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Sunday, August 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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JPS Old Testament

Daniel 5:24

then was the palm of the hand sent from before Him, and this writing was inscribed.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Belshazzar;   Government;   Heathen;   Reproof;   Symbols and Similitudes;   Wicked (People);   The Topic Concordance - Glory;   Government;   Pride/arrogance;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Babylon;   Mene;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Government;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Daniel, Book of;   Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Baltasar;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Belshazzar ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Belshazzar;   Medes;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Daniel;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Dan'iel;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Belshazzar;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Sent;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore, he sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed.
Hebrew Names Version
Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.
King James Version
Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
English Standard Version
"Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.
New American Standard Bible
"Then the hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.
New Century Version
So God sent the hand that wrote on the wall.
Amplified Bible
"Then the hand was sent from the presence [of the Most High God], and this inscription was written:
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then was the palme of the hand sent from him, and hath written this writing.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Then the hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.
Berean Standard Bible
Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
Contemporary English Version
That's why he sent the hand to write this message on the wall.
Complete Jewish Bible
This is why he sent the hand to write this inscription;
Darby Translation
then from before him was sent the part of the hand, and this writing hath been written.
Easy-to-Read Version
So because of that, God sent the hand that wrote on the wall.
George Lamsa Translation
Then the palm of the hand was sent from his presence; and this writing was written.
Good News Translation
That is why God has sent the hand to write these words.
Lexham English Bible
So then the palm of the hand was sent out from his presence and this writing was inscribed.
Literal Translation
Then the part of the hand was sent from Him, and this writing was written.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Therfore is the palme off this honde sent hither from him, to token vp this wrytinge.
American Standard Version
Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.
Bible in Basic English
Then the part of the hand was sent out from before him, and this writing was recorded.
King James Version (1611)
Then was the part of the hand sent from him, and this writing was written.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then was the knockles of the hand sent from him, and hath written this writing.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Therefore from his presence has been sent forth the knuckle of a hand; and he has ordered the writing.
English Revised Version
Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.
World English Bible
Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor the fyngur of the hond was sent of hym, which hond wroot this thing that is writun.
Update Bible Version
Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
New English Translation
Therefore the palm of a hand was sent from him, and this writing was inscribed.
New King James Version
Then the fingers [fn] of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.
New Living Translation
So God has sent this hand to write this message.
New Life Bible
So the hand was sent from Him to write on your wall.
New Revised Standard
"So from his presence the hand was sent and this writing was inscribed.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then was there put forth from before him the part of the hand, - and, this writing, was inscribed:
Douay-Rheims Bible
Wherefore, he hath sent the part of the hand which hath written this that is set down.
Revised Standard Version
"Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.
Young's Literal Translation
`Then from before Him sent is the extremity of the hand, and the writing is noted down;
THE MESSAGE
"God sent the hand that wrote on the wall, and this is what is written: mene , teqel , and peres . This is what the words mean: "Mene: God has numbered the days of your rule and they don't add up.

Contextual Overview

10 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 thy thoughts affright thee, nor let thy countenance be changed; 11 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, the king, I say, thy father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers; 12 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.' 13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. The king spoke and said unto Daniel: 'Art thou Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah? 14 I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and surpassing wisdom is found in thee. 15 And now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof; but they could not declare the interpretation of the thing. 16 But I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations, and loose knots; now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt rule as one of three in the kingdom.' 17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king: 'Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O thou king, God Most High gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty; 19 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Daniel 5:5

Reciprocal: Proverbs 16:18 - General Proverbs 18:12 - destruction Jeremiah 51:8 - howl

Cross-References

Genesis 5:5
And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.
Genesis 5:6
And Seth lived a hundred and five years, and begot Enosh.
Genesis 5:22
And Enoch walked with God after he begot Methuselah three hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
Genesis 37:30
And he returned unto his brethren, and said: 'The child is not; and as for me, whither shall I go?'
Genesis 42:36
And Jacob their father said unto them: 'Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away; upon me are all these things come.'
2 Kings 2:1
And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
Jeremiah 31:15
Thus saith the LORD: Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then was the part of the hand sent from him,.... That is, from God: being thus reproached and blasphemed, at that very instant, and for that reason, because the vessels of his sanctuary were profaned, and idol gods were praised, and he despised; he caused part of a hand, the writing fingers of it, to appear on the wall of the king's palace:

and this writing was written; which was then upon the wall, and he points to it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then was the part of the hand sent from him - To wit, the fingers. See Daniel 5:5. The sense is, that when it was fully perceived that Belshazzar was not disposed to learn that there was a God in heaven; when he refused to profit by the solemn dispensations which had occurred in respect to his predecessor; when his own heart was lifted up with pride, and when he had gone even farther than his predecessors had done by the sacrilegious use of the vessels of the temple, thus showing special contempt for the God of heaven, then appeared the mysterious handwriting on the wall. It was then an appropriate time for the Most High God, who had been thus contemned and insulted, to come forth and rebuke the proud and impious monarch.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 24. Then was the part of the hand sent — This was the filling up of the cup of thy iniquity; this last act made thee ripe for destruction.


 
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