — lime, as in 'like chalkstones' (Isaiah 27). The palm of the hand — the palm of the hand; and our Sages state, 'thirty [bones are] in the palm of the hand' (Oholot 1).
Malbim
The questions: (5) At first it says that "fingers" came forth, implying fingers alone, and afterward it says that he saw "the palm of the hand that wrote," implying the whole palm of the hand — why the discrepancy? In the same hour — at that very moment, fingers of a man's hand came forth, and wrote opposite the candlestick, upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the palm of the hand that wrote. Now, so that no one should say that this was merely something he imagined, or that his senses had deceived him, or that one of the officers, an enemy of the king, had written this to terrify him, Scripture indicates: (1) that all the officers saw the fingers writing, and a single misleading illusion could not deceive so many people at once; (2) that it happened opposite the candlestick, where there was light and no deceptive shadow; (3) that the writing was on the plaster of the palace, and the plaster was higher than the place a man's hand could reach; (4) that although the officers saw only fingers writing, the king saw the entire palm of the hand that wrote — and this is proof that it was a miraculous matter, since what he saw differed from what they saw.
Ibn Yahya
Immediately the fingers of a man's hand came forth and wrote, opposite the lampstand of the table, upon the plaster of the wall of the palace; and when the king saw the palm of the hand writing—
Then the king’s countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts affrighted him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
verse value 3826
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 63 letters. The shortest word is "this" (דָּ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·his·thoughts" (וְרַעְיֹנֹ֖הִי, 7 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "his·brightness" (זִיוֺ֣הִי), "changed" (שְׁנ֔וֹהִי), "affrighted·him" (יְבַהֲלוּנֵּ֑הּ). The root דא appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "then" (root אדין, 46x in Daniel); "changed" (root שנה, 38x in Daniel). First appearance of the root קטר ("and·joints·of") in Daniel. First appearance of the root חרץ ("his·loins") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'affrighted·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: אֱדַ֤יִן [then] (65) + מַלְכָּא֙ [the·king] (91) + זִיוֺ֣הִי [his·brightness] (38) + שְׁנ֔וֹהִי [changed] (371) + וְרַעְיֹנֹ֖הִי [and·his·thoughts] (351) + יְבַהֲלוּנֵּ֑הּ [affrighted·him] (108) + וְקִטְרֵ֤י [and·joints·of] (325) + חַרְצֵהּ֙ [his·loins] (303) + מִשְׁתָּרַ֔יִן [were·loosed] (1000) + וְאַ֨רְכֻבָּתֵ֔הּ [and·his·knees] (634) + דָּ֥א [this] (5) + לְדָ֖א [to·this] (35) + נָֽקְשָֽׁן [smote] (500) = 3826.
Rashi
his color changed His features changed upon him. and his thoughts [as translated,] and his thoughts. and the belts of his loins became untied The belts of his loins opened because his loins were emptying out of fear, and his belt opened. and the belts of his loins became untied were untied. and his knees [as translated,] and his knees. knocked one against the other bumped and knocked.
Ibn Ezra
The joints [of his loins] — [meaning] the bindings of his loins; they were almost completely undone. Smote — in the manner of things joined one to another [lit. ‘a woman to her sister’].
Metzudat David
Then – Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts terrified him, and the joints of the bones of his loins came loose and were released from their binding — this is a manner of exaggeration and hyperbole. And his knees – His knees were knocking and striking against one another from the intensity of his terror and trembling.
Metzudat Zion
Smote — a term denoting striking, as in 'the candlestick shall be made of hammered work' (Exodus 25:31).
Malbim
Then – (5) He had further proof that this was not merely an illusion: for it was then that the king’s countenance changed from the terror, as the Sages said, “One who is seized with sudden fright — although he himself does not see [the cause], his guardian fortune does see it” (Megillah 3a). And his thoughts affrighted him — this too was proof that it portended evil. And the joints of his loins were loosed — that is, the knots of the belt about his waist came undone by themselves — this too was, for him, a bad omen, for it says elsewhere, of a mighty army, “neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed” (Isaiah 5:27); for the nations, by their auguries, took a loosened girdle as an ill omen.
Ibn Yahya
the light of his countenance changed, and his thoughts terrified him; the joints of his loins were loosened, and his knees, from the extent of his trembling, struck and knocked one against the other.
The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon: ‘Whoever shall read this writing, and declare to me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall rule as one of three in the kingdom.’
verse value 7456
Insights
Verse structure: 29 words, 142 letters. Notable word values: "of·gold" (דִֽי־דַהֲבָא֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "that" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·chain" (וְהַֽמְנִיכָ֤א, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 91: the·king, the·king. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "to·bring·in" (לְהֶֽעָלָה֙), "the·enchanters" (לְאָ֣שְׁפַיָּ֔א), "that·shall·read" (דִּֽי־יִקְרֵ֞ה). The root קרא appears 2 times in this verse. 25 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "that" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "and·said" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel). First appearance of the root ארגון ("purple") in Daniel. First appearance of the root לבש ("shall·be·clothed") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·the·astrologers', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 21 words.
Rashi
aloud Aram. בְּחַיִל, lit. with strength. to bring in [as translated,] to bring in. this writing [as translated,] this writing. shall wear purple following the custom of the nobles. chain Aram. וְהַמְנִיכָא, medallion, necklace. and rule over over a third of the kingdom [as translated,] and rule over a third of the kingdom.
Ibn Ezra
And a chain — [meaning] the golden necklace. As one of three — he shall rule as a third [ruler] in the kingdom.
Metzudat David
Aloud – With force and a raised voice he cried out and commanded that the enchanters, etc., be brought in. Whoever – Whoever would read this writing and tell him its interpretation would then be clothed in a purple garment, a golden chain and necklace would be placed on his neck, and he would rule as one of three in the kingdom.
Metzudat Zion
Purple — [i.e.,] purple; likewise, 'and in purple and crimson' (2 Chronicles 2); it is the name of a precious dye. And a chain — a necklace made of linked rings worn as an ornament; regarding 'the gold chain' (Genesis 41:42), Targum Onkelos renders 'manikha dedahava' (a golden chain).
