Daniel 5:8

8 Then came in all the king’s wise men, but they could neither read the writing, nor declare the interpretation to the king.

Daniel 5:8 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 5:8

Then came in all the king's wise men
The whole college of them, the persons before described; over whom, in Nebuchadnezzar's time, Daniel was the chief of the governors, ( Daniel 2:48 ) , these came in readily, in hope of getting both riches and honour: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the
interpretation thereof;
for if they could not do the former, it must be impossible to do the latter; of the reason of which, various are the conjectures ^F16: as that, though these words were written in Chaldee, yet in characters, as the Samaritan or Phoenician, they did not understand; or were written without points, and so they knew not which were the proper ones to put to them; or they were written according to the position of the letters of the alphabet, called "athbash", of which (See Gill on Jeremiah 25:26), or the words were placed so as to be read backward, or else downward, and not straightforward; or they were all in one word; or only the initial letters of words; but the true reason was, that it was so ordained by the Lord, that they should not be able to read and interpret them; this being reserved for another man, Daniel, that he might have the honour, and God the glory.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Vid. Jac. de Clerice Dissertat. de Epulo Belshazzar, in Thesaur. Theolog. Philol. vol. 1. p. 885.

Daniel 5:8 In-Context

6 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.

7 And the king cried out aloud to bring in the wise men, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spoke, and said to the wise men of Babylon: Whosoever shall read this writing, and shall make known to me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and shall have a golden chain on his neck, and shall be the third man in my kingdom.

8 Then came in all the king’s wise men, but they could neither read the writing, nor declare the interpretation to the king.

9 Wherewith king Baltasar was much troubled, and his countenance was changed: and his nobles also were troubled.

10 Then the queen, on occasion of what had happened to the king, and his nobles, came into the banquet-house: and she spoke, and said: O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, neither let thy countenance be changed.