The Meaning of Daniel 5:7 Explained

Daniel 5:7

KJV: The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

YLT: Call doth the king mightily, to bring up the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. Answered hath the king, and said to the wise men of Babylon, that, 'Any man who doth read this writing, and its interpretation doth shew me, purple he putteth on, and a bracelet of gold is on his neck, and third in the kingdom he doth rule.'

Darby: The king cried aloud to bring in the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

ASV: The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The king  cried  aloud  to bring  in the astrologers,  the Chaldeans,  and the soothsayers.  [And] the king  spake,  and said  to the wise  [men] of Babylon,  Whosoever  shall read  this  writing,  and shew  me the interpretation  thereof, shall be clothed  with scarlet,  and [have] a chain  of gold  about  his neck,  and shall be the third  ruler  in the kingdom. 

What does Daniel 5:7 Mean?

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 5:7 mean?

Cried king the aloud to bring in astrologers the Chaldean Chaldeans the and soothsayers the Spoke king the and saying to the wise [men] of Babylon of any man who reads writing this and its interpretation tells me with purple shall be clothed - and [have] a chain of gold around his neck and the third in kingdom the he shall be ruler -
קָרֵ֤א מַלְכָּא֙ בְּחַ֔יִל לְהֶֽעָלָה֙ לְאָ֣שְׁפַיָּ֔א [כשדיא] (כַּשְׂדָּאֵ֖י) וְגָזְרַיָּ֑א עָנֵ֨ה מַלְכָּ֜א וְאָמַ֣ר ׀ לְחַכִּימֵ֣י בָבֶ֗ל דִּ֣י כָל־ אֱ֠נָשׁ דִּֽי־ יִקְרֵ֞ה כְּתָבָ֣ה דְנָ֗ה וּפִשְׁרֵהּ֙ יְחַוִּנַּ֔נִי אַרְגְּוָנָ֣א יִלְבַּ֗שׁ [והמונכא] (וְהַֽמְנִיכָ֤א‪‬) דִֽי־ דַהֲבָא֙ עַֽל־ צַוְּארֵ֔הּ וְתַלְתִּ֥י בְמַלְכוּתָ֖א יִשְׁלַֽט ס

קָרֵ֤א  Cried 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: קְרָא  
Sense: to call, read aloud, read out, shout.
מַלְכָּא֙  king  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
בְּחַ֔יִל  aloud 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַיִל  
Sense: strength, army, power.
לְהֶֽעָלָה֙  to  bring  in 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: עֲלַל  
Sense: to thrust in, go in, come in.
לְאָ֣שְׁפַיָּ֔א  astrologers  the 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural determinate
Root: אָשַׁף  
Sense: conjurer, enchanter, (CLBL) necromancer.
[כשדיא]  Chaldean 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
(כַּשְׂדָּאֵ֖י)  Chaldeans  the 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדָּי  
Sense: the inhabitants of Chaldea, living on the lower Euphrates and Tigris.
וְגָזְרַיָּ֑א  and  soothsayers  the 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural determinate
Root: גְּזַר  
Sense: to cut, determine.
עָנֵ֨ה  Spoke 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עֲנָה  
Sense: to answer, respond.
מַלְכָּ֜א  king  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
וְאָמַ֣ר ׀  and  saying 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אֲמַר  
Sense: (P’al) to say, to speak, to command, to tell, to relate.
לְחַכִּימֵ֣י  to  the  wise  [men] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: חַכִּים  
Sense: wise man, wise.
בָבֶ֗ל  of  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
כָל־  any 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, whole, the whole.
אֱ֠נָשׁ  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱנָשׁ  
Sense: man, human being.
יִקְרֵ֞ה  reads 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קְרָא  
Sense: to call, read aloud, read out, shout.
כְּתָבָ֣ה  writing 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: כְּתָב  
Sense: a writing.
דְנָ֗ה  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: דְּנָה  
Sense: this, on account of this adv.
וּפִשְׁרֵהּ֙  and  its  interpretation 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פְּשַׁר  
Sense: interpretation (of dream).
יְחַוִּנַּ֔נִי  tells  me 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: חֲוָה  
Sense: to show, interpret, explain, inform, tell, declare.
אַרְגְּוָנָ֣א  with  purple 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אַרְגְּוָן  
Sense: purple, red-purple.
יִלְבַּ֗שׁ  shall  be  clothed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לְבַשׁ  
Sense: to be clothed.
[והמונכא]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular determinate
(וְהַֽמְנִיכָ֤א‪‬)  and  [have]  a  chain 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: המונך 
Sense: necklace, chain.
דַהֲבָא֙  gold 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: דְּהַב  
Sense: gold.
עַֽל־  around 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל  
Sense: upon, over, on account of, above, to, against.
צַוְּארֵ֔הּ  his  neck 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צַוַּאר  
Sense: neck.
וְתַלְתִּ֥י  and  the  third 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: תְּלִיתָי  
Sense: third.
בְמַלְכוּתָ֖א  in  kingdom  the 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: מַלְכוּ  
Sense: royalty, reign, kingdom.
יִשְׁלַֽט  he  shall  be  ruler 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שְׁלֵט  
Sense: to have power, rule, domineer, rule over.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation