Daniel 5:6

Easy-to-Read Version

King Belshazzar was very afraid. His face became white from fear, and his knees were shaking and knocking together. He could not stand up because his legs were too weak.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
his face turned pale, and his thoughts so terrified him that he soiled himself and his knees knocked together.

Hebrew Names Version
Then the king's face was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees struck one against another.

King James Version
Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

English Standard Version
Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.

New American Standard Bible
Then the king's face became pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints loosened and his knees began knocking together.

New Century Version
King Belshazzar was very frightened. His face turned white, his knees knocked together, and he could not stand up because his legs were too weak.

Amplified Bible
Then the king's face grew pale, and his thoughts alarmed him; the joints and muscles of his hips and back weakened and his knees began knocking together.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the Kings countenance was changed, and his thoughtes troubled him, so that the ioynts of his loynes were loosed, and his knees smote one against the other.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the king's face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.

Berean Standard Bible
his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together.

Contemporary English Version
He was so frightened that his face turned pale, his knees started shaking, and his legs became weak.

Complete Jewish Bible
the king's face took on a different look. As frightening thoughts rose up within him, his hip joints gave way and his knees started knocking together.

Darby Translation
Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

George Lamsa Translation
Then the kings countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him and the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees struck one against another.

Good News Translation
He turned pale and was so frightened that his knees began to shake.

Lexham English Bible
Then his face changed and his thoughts terrified him, and his hip joints gave way and his knees knocked together.

Literal Translation
Then the king's color was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins shook, and his knees knocked one against the other .

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then chaunged the kynge his countenaunce, and his thoughtes troubled him: so that the ioyntes off his body shoke, and his knees smote one agaynst the other.

American Standard Version
Then the king's countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

Bible in Basic English
Then the colour went from the king's face, and he was troubled by his thoughts; strength went from his body, and his knees were shaking.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.

King James Version (1611)
Then the kings countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the ioints of his loines were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then chaunged the king his countenaunce, & his thoughtes troubled hym, so that the ioyntes of his loynes were loosed, and his knees smote one against the other.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one another.

English Revised Version
Then the king's countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

World English Bible
Then the king's face was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees struck one against another.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thanne the face of the kyng was chaungid, and hise thouytis disturbliden hym; and the ioyncturis of hise reynes weren loosid, and hise knees weren hurtlid to hem silf togidere.

Update Bible Version
Then the king's countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

New English Translation
Then all the color drained from the king's face and he became alarmed. The joints of his hips gave way, and his knees began knocking together.

New King James Version
Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.

New Living Translation
and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.

New Life Bible
Then the king's face turned white, and his thoughts turned to fear. His legs became weak and his knees began shaking.

New Revised Standard
Then the king's face turned pale, and his thoughts terrified him. His limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then, as for the king, his bright looks, changed in him, and, his thoughts, terrified him, - and, the joints of his loins, were loosed, and, his knees, smote, one against another.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then was the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him: and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees struck one against the other.

Revised Standard Version
Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.

Young's Literal Translation
then the king's countenance hath changed, and his thoughts do trouble him, and the joints of his loins are loosed, and his knees are smiting one against another.

Contextual Overview

¹ King Belshazzar gave a big party for 1000 of his officials. The king was drinking wine with them. ² As Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he ordered his servants to bring the gold and silver cups. His grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken these cups from the Temple in Jerusalem. King Belshazzar wanted his royal people, his wives, and his slave women to drink from those cups. ³ So they brought the gold cups that had been taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his officials, his wives, and his women slaves drank from them. ⁴ As they were drinking, they gave praise to their idol gods, which were only statues made from gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. ⁵ Suddenly, a person's hand appeared and began writing on the wall. The fingers scratched words into the plaster on the wall, near the lampstand in the king's palace. The king was watching the hand as it wrote. ⁶ King Belshazzar was very afraid. His face became white from fear, and his knees were shaking and knocking together. He could not stand up because his legs were too weak. ⁷ The king called for the men of magic and the Chaldeans to be brought to him. He said to these wise men, "I will give a reward to anyone who can read this writing and explain to me what it means. I will give him purple robes to wear and will put a gold chain around his neck. I will make him the third highest ruler in the kingdom." ⁸ So all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or understand what it meant. ⁹ King Belshazzar's officials were confused, and the king became even more afraid and worried. His face was white from fear.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the king's: Daniel 5:9, Daniel 2:1, Daniel 3:19, Job 15:20-27, Job 20:19-27, Psalms 73:18-20, Isaiah 21:2-4

