The Meaning of Daniel 5:11 Explained

Daniel 5:11

KJV: There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

YLT: there is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and, in the days of thy father, light, and understanding, and wisdom -- as the wisdom of the gods -- was found in him; and king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, chief of the scribes, enchanters, Chaldeans, soothsayers, established him -- thy father, O king --

Darby: There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods was found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, even the king thy father, made him master of the scribes, magicians, Chaldeans, and astrologers;

ASV: There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say , thy father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

There is  a man  in thy kingdom,  in whom [is] the spirit  of the holy  gods;  and in the days  of thy father  light  and understanding  and wisdom,  like the wisdom  of the gods,  was found  in him; whom the king  Nebuchadnezzar  thy father,  the king,  [I say], thy father,  made  master  of the magicians,  astrologers,  Chaldeans,  [and] soothsayers; 

What does Daniel 5:11 Mean?

Study Notes

thy father
Or, grandfather. See note 2, .
father
Nebuchadnezzar was "father" of Belshazzar in the biblical sense that David is called "father" of Jesus, Luke 1:32 . Belshazzar was probably a grandson.

Context Summary

Daniel 5:1-16 - The Handwriting On The Wall
The name of Belshazzar has been deciphered in inscriptions found at Babylon, from which it is inferred that he was associated with his father in the kingdom, and was left to defend Babylon. He was therefore a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, the word "father," Daniel 5:11, being used in the sense of "ancestor." The great walls of the banqueting hall covered with sculptures and sumptuous decorations; the tablets covered by cuneiform descriptions of the triumphs of former kings; what a feast this was with the thousand lords; the most beautiful women of the land; the concourse of magnates of religion and the state! The wine flowed in rivers, and laughter rang through the vaulted hall. Upon the table stood the vessels of the Temple, and notably the seven-branched candlestick, which cast its radiance on the wall, clearly illumining the fingers of the hand that wrote. The words, though Chaldee, may have been written in Hebrew characters. Conscience anticipated Daniel, and filled the king's heart with foreboding. The queen may have been the great Nitocris, wife of Nebuchadnezzar, the ancestor of the present king. God has His own way of bringing His people to the front when He needs them. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 5

1  Belshazzar's impious feast
5  A hand-writing unknown to the magicians, troubles the king
10  At the commendation of the queen Daniel is brought
17  He, reproving the king of pride and idolatry,
25  reads and interprets the writing
30  The monarchy is translated to the Medes

What do the individual words in Daniel 5:11 mean?

[There] is a man in your kingdom in whom [is] the Spirit of God the Holy in and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him and King Nebuchadnezzar your father chief of the magicians astrologers Chaldeans [and] soothsayers made him your father king the
אִיתַ֨י גְּבַ֜ר בְּמַלְכוּתָ֗ךְ דִּ֠י ר֣וּחַ אֱלָהִ֣ין קַדִּישִׁין֮ בֵּהּ֒ וּבְיוֹמֵ֣י אֲב֗וּךְ נַהִיר֧וּ וְשָׂכְלְתָנ֛וּ וְחָכְמָ֥ה כְּחָכְמַת־ אֱלָהִ֖ין הִשְׁתְּכַ֣חַת בֵּ֑הּ וּמַלְכָּ֤א נְבֻֽכַדְנֶצַּר֙ אֲב֔וּךְ רַ֧ב חַרְטֻמִּ֣ין אָֽשְׁפִ֗ין כַּשְׂדָּאִין֙ גָּזְרִ֔ין הֲקִימֵ֖הּ אֲב֥וּךְ מַלְכָּֽא

אִיתַ֨י  [There]  is 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אִיתַי  
Sense: there is, there are.
גְּבַ֜ר  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּבַר  
Sense: a man, a certain (one).
בְּמַלְכוּתָ֗ךְ  in  your  kingdom 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מַלְכוּ  
Sense: royalty, reign, kingdom.
דִּ֠י  in  whom  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
ר֣וּחַ  the  Spirit 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: spirit, wind.
אֱלָהִ֣ין  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלָהּ  
Sense: god, God.
קַדִּישִׁין֮  the  Holy 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: קַדִּישׁ  
Sense: holy, separate.
וּבְיוֹמֵ֣י  and  in  the  days 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום  
Sense: day.
אֲב֗וּךְ  of  your  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אַב  
Sense: father.
נַהִיר֧וּ  light 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְהִיר 
Sense: light.
וְשָׂכְלְתָנ֛וּ  and  understanding 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׂכְלְתָנוּ  
Sense: insight.
וְחָכְמָ֥ה  and  wisdom 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָכְמָה  
Sense: wisdom.
כְּחָכְמַת־  like  the  wisdom 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חָכְמָה  
Sense: wisdom.
אֱלָהִ֖ין  of  the  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלָהּ  
Sense: god, God.
הִשְׁתְּכַ֣חַת  were  found 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שְׁכַח  
Sense: to find.
בֵּ֑הּ  in  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
וּמַלְכָּ֤א  and  King 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
נְבֻֽכַדְנֶצַּר֙  Nebuchadnezzar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר  
Sense: the great king of Babylon who captured Jerusalem and carried Judah captive.
אֲב֔וּךְ  your  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אַב  
Sense: father.
רַ֧ב  chief 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: רַב  
Sense: great.
חַרְטֻמִּ֣ין  of  the  magicians 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חַרְטֹם  
Sense: magician, magician-astrologer.
אָֽשְׁפִ֗ין  astrologers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אָשַׁף  
Sense: conjurer, enchanter, (CLBL) necromancer.
כַּשְׂדָּאִין֙  Chaldeans 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדָּי  
Sense: the inhabitants of Chaldea, living on the lower Euphrates and Tigris.
גָּזְרִ֔ין  [and]  soothsayers 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: גְּזַר  
Sense: to cut, determine.
הֲקִימֵ֖הּ  made  him 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם  
Sense: to arise, stand.
אֲב֥וּךְ  your  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אַב  
Sense: father.
מַלְכָּֽא  king  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.