Malbim
The king cried aloud – that is, the king called out forcefully to bring in the wise men of Babylon, and told them that whoever would read this writing and declare its interpretation “shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck” — for these were things that no one was permitted to wear except the officers closest to the king. As for “and shall rule as one of three in the kingdom”, some explain this to mean that he would rule over a third of the kingdom, while others explain that he would become third in rank after the king himself. From all this it is evident that it had already occurred to him that this was a matter of great weight, one whose telling would be very difficult — and this is why he did not decree death upon them for failing to read it, as Nebuchadnezzar had done concerning his own dream, for he knew that it is impossible to read a hidden writing of angelic origin.
Ibn Yahya
'The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters' etc. — and he said to them that whoever would read that writing and tell its interpretation would be clothed in purple, a chain of gold would be placed on his neck, and he would rule as one of three in the kingdom.
Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.
verse value 3009
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 62 letters. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·were·able" (וְלָֽא־כָהֲלִ֤ין, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "to·make·known" (לְהוֹדָעָ֥ה). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "then" (root אדין, 46x in Daniel); "to·make·known" (root ידע, 43x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·king', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words.
Rashi
entered [as translated,] entered.
Metzudat David
Then – Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king its interpretation — as if to say: if they did not even know how to read it, how then could they make known its interpretation?
Malbim
Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king its interpretation – sometimes one may know how to read a piece of writing without knowing its meaning, and at other times one may know the meaning even without being able to read the writing itself, since through divination and astrology they could discern what had been decreed, by the rulings of the stars and of nature — but these men knew neither the one nor the other.
Ibn Yahya
But the wise men were unable to read that writing or make known its interpretation to the king.
Then king Belshazzar was greatly affrighted, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.
verse value 3728
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "then" (אֱ֠דַ֠יִן, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·his·lords" (וְרַבְרְבָנ֖וֹהִי, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "was·affrighted" (מִתְבָּהַ֔ל), "and·his·countenance" (וְזִיוֺ֖הִי), "were·perplexed" (מִֽשְׁתַּבְּשִֽׁין). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "upon·him" (root על, 64x in Daniel); "then" (root אדין, 46x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 2 words. Full calculation: אֱ֠דַ֠יִן [then] (65) + מַלְכָּ֤א [king] (91) + בֵלְשַׁאצַּר֙ [Belshazzar] (623) + שַׂגִּ֣יא [greatly] (314) + מִתְבָּהַ֔ל [was·affrighted] (477) + וְזִיוֺ֖הִי [and·his·countenance] (44) + שָׁנַ֣יִן [was·changed] (410) + עֲל֑וֹהִי [upon·him] (121) + וְרַבְרְבָנ֖וֹהִי [and·his·lords] (481) + מִֽשְׁתַּבְּשִֽׁין [were·perplexed] (1102) = 3728.
Rashi
became very frightened Aram. שַּׂגִּיא מִתְבָּהַל, extremely frightened. were perplexed They were confused.
Ibn Ezra
Were perplexed — according to its plain sense: like a person who does not know what to do.
Metzudat David
Then – Then the king was very greatly terrified, and his countenance changed upon him even more, and his lords were confounded and confused in their thinking, from the intensity of the terror.
Metzudat Zion
Were perplexed — a term denoting confusion and derangement of the mind.
Malbim
Questions (9): Has not what is stated in verse 9 already been said in verse 6? Then – that is, then King Belshazzar became very frightened, and his countenance was changed [greatly], more than it had changed before (for the word “greatly” [sagi] applies to both), and his lords were perplexed, not knowing what to do. This great terror, now added, arose from three reasons: (1) that he now saw no hope at all of learning the matter; (2) that by this he understood that the matter had not come from lowly gods or from demons and the like — concerning which the wise men of Babylon knew charms and talismans by which to draw out their will and have them reveal the matter — but rather that it had come from God Most High, the exalted One, which meant that it was, accordingly, a matter of sweeping and very great import; (3) for a message that comes from heaven ordinarily comes so that people may learn of the coming evil and prepare themselves to escape it, whether through repentance from sin or through deeds and stratagems — but this was not so with a message that merely announces that evil is coming without making known what it is; such a message comes not to warn, but only to terrify and to herald an evil for which there is no remedy at all, as it is written, of Babylon, “and evil shall come upon you, you shall not know how to charm it away” (Isaiah 47:11).
Ibn Yahya
And the king was greatly terrified, and the light of his countenance changed upon him; and his lords, too, were terrified and bewildered, seeing that it was impossible to understand this great matter.
Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house; the queen spoke and said: ‘O king, live for ever! let not your thoughts affright you, nor let your countenance be changed;
verse value 6900
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 99 letters. Verse gematria: 6900 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "words·of" (מִלֵּ֤י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·his·lords" (וְרַבְרְבָנ֔וֹהִי, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 491: the·queen, the·queen. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "words·of" (מִלֵּ֤י), "the·feast" (מִשְׁתְּיָ֖א), "entered" (עַלַּ֑ת). The root מלכה appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "and·said" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel); "do·not·change" (root שנה, 38x in Daniel). First appearance of the root חיה ("live") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'entered', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 11 words.
Rashi
The queen, in response to the words of the king The queen, because she heard the words of the king and his princes, came to the banquet hall.
Ibn Ezra
The queen — some say [this was] the wife of Nebuchadnezzar.
Metzudat David
The queen – The queen, on account of the terrified words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house, raised her voice, and said: 'May the king live forever; do not let your thoughts terrify you, and do not let your countenance change.'
Malbim
The queen – some explain that this was the king’s mother, the wife of Nebuchadnezzar (this follows Ibn Ezra’s view, that Belshazzar was Nebuchadnezzar’s son), or, on another view, his grandmother. And others explain that, although the rest of the king’s women were present in the banquet hall, the one woman designated as queen had remained in her own chambers, and it was only now, upon hearing of the words spoken by the king and his lords, that she came into the banquet house, and said, “O king, live for ever! Let not your thoughts affright you, nor let your countenance be changed” — she wished to remove from his heart the fear that had gripped him, for the reasons mentioned above.