countenance: Chal, brightness, Daniel 5:9

was changed: Chal, changed it

and his thoughts: Daniel 5:10, Daniel 4:5, Daniel 4:19, Daniel 7:28

so that: Psalms 69:23, Isaiah 13:7, Isaiah 13:8, Isaiah 21:3, Isaiah 21:4

joints: or, girdles, Isaiah 5:27, Chal, bindings, or knots

and his knees: Isaiah 35:3, Ezekiel 7:17, Ezekiel 21:7, Nahum 2:10, Hebrews 12:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 40:6 - behold Genesis 41:8 - his spirit Joshua 5:1 - neither was 1 Samuel 14:15 - very great trembling 1 Samuel 28:5 - he was afraid Esther 7:6 - was afraid Job 4:4 - feeble knees Job 4:15 - the hair Psalms 22:14 - all Psalms 48:6 - Fear Psalms 73:19 - they are Psalms 107:40 - contempt Isaiah 44:25 - maketh Isaiah 45:1 - to subdue Jeremiah 30:6 - every Jeremiah 50:43 - king Ezekiel 21:6 - with the Ezekiel 26:16 - tremble Daniel 3:24 - astonied Jonah 1:10 - exceedingly afraid Hebrews 10:27 - a certain

Cross-References

Genesis 4:26
Seth also had a son. He named him Enosh. At that time people began to pray to the Lord .

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then the kings countenance changed,.... Or, "his brightness" l; his ruddy countenance, his florid looks, his gay airs; all his jollity and mirth, that appeared in his face, were changed into paleness, sadness, and confusion:

and his thoughts troubled him; what should be the meaning of this; perhaps he might immediately fear it presaged ruin and destruction to him; the sins of his former life might at once come into his thoughts, and those particularly he had now been guilty of; his luxury and intemperance, his idolatry and profanation of the vessels of the sanctuary, which his conscience might accuse him of, and give him great distress and trouble:

so that the joints of his loins were loosed; or, "the girdles of his loins" m; which were loosed or broke, through the agitation he was in; or he was all over in a sweat, so that he was obliged to loose his girdle; or, as persons in great fear and consternation, he was seized with a pain in his back; it opened as it were; nor could he hold his urine; as Grotius and others; see Isaiah 45:1, where this seems to be prophesied of:

and his knees smote one against another; as is the case of persons in a great tremor, or under a panic. "Et subito genua intremuere timore".--Ovid.

l זיוהי "splendores ejus", Montanus, Vatablus, Michaelis. m קטרי חרצה "cingula lumborum ejus", Pagninus, Junius & Tremellius, Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then the king’s countenance was changed - The word rendered “countenance” is, in the margin, as in Daniel 5:9, “brightnesses.” The Chaldee word means “brightness, splendor” (זיו zı̂yv), and the meaning here is bright looks, cheerfulness, hilarity. The word rendered was changed, is in the margin changed it; and the meaning is, that it changed itself: probably from a jocund, cheerful, and happy expression, it assumed suddenly a deadly paleness.

And his thoughts troubled him - Whether from the recollection of guilt, or the dread of wrath, is not said. He would, doubtless, regard this as some supernatural intimation, and his soul would be troubled.

So that the joints of his loins were loosed - Margin, “bindings,” or “knots,” or “girdles.” The Chaldee word rendered “joints” (קטר q^eṭar) means, properly, “knots;” then joints of the bones, as resembling knots, or apparently answering the purposes of knots in the human frame, as binding it together. The word “loins” in the Scriptures refers to the part of the body around which the girdle was passed, the lower part of the back; and Gesenius supposes that the meaning here is, that the joints of his back, that is, the vertebral are referred to. This part of the body is spoken of as the seat of strength. When this is weak the body has no power to stand, to walk, to labor. The simple idea is, that he was greatly terrified, and that under the influence of fear his strength departed.

And his knees smote one against another - A common effect of fear Nahum 2:10. So Horace, “Et corde et genibus tremit.” And so Virgil, “Tarda trementi genua labant.” “Belshazzar had as much of power, and of drink withal to lead him to bid defiance to God as any ruffian under heaven; and yet when God, as it were, lifted but up his finger against him, how poorly did he crouch and shiver. How did his joints loose, and his knees knock together!” - South’s Sermons, vol. iv. p. 60.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Daniel 5:6. The king's countenance was changed — Here is a very natural description of fear and terror.

1. The face grows pale;

2. The mind becomes greatly agitated;

3. Pains seize on the lower part of the back and kidneys;

4. A universal tremor takes place, so that the knees smite against each other;

5. And lastly, either a syncope takes place, or the cry of distress is uttered, Daniel 5:7: "The king cried."