Daniel 5:23
But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast 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 thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
Daniel 5:23 · King James Version
Meaning
The verse conveys a powerful message about the consequences of pride and arrogance. It describes a king who defiles the vessels of the Lord's house by using them for his own pleasure and for worshiping false gods made of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. The king fails to recognize the true God, the one who holds his every breath and whose ways govern his existence. By not glorifying the true God, the king demonstrates his lack of reverence and gratitude towards the one who sustains his life. This verse serves as a warning against the dangers of pride and idolatry, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and honoring the ultimate authority and power of the Lord of heaven.
Theological Overview
This verse from the book of Daniel describes a powerful rebuke against King Belshazzar for his arrogant and disrespectful behavior towards the Lord of heaven. Belshazzar's actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for the sacred vessels of God's house, using them for his own pleasure and praising false gods made of silver, gold, brass, iron, wood, and stone. The theological interpretation of this verse highlights the consequences of pride and idolatry, emphasizing the importance of giving glory and honor to the one true God. Through word studies, we can delve deeper into the significance of terms like "gods" and "glorified," revealing the gravity of Belshazzar's actions and the contrast between the divine God who holds our very breath and the lifeless idols he chose to worship.
Daniel 5:23 in other translations
American Standard Version
but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine from them; and thou hast 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 thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.
World English Bible
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 wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t see, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified.
Douay-Rheims
But hast lifted thyself up against the Lord of heaven: and the vessels of his house have been brought before thee: and thou, and thy nobles, and thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them: and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and of gold, and of brass, of iron, and of wood, and of stone, that neither see, nor hear, nor feel: but the God who hath thy breath in his hand, and all thy ways, thou hast not glorified.
Geneva Bible (1599)
But hast lift thy selfe vp against the Lord of heauen, and they haue brought the vessels of his House before thee, and thou and thy princes, thy wiues and thy concubines haue drunke wine in them, and thou hast praysed the gods of siluer and golde, of brasse, yron, wood and stone, which neither see, neither heare, nor vnderstand: and the God in whose hand thy breath is and all thy wayes, him hast thou not glorified.