Ibn Yahya
The old queen, the mother of the king — who remembered Daniel and his wisdom from days of old — when she heard the king's words, came into the banquet house, for she had not been there before, out of respect for her widowhood; and she said to the king that he should not be terrified over this.
there is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar your father, the king, I say, your father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers;
verse value 7375
Insights
Verse structure: 27 words, 130 letters. The shortest word is "who" (דִּ֠י, 2 letters) and the longest is "like·the·wisdom·of·gods" (כְּחׇכְמַת־אֱלָהִ֖ין, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 29: your·father, your·father, your·father. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "in·your·kingdom" (בְּמַלְכוּתָ֗ךְ), "and·in·days·of" (וּבְיוֹמֵ֣י), "light" (נַהִיר֧וּ). The root אב appears 3 times in this verse. 22 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "who" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "gods" (root אלה, 57x in Daniel). First appearance of the root שכלתנו ("and·insight") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 11 words.
Rashi
There is a man There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy ones. like the wisdom of the angels [as translated,] angels. appointed him He appointed him prince over them all.
Ibn Ezra
Light — like [the word] ‘nehora’ [light].
Metzudat David
There is a man in your kingdom – There is a man in the province of your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods was found in him. Master – He appointed him chief over the magicians, etc.
Metzudat Zion
Light — [i.e.,] illumination, as in 'let not light shine upon it' (Job 3:4).
Malbim
Questions (11–12): Do these verses not contain repetition, redundancy, and prolixity of language? There is – as for your being frightened out of despair of ever learning the interpretation, now that it has eluded the wise men: “there is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him” — that is, even though it has eluded your own wise men, there is yet hope that he will know it, through the spirit of God within him; and even though the matter issued from God Most High, still the spirit of the holy gods is found in him, sufficient to know His secrets and mysteries. And as against your present fear — that since this message came in a form whose interpretation cannot be known, this is a sign that there is no longer any hope of being saved from it, and that the message did not come so that you might devise a plan of escape from the evil, since there is no hope — for this she said: “the king Nebuchadnezzar your father, the king, I say, your father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters,” etc. — for is there not, after all, a man who knows the interpretation? So the message was not given to you in a way whose meaning could never be known. And do not say that you did not know of this man, for he is a man known in the gates as master of the magicians and of all the wise men, and when you summoned the wise men of Babylon, you ought to have summoned the greatest man among them all. And do not say that you did not know of him, for did not Nebuchadnezzar your father appoint him — and it would have been fitting for you to know of him through your father, since a son knows what is done in his father’s house.
Ibn Yahya
for behold, there is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, light of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of an angel of God were found in him, and he made him chief and commander over all the other wise men.
forasmuch as a surpassing spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and declaring of riddles, and loosing of knots, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will declare the interpretation.’
verse value 8434
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 112 letters. The shortest word is "that" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·insight" (וְשׇׂכְלְתָנ֡וּ, 7 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·knowledge" (וּמַנְדַּ֡ע), "interpreting" (מְפַשַּׁ֣ר), "dreams" (חֶלְמִין֩). The root פשר appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "whom·the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "that" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "in·Daniel" (root דניאל, 75x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Belteshazzar', dividing the verse into phrases of 18 and 5 words.
Rashi
All because, etc. because a superior spirit, knowledge and understanding are within him, and the talent to tell riddles. and untie knots The revelation of all secrets is found in Daniel.
Ibn Ezra
Declaring of riddles, and loosing of knots — [meaning] one who tells riddles and unties knots.
Metzudat David
Forasmuch as – Because a surpassing, abundant spirit of wisdom, and knowledge and understanding, and the interpreting of dreams, the telling of riddles, and the loosening of knotted and obscure matters — all of these were found in him, in Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. As if to say: had all these things not been found in him, the king would not have consented, through Ashpenaz, to call him by the name of his own [the king's] god. Now – Now let them summon Daniel, and he will also tell the interpretation — as if to say: perhaps the matter will yet point to something good, and even if it points to something bad, you will know to be on guard.
Malbim
Forasmuch as – and do not think that he is wise in other matters, but not in matters such as this; that is not so, for “forasmuch as a surpassing spirit, and [a spirit of] knowledge and understanding” (this being the very spirit that) “interpreting of dreams, and declaring of riddles, and loosing of knots, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar” — for the reason he was made master of the magicians and enchanters was precisely this spirit found in him, through which he was able to interpret dreams and riddles and hidden things; and so it became known to all that he is the greatest of them all in the knowledge of such mysteries. And the message did not come from God in so obscure a manner that its meaning would remain forever hidden — rather, God knew that you would ask it of Daniel, and he would tell you. Therefore: “now let Daniel be called, and he will declare the interpretation.” And in what is said here, “let Daniel be called”, a further intention is included: for Nebuchadnezzar had named him Belteshazzar, after the name of his own god, and the king himself was called by this same honored name; and now that Belshazzar had become king, it would not be fitting for anyone else to be called by the king’s own honored name. Therefore she said that now Daniel should be summoned by the name Daniel, not by the name Belteshazzar — for this would not detract from his wisdom, since in any case he will declare the interpretation.
Ibn Yahya
because a surpassing spirit of the gods, knowledge, understanding, interpretation of dreams, the telling of secrets, and the loosening of knots were found in him. Therefore let Daniel be called before you, and he will tell the interpretation.
Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel: ‘Are you Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
verse value 3407
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 89 letters. Notable word values: "my·father" (אַ֖בִי) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "of" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "who·from·sons·of" (דִּֽי־מִן־בְּנֵ֤י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 125: spoke, to·Daniel. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "was·brought·in" (הֻעַ֖ל), "who·from·sons·of" (דִּֽי־מִן־בְּנֵ֤י), "brought" (הַיְתִ֛י). The root דניאל appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "of" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "and·said" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·king', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 16 words.
Metzudat David
Then – Then Daniel was brought in before the king. Are you Daniel – Are you that Daniel, one of the exiled children of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
Malbim
Questions (13–14): Why did he tell him that he was one of the children of the exile, and that his father had brought him from Judah? And why does what is stated in verse 14, “I have heard of you”, duplicate what is stated in verse 15, “and I have heard of you”? Then Daniel was brought in before the king – “The king spoke and said to Daniel: ‘Are you…’” etc. He opens by honoring Daniel and magnifying his honor: although Daniel was among the exiles, who were despised and lowly in those days, there was a difference between the exile that came in the days of Zedekiah, who were despised in the eyes of the Chaldeans, and the first exile that came in the days of Jehoiachin, who were honored and of stature, as is explained in Jeremiah (ch. 24), and as is stated regarding Mordecai: “who had been exiled from Jerusalem with the exiles that had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar had exiled” (Esther 2:6) — showing that they were of importance, since the exile that went out with Zedekiah was brought not by Nebuchadnezzar himself but by Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, and they were despised; how much more so was Daniel, one of the youths whom the king himself had brought to stand in his palace. That is why he said, “Are you Daniel, of the children of the exile of Judah” — meaning: not one of the children of the despised exile that only a captain of the guard had brought, but one of the children of the exile that my father himself brought from Judah, who were of stature and importance.
Ibn Yahya
Then Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, 'Are you Daniel' etc.
I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and surpassing wisdom is found in you.
verse value 4360
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 55 letters. The shortest word is "that" (דִּ֛י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·insight" (וְשׇׂכְלְתָנ֛וּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 22: in·you, in·you. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·I·have·heard" (וְשִׁמְעֵ֣ת), "and·light" (וְנַהִיר֧וּ). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "of·you" (root על, 64x in Daniel); "gods" (root אלה, 57x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words.
Metzudat David
I have heard of you – I have heard about you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, understanding, and surpassing, abundant wisdom is found in you.
Malbim
I have heard of you – This is a second point: you are also of importance because of your good reputation, for I have already heard report of you, “that the spirit of the gods is in you”, etc.; and “the crown of a good name surpasses them all” (Avot 4:13).
Ibn Yahya
of whom I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that the light of knowledge, understanding, and surpassing wisdom is found in you.
And now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me its interpretation; but they could not declare the interpretation of the thing.
verse value 4191
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "this" (דְנָה֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·make·known·to·me" (לְהוֹדָעֻתַ֑נִי, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "have·been·brought·in" (הֻעַ֣לּוּ), "the·wise·men" (חַכִּֽימַיָּא֙), "that·the·writing" (דִּֽי־כְתָבָ֤ה). The root פשר appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·make·known·to·me" (root ידע, 43x in Daniel); "before·me" (root קדם, 38x in Daniel); "and·its·interpretation" (root פשר, 34x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·make·known·to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words. Full calculation: וּכְעַ֞ן [and·now] (146) + הֻעַ֣לּוּ [have·been·brought·in] (111) + קׇֽדָמַ֗י [before·me] (154) + חַכִּֽימַיָּא֙ [the·wise·men] (89) + אָֽשְׁפַיָּ֔א [the·enchanters] (392) + דִּֽי־כְתָבָ֤ה [that·the·writing] (441) + דְנָה֙ [this] (59) + יִקְר֔וֹן [should·read] (366) + וּפִשְׁרֵ֖הּ [and·its·interpretation] (591) + לְהוֹדָעֻתַ֑נִי [to·make·known·to·me] (575) + וְלָֽא־כָהֲלִ֥ין [and·not·able] (152) + פְּשַֽׁר־מִלְּתָ֖א [interpretation·of·the·thing] (1051) + לְהַחֲוָיָֽה [to·declare] (64) = 4191.
Metzudat David
And now – And now the wise men, the enchanters, were brought in before me, to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not tell the interpretation of the matter. And although they could not even read it, he glossed this over to him, so as to cover up, as much as possible, the disgrace of the wise men of his own people.
Malbim
And now – After he had spoken with him in terms that magnified his stature, he made known to him what he wanted: that after the wise men and enchanters had been brought in to read this writing and make known to him its interpretation, and they could not declare the interpretation of the matter — “and I have heard about you, that you can give interpretations and loosen knots” — now, if you can read the writing and make known its interpretation, “you shall be clothed in purple, and have a chain of gold about your neck, and shall rule as one of three in the kingdom”.
Ibn Yahya
I inform you that the sages of Babylon were brought before me so that they might read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they were unable to declare it.
But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations, and loose knots; now if you can read the writing, and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about your neck, and shall rule as one of three in the kingdom.’
verse value 11128
Insights
Verse structure: 27 words, 135 letters. Notable word values: "of·gold" (דִֽי־דַהֲבָא֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 11128 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "if" (הֵן֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·make·known·to·me" (לְהוֹדָ֣עוּתַ֔נִי, 9 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "have·heard" (שִׁמְעֵ֣ת), "that·you·are·able" (דִּֽי־תִכּ֥וּל), "interpretations" (פִּשְׁרִ֛ין). The root יכל appears 4 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of·you" (root על, 64x in Daniel); "in·the·kingdom" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel); "to·make·known·to·me" (root ידע, 43x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·loosen', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 17 words.
Rashi
Now if you can [as translated,] Now if you can.
Metzudat David
But I – But I have heard about you that you are able to give the interpretation of a matter, and to loosen knotted and obscure things. Now – Now, if you can read the writing — as my wise men [attempted to] read it — and furthermore surpass them by making known to me its interpretation as well, then you shall be clothed in a purple garment, a golden chain shall be placed on your neck, and you shall rule as one of three in the kingdom.
Ibn Yahya
And I have heard of you that you are able to solve interpretations and loosen knots; therefore, if you are able to read the writing and make its interpretation known to me, 'you shall be clothed with purple' etc.
Then Daniel answered and said before the king: ‘Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
verse value 4439
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 79 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָ֣ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·your·rewards" (וּנְבָ֥זְבְּיָתָ֖ךְ, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "your·gifts" (מַתְּנָתָךְ֙), "let·them·be" (לֶֽהֶוְיָ֔ן), "and·your·rewards" (וּנְבָ֥זְבְּיָתָ֖ךְ). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "and·said" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel); "Daniel" (root דניאל, 75x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'give', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 6 words.
Rashi
and give your lavish gifts [as translated,] and give your lavish gifts. give to someone else give to another person.
Metzudat David
Then – Then Daniel answered and said before the king: 'Let your gifts remain your own, and give the abundance of largesse you wish to bestow to another' — as if to say: even if you give it to the wise men of your own people merely for [attempting] the reading, I will not begrudge them. Nevertheless – But I will read the writing for the king and tell him the interpretation as well, and without payment.
Metzudat Zion
Your rewards — a term for a lavish gift, as in 'gifts and a reward' (above, Daniel 2).
Malbim
Questions (17): Why did he say to him, “Let your gifts be your own”, seeing that this is like scorning the king and spurning his gifts? Then Daniel answered and said before the king: ‘Let your gifts be to yourself…’ – In response to what the king had told him — that he would be clothed in purple, wear a chain of gold, and rule as one of three in the kingdom — Daniel told him that this gift should remain his: that is, that he should rule over the entire kingdom without any diminishment, and if he wished to bestow money and great wealth, he should give it to others; for I deserve no reward for this, since I will not be doing any great, notable deed for which a reward would be due — for I will only be reading the writing, which is an easy thing for anyone who knows the shape of the letters in which this writing is written; and once I read the writing with ease, I will make known the interpretation, for the interpretation is obvious and clear. Gifts and honor of this kind are not fitting for so small a matter as this, especially since I am obligated to inform the king of a matter that concerns him without any personal gain or reward.
Ibn Yahya
Then Daniel answered, 'Let your gifts be your own, and give your rewards to another, for without them I will read the writing and make known the interpretation.' In this he showed great generosity, like the noble words of our father Abraham to the king of Sodom: 'I will not take so much as a thread or a sandal strap, or anything at all that is yours.'
O you king, God Most High gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty;
verse value 3389
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 60 letters. The shortest word is "you" (אַ֖נְתְּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Nebuchadnezzar" (לִנְבֻכַדְנֶצַּ֥ר, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·majesty" (וְהַדְרָ֔א), "to·Nebuchadnezzar" (לִנְבֻכַדְנֶצַּ֥ר). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel); "God" (root אלה, 57x in Daniel); "the·kingdom" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'king', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 10 words.
Ibn Ezra
You — the sense is: listen, you, O king.
Metzudat David
O you king – You, the king, listen now: behold, God Most High gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship, greatness, glory, and majesty.
Malbim
Questions (18–24): Why did he preface all this introduction, when he had been summoned only to read the writing and make known its interpretation, not to rebuke the king with such open reproof and remind him of his sins? Would not the king easily pour out his wrath upon him like fire, and does not the verse say, “Rebuke not a scorner, lest he hate you” (Proverbs 9:8)? O you king – He told him premises through which the interpretation of the writing would be understood. He opened by saying that his very being king was by virtue of his father, since Hashem gave the kingship to Nebuchadnezzar, and through him gave dominion also to his sons after him, as it is written, “and they shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son” (Jeremiah 27:7). That is the meaning of “You, O king — since God Most High gave the kingdom”, etc., “to Nebuchadnezzar your father” — that it is by virtue of Nebuchadnezzar's kingship, which came from Hashem, that you too are king. And he said that Hashem gave Nebuchadnezzar “the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty”: “the kingdom” is his having been made king in the first place; then He gave him “greatness”, in that he conquered the kingdom of Assyria and other kingdoms; and after that He gave him “glory and majesty”.
Ibn Yahya
'You, O king' — God Most High gave the kingdom, greatness, glory, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.
and because of the greatness that He gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down.
verse value 3586
Insights
Verse structure: 28 words, 120 letters. Notable word values: "who·was" (דִּֽי־הֲוָ֨א) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "that" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·from·the·greatness" (וּמִן־רְבוּתָא֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 93: desiring, desiring, desiring, desiring. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·from·the·greatness" (וּמִן־רְבוּתָא֙), "keeping·alive" (מַחֵ֔א), "raising" (מָרִ֔ים). The root הוה appears 9 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "were" (root הוה, 55x in Daniel); "all" (root כל, 41x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·before', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 16 words.
Rashi
Whom he would – Whomever he desired. He kept alive – He would give him life.
Ibn Ezra
Trembled — like [the phrase] ‘and he did not tremble because of him’.
Metzudat David
And because of the greatness — Because of the greatness that He gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages were trembling and fearful before him. Whom He would — Whomever he wished, he killed; whomever he wished, he struck down; whomever he wished, he raised up; and whomever he wished, he humbled.
Metzudat Zion
Trembled — a term denoting fear and trembling, as in 'it shall be nothing but terror' (Isaiah 28).
Malbim
And because of the greatness – Because of the greatness with which he ruled by force and his kingdom grew great, all the peoples feared and trembled before him. He then explains the reason for this fear: because whomever he wished he put to death, and whomever he wished he kept alive; and likewise he raised up and cast down as he pleased — meaning, there are kings who rule together with counselors and officers and do not have the power to do whatever they wish, but he was a king with unlimited authority, and everything depended on his will alone, as it is written, “they are dreadful and fearsome; their justice and dignity proceed from themselves” (Habakkuk 1:7; see my commentary there).
Ibn Yahya
And because of the greatness that was given to him, all peoples, nations, and tongues trembled and were in fear before him; whomever he wished, he killed, and whomever he wished, he struck; and whomever he wished, he raised up, or he brought low.
But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him;
verse value 3421
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "rose" (רִ֣ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·throne·of" (מִן־כׇּרְסֵ֣א, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 95: was·taken·away, from·him. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·when" (וּכְדִי֙), "rose" (רִ֣ם), "and·his·spirit" (וְרוּחֵ֖הּ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·when" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "his·kingdom" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel); "from·him" (root מן, 32x in Daniel). First appearance of the root כרסא ("from·throne·of") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·deal·proudly', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וּכְדִי֙ [and·when] (40) + רִ֣ם [rose] (240) + לִבְבֵ֔הּ [his·heart] (39) + וְרוּחֵ֖הּ [and·his·spirit] (225) + תִּֽקְפַ֣ת [was·hardened] (980) + לַהֲזָדָ֑ה [to·deal·proudly] (51) + הׇנְחַת֙ [was·deposed] (463) + מִן־כׇּרְסֵ֣א [from·throne·of] (371) + מַלְכוּתֵ֔הּ [his·kingdom] (501) + וִֽיקָרָ֖ה [and·his·glory] (321) + הֶעְדִּ֥יו [was·taken·away] (95) + מִנֵּֽהּ [from·him] (95) = 3421.
Rashi
and when his heart became haughty [as translated,] and when his heart became haughty. so that he dealt wickedly [as translated,] so that he dealt wickedly. he was deposed Aram. הָנְחַת, lit. he took him down. was removed from him. Aram. הֶעְדִּיו, He removed from him.
Ibn Ezra
That he dealt proudly — [meaning] in a willful, insolent manner. And the meaning of ‘and all your ways are His’ — that you are in His hand, and He leads you to the place He desires, like the rein of a horse in the rider’s hand. Yefet said: and at your end you will go to Him, in the manner of [the phrase] ‘and the spirit shall return to God who gave it’.
Metzudat David
But when — And when his heart grew haughty with pride, and his spirit hardened itself to act wickedly, then he was brought down from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him.
Malbim
But when his heart was lifted up – And nevertheless, because his heart grew haughty and he did not recognize the greatness of his Creator, he was brought down from his kingdom and became like a beast, etc., until he recognized that God Most High rules over the kingdom of man.
Ibn Yahya
But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened to act arrogantly, he was brought down from his royal throne, and they removed his glory from him, and drove him from his dwelling, etc. — until he recognized his Creator and humbled his heart.
and he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; until he knew that God Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and that He sets up over it whomsoever He will.
verse value 7082
Insights
Verse structure: 29 words, 136 letters. The shortest word is "until" (עַ֣ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·with·the·wild·asses" (וְעִם־עֲרָֽדַיָּא֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 352: men, men. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·from·sons·of" (וּמִן־בְּנֵי֩), "and·his·heart" (וְלִבְבֵ֣הּ), "with·the·beast" (עִם־חֵיוְתָ֣א). The root אנש appears 2 times in this verse. 25 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "over·it" (root על, 64x in Daniel); "God" (root אלה, 57x in Daniel); "in·kingdom·of" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'was·wet', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 13 words.
Rashi
was banished Aram. טְרִיד was driven away.
Metzudat David
And from the sons of men — He was driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of the beasts, to resemble them; his dwelling was among the wild donkeys; like cattle he was fed the grass of the field, and his body grew drenched with the dew of heaven, for he dwelt without any shelter. Until — until he knew and recognized that God Most High rules over the kingdom of men, and sets over it whomever He wishes.
Metzudat Zion
Wild asses — wild donkeys, as in 'and the bands of the wild ass' (Job 39:5).
And you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this;
verse value 3438
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 45 letters. Verse gematria: 3438 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "not" (לָ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "Belshazzar" (בֵּלְשַׁאצַּ֔ר, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "his·son" (בְּרֵהּ֙), "humbled" (הַשְׁפֵּ֖לְתְּ), "all·this" (כׇל־דְּנָ֖ה). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "not" (root לא, 74x in Daniel); "you·knew" (root ידע, 43x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words.
Rashi
in view of the fact that you know all this in view of the fact that you know all this that befell your father, and you should have feared the Holy One, blessed be He.
Metzudat David
And you — And you, his son Belshazzar, did not humble your heart, even though you knew all this.
Malbim
And you – And you, his son, who knew all this and should have taken a lesson from what happened to your father — nevertheless, not only did you fail to humble your heart, you even exalted yourself against the Lord of Heaven, as though you had defeated Him, and you profaned the vessels of His house. And he goes on to enumerate everything he sinned in this, as was explained above (verses 2, 3, 4), and especially that he gave praise to gods of silver and gold, and not to the God in whose hand his breath is, and to whom all his ways belong.
Ibn Yahya
And you, his son Belshazzar, did not humble your heart, even though you knew all this.
but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your consorts and your concubines, have drunk wine in them; and you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, have you not glorified;
verse value 12221
Insights
Verse structure: 36 words, 184 letters. The shortest word is "which" (דִּ֠י, 2 letters) and the longest is "silver·and·gold" (כַסְפָּֽא־וְ֠דַהֲבָ֠א, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 431: of·His·house, have·brought. 16 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "the·Lord·of·heaven" (מָרֵֽא־שְׁמַיָּ֣א), "have·lifted·up·yourself" (הִתְרוֹמַ֡מְתָּ), "and·the·vessels·of" (וּלְמָֽאנַיָּ֨א). The root אלה appears 2 times in this verse. 31 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "and·not" (root לא, 74x in Daniel); "and·against" (root על, 64x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'have·praised', dividing the verse into phrases of 29 and 7 words.
Metzudat David
But against the Lord — You exalted yourself against the Lord of Heaven: the vessels of His House were brought before you, and you, your officers, your queen, and your concubines drank wine from them. And the gods of silver, etc. — which see not, hear not, and know nothing at all — these are the ones you praised. And the God — But the God in whose hand your breath is, and to whom all your ways are entrusted, and they are in His hand — Him you did not glorify.
Ibn Yahya
but exalted yourself against the God of heaven, and drank from the holy vessels — you, your nobles, and your wives — in a manner of contempt and wrath, and afterward praised gods that neither hear nor know; but to the God in whose hand your breath is, and to whom all your ways belong, you gave no honor or glory.
then the palm of the hand was sent from before Him, and this writing was inscribed.
verse value 1878
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "the·palm" (פַּסָּ֣א, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·before·Him" (מִן־קֳדָמ֔וֹהִי, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "was·sent" (שְׁלִ֖יחַ), "the·palm" (פַּסָּ֣א), "of·the·hand" (דִֽי־יְדָ֑א). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "then" (root אדין, 46x in Daniel); "from·before·Him" (root קדם, 38x in Daniel); "this" (root דנה, 31x in Daniel). First appearance of the root רשם ("was·inscribed") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'of·the·hand', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: בֵּאדַ֙יִן֙ [then] (67) + מִן־קֳדָמ֔וֹהִי [from·before·Him] (255) + שְׁלִ֖יחַ [was·sent] (348) + פַּסָּ֣א [the·palm] (141) + דִֽי־יְדָ֑א [of·the·hand] (29) + וּכְתָבָ֥א [and·the·writing] (429) + דְנָ֖ה [this] (59) + רְשִֽׁים [was·inscribed] (550) = 1878.
