Bible Strands
Daniel 5:22
But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Daniel addresses King Belshazzar during the feast, contrasting the king’s present arrogance with the prior humbling of his father Nebuchadnezzar. The speaker notes that Belshazzar possessed full knowledge of God’s past judgment yet refused to respond accordingly.
The words — הַשְׁפֵּלְתָּ (hashpelet) = you have brought low, and לִבְּךָ (libbeka) = your heart. The text states the king did not bring his heart low despite knowing the prior events.
The thread — The refusal to humble oneself before God reappears in Exodus 10:3, 2 Chronicles 33:23, and 2 Chronicles 36:12. These passages record other rulers who ignored divine warning and increased their guilt through pride.
Why it lands — The verse demands acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty over human authority. It requires the reader to submit personal knowledge of God to obedient action rather than using it as mere information.
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
King James Version
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
Cross-references
- Exodus 10:3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
- 2 Chronