Daniel 5:10

Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow pale.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — The queen addresses King Belshazzar in the banquet hall immediately after hearing his outcry and the nobles' bewildered reaction. She enters the room to speak directly to his visible terror and pale face.

The words — The text highlights מַלְכָּ/א (mal.Ka'), a vocative form meaning "O king," not the definite "the king," and עַלַּ֑ת (a.la.lat), meaning "she went in." These terms anchor her physical entrance and direct address to the terrified ruler.

The thread — The phrase “O king, may you live forever!” appears in Daniel 2:4, 3:9, and 6:6 as a formal court greeting used by officials addressing the monarch.

Why it lands — The text commands the ruler to suppress panic and steady his countenance before seeking divine insight. It requires the reader to recognize that human anxiety must yield to composed reliance on God’s wisdom.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

מַלְכְּתָ֕אmal.ke.Ta/'queen/ the לָקֳבֵ֨לlo./ko.Vel<to>/ before מִלֵּ֤יmi.Lei[the] words of מַלְכָּא֙mal.Ka/'king/ the וְרַבְרְבָנ֔וֹהִיve./rav.re.va.No./hiand/ nobles/ his לְבֵ֥יתle./Veitto/ [the] house of מִשְׁתְּיָ֖אmish.te.Ya/'feast/ the עַלַּ֑תa.la.latshe went in עֲנָ֨ת'a.Natshe replied מַלְכְּתָ֜אmal.ke.Ta/'queen/ the וַאֲמֶ֗רֶתva./'a.Me.retand/ she said מַלְכָּא֙mal.Ka/'king/ O לְעָלְמִ֣יןle./'al.Minfor/ ever חֱיִ֔יche.Yilive!אַֽל־'al-may not יְבַהֲלוּךְ֙ye.va.ha.lu/Khthey alarm/ you רַעְיוֹנָ֔ךְra'.yo.Na/khthought[s]/ your וְזִיוָ֖יךְve./zi.Vai/khand/ brightness<es>/ your אַל־'al-may not יִשְׁתַּנּֽוֹ׃yish.ta.Nothey be changed

King James Version

Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:

Cross-references

Daniel 3:9 saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, may you live forever!
Daniel 2:4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
Daniel 6:6 So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said, “O King Darius, may you live forever!
Genesis 35:17 During her severe labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son.”
1 Samuel 4:20 As she was dying, the women attending to her said, “Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son!” But she did not respond or pay any heed.
1 Kings 1:31 Bathsheba bowed facedown in homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
Job 13:4 You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians.
Job 21:34 So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”
Daniel 6:21 Then Daniel replied, “O king, may you live forever!