Rashi
the palm of a hand was sent forth [as translated,] the palm of a hand was sent forth. and it inscribed this writing and this is the writing that it inscribed.
Metzudat David
Then — Then, because of this, the palm of a hand was sent forth from before Him, and it inscribed this writing.
Metzudat Zion
Was inscribed — a term denoting writing, as in 'that which is inscribed in the writing' (below, Daniel 10).
Malbim
The Questions: (25–28) Why does it double MENE, MENE, when he interprets it as only a single numbering? And why both a numbering and a weighing? And how did he derive from parsin both “your kingdom is divided” and also “Persia”? Then the palm of the hand was sent from before Him, and this writing was inscribed — for this reason the palm of the hand was sent from before Him, and this writing was inscribed. Now this is the explanation of the writing and its interpretation: the writing is MENE, MENE, and the interpretation is, “MENE, God has numbered your kingdom” (and for this reason it says a second time, “and this is the writing” — corresponding to what is said, “and this is its interpretation”). That is to say: the fact that MENE is stated twice indicates two separate countings that Hashem made. For through Jeremiah it is said, “And these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years, and it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon” (Jeremiah 25:11–12); and it is further said, “and all the nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son” (Jeremiah 27). Now from the standpoint of the count of the seventy years, the time of Babylon’s kingship had come to an end; but from the standpoint of the count of the days of the son’s son, whom the nations were obligated to serve — had Belshazzar merited to live longer, the nations would have had to serve him, and from this standpoint the kingship was rightfully his, as it is written, “and they shall serve his son’s son.” And the second numbering — “MENE, God has numbered your kingdom, and brought it to an end” — means that the kingdom as a whole was brought to completion, as when the seventy years were fulfilled. And since the matter hung in the balance — whether to look to the count of the kingdom as a whole, or to the count of the years of the king’s own life — the matter had to be placed upon the scales; and so it says accordingly.
Ibn Yahya
Therefore, from before Him the palm of the hand was sent, and it inscribed this writing.
And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN.
verse value 2170
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "that" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "UPHARSIN" (וּפַרְסִֽין, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 91: MENE, MENE. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·this" (וּדְנָ֥ה), "UPHARSIN" (וּפַרְסִֽין). The root מנא appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root די, 141x in Daniel); "and·this" (root דנה, 31x in Daniel). First appearance of the root מנא ("MENE") in Daniel. First appearance of the root תקל ("TEKEL") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'was·inscribed', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: וּדְנָ֥ה [and·this] (65) + כְתָבָ֖א [the·writing] (423) + דִּ֣י [that] (14) + רְשִׁ֑ים [was·inscribed] (550) + מְנֵ֥א [MENE] (91) + מְנֵ֖א [MENE] (91) + תְּקֵ֥ל [TEKEL] (530) + וּפַרְסִֽין [UPHARSIN] (406) = 2170.
Ibn Ezra
Inscribed — [meaning] written; and similarly [the phrase] ‘recorded in writing’. MENE — [meaning] everything that is counted is accounted for [from the root ‘to count, number’]. Furthermore, the word UPHARSIN carries two senses: the first sense of ‘peras’ is that of breaking — the shattering and severing of his kingdom; and the second sense of ‘peras’ is from the root of [the name] Media and ‘Paras’ [Persia] — and so it says [further on], ‘and it was given to Media and Persia’.
Metzudat David
And this — This is the reading of the writing that was inscribed: MENE MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN, etc. Our Sages, of blessed memory, said that the writing was arranged in three lines, one beneath the other: on the top line were the letters מ-מ-ת-ו-ס (M-M-T-V-S); on the second line were the letters נ-נ-ק-פ-י (N-N-K-P-Y); and on the third line were the letters א-א-ל-ר-ן (A-A-L-R-N). For this reason his wise men were unable to read it, because they read each line by itself, and it made no sense to them at all. But Daniel read it from top to bottom — that is, he formed the first word by combining the first letters of the three lines, which produced the word MENE (מנא); and likewise, combining the second letters produced the word MENE (מנא) again; combining the third letters produced the word TEKEL (תקל); combining the fourth letters produced U-phar (ופר); and combining the fifth letters produced sin (סין). He then joined the fourth column with the fifth, yielding UPHARSIN (ופרסין).
Ibn Yahya
And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN. This is the reading of the writing.
This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE, God has numbered your kingdom, and brought it to an end.
verse value 2235
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "this" (דְּנָ֖ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "interpretation·of·the·thing" (פְּשַֽׁר־מִלְּתָ֑א, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "God·has·numbered" (מְנָֽה־אֱלָהָ֥א), "and·brought·it·to·an·end" (וְהַשְׁלְמַֽהּ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God·has·numbered" (root אלה, 57x in Daniel); "your·kingdom" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel); "interpretation·of·the·thing" (root פשר, 34x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'interpretation·of·the·thing', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: דְּנָ֖ה [this] (59) + פְּשַֽׁר־מִלְּתָ֑א [interpretation·of·the·thing] (1051) + מְנֵ֕א [MENE] (91) + מְנָֽה־אֱלָהָ֥א [God·has·numbered] (132) + מַלְכוּתָ֖ךְ [your·kingdom] (516) + וְהַשְׁלְמַֽהּ [and·brought·it·to·an·end] (386) = 2235.
Rashi
MENE God has counted i.e., MENE means that God has counted your kingdom. and has brought it to an end He calculated the end of the allotted time for the kingdom of your father and his seed, and found that it has already been completed.
