Daniel 5:4

4 They ¹drank the wine and praised the gods of ²gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

Daniel 5:4 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 5:4

They drunk wine
That is, out of the vessels of the temple at Jerusalem, and perhaps till they were drunk: and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of
wood, and of stone;
for they had gods of all these materials; (See Gill on Daniel 1:2), and these they praised by offering sacrifices unto them; or rather by singing songs, and drinking healths, and by ascribing all their victories over the nations of the world to them; as that by their means they had got such large dominions, and such great wealth and treasures, and particularly these vessels of gold and silver; and so insulted and triumphed over the God of Israel, and defied the prophecies and promises of the deliverance of them that went under his name.

Daniel 5:4 In-Context

2 When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.

3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.

4 They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

5 Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing.

6 Then the king's face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 42:8; Daniel 5:23; Revelation 9:20
• 2. Psalms 115:4; Psalms 135:15; Isaiah 40:19, 20; Daniel 3:1; Habakkuk 2:19