Metzudat David
This — This is the interpretation of the matter. MENE — That is, the interpretation of the word MENE is to say that God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to completion, for its appointed time has come; and the word is repeated twice to indicate that the count is exact.
Ibn Yahya
And its interpretation is: MENE — this means 'numbered': God has numbered the time of your kingdom, and brought it to an end.
TEKEL, You are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.
verse value 2998
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "TEKEL" (תְּקֵ֑ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·the·balances" (בְמֹֽאזַנְיָ֖א, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "you·are·weighed" (תְּקִ֥ילְתָּ), "in·the·balances" (בְמֹֽאזַנְיָ֖א), "and·are·found" (וְהִשְׁתְּכַ֥חַתְּ). The root תקל appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'TEKEL', dividing the verse into phrases of 1 and 4 words. Full calculation: תְּקֵ֑ל [TEKEL] (530) + תְּקִ֥ילְתָּ [you·are·weighed] (940) + בְמֹֽאזַנְיָ֖א [in·the·balances] (111) + וְהִשְׁתְּכַ֥חַתְּ [and·are·found] (1139) + חַסִּֽיר [wanting] (278) = 2998.
Rashi
Tekeil You were weighed on the scales tekeil means that you were weighed on the scales and found wanting of all righteousness.
Metzudat David
TEKEL — The interpretation of TEKEL is to say: you were weighed before Him in the scales of the balance, and were found wanting — that is, no merit was found in you to outweigh your wickedness and prolong your time.
Malbim
TEKEL, You are weighed in the balances — your merits and your debts were weighed, and you were found wanting, for the scale tipped toward guilt, because you profaned the vessels of the House of God; and therefore.
Ibn Yahya
TEKEL — this means 'weighed': you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.
PERES, your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.’
verse value 2469
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "PERES" (פְּרֵ֑ס, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·kingdom" (מַלְכוּתָ֔ךְ, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "is·divided" (פְּרִיסַת֙). The root פרס appears 3 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·kingdom" (root מלכו, 53x in Daniel); "and·given" (root יהב, 20x in Daniel). First appearance of the root מדי ("to·the·Medes") in Daniel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'PERES', dividing the verse into phrases of 1 and 5 words. Full calculation: פְּרֵ֑ס [PERES] (340) + פְּרִיסַת֙ [is·divided] (750) + מַלְכוּתָ֔ךְ [your·kingdom] (516) + וִיהִיבַ֖ת [and·given] (433) + לְמָדַ֥י [to·the·Medes] (84) + וּפָרָֽס [and·Persians] (346) = 2469.
Rashi
Your kingdom has been broken up, etc. i.e., ufarsin means two definitions of pereis; one is that your kingdom פְּרִיסַת, your kingdom has been broken up, and the second one is that it has been given to Media and Persia (וּפָּרַס).
Metzudat David
PERES — That is, the interpretation of UPHARSIN is to say that your kingdom has been broken, and it is given over to Media and Persia. And this word UPHARSIN is in the plural, alluding both to the ‘breaking’ [peras] and to Persia [Paras]; and the extra letter vav indicates Media, which was joined together with Persia — for the vav comes to add, as if to say, ‘Media and Persia.’
Metzudat Zion
PERES — a term denoting breaking, as in 'is it not to deal your bread to the hungry' (Isaiah 58:7).
Malbim
PERES, your kingdom is divided — he broke his kingdom in two: the years that remained to him, which he would have been entitled to reign by virtue of the years of his life, were given to Media and Persia. For from the word parsin, [written] in the plural, he also derived the word PERES [Persia]. For even though Darius received the kingdom first, he reigned only one year, and Daniel knew that afterward his son-in-law Cyrus would inherit it from him and the kingdom would remain in the hands of Persia; therefore he said that Media would take the kingdom first, for the rest of Darius’s life, and it would afterward remain in the hands of Persia.
Ibn Yahya
PERES — this means 'broken': your kingdom has been broken and given to Media and Persia.
Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should rule as one of three in the kingdom.
verse value 4454
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 91 letters. Notable word values: "of·gold" (דִֽי־דַהֲבָ֖א) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "commanded" (אֲמַ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·chain" (וְהַֽמְנִיכָ֥א, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 349: and·clothed, ruler. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "and·clothed" (וְהַלְבִּ֤שׁוּ), "and·proclaimed" (וְהַכְרִ֣זֽוּ), "that·should·be" (דִּֽי־לֶהֱוֵ֥א). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "commanded" (root אמר, 88x in Daniel); "Daniel" (root דניאל, 75x in Daniel); "concerning·him" (root על, 64x in Daniel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'about·his·neck', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Metzudat David
Then — Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in a purple robe, placed a golden chain about his neck, and proclaimed concerning him that he would rule as one of three in the kingdom.
Malbim
Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put A chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should rule as one of three in the kingdom — Belshazzar thought that the fulfillment lay far in the future (cf. Ezekiel 12:27), and so he gave Daniel rule over a third of the kingdom, in accordance with his promise. But the decree was fulfilled at once, that very same night, when his own eunuchs killed him; and they informed the army of Media and Persia, who then entered the city. And according to the historical chronicles, the people of Babylon themselves accepted Darius as king over them. And so it goes on to say:
Ibn Yahya
Then Belshazzar commanded that they clothe Daniel in purple, and place a chain of gold on his neck, and proclaim him ruler as one of three in the kingdom — for his words had entered his ears, and he acknowledged them.
In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.
verse value 1618
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "in·it" (בֵּ֚הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·the·night" (בְּלֵ֣ילְיָ֔א, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Daniel. Unique to this verse in Daniel (hapax): "in·the·night" (בְּלֵ֣ילְיָ֔א), "was·slain" (קְטִ֕יל), "Chaldean" (כַשְׂדָּאָֽה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 187x in Daniel).
Ibn Ezra
Was slain — [meaning] was killed, like [the phrase] ‘he slays the poor and the needy’.
Metzudat David
In that night — In that night, Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was killed.
Ibn Yahya
And on that very night Belshazzar was slain, for one of his own servants struck him down in order to find favor in the eyes of the king of Media and Persia.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim
Ibn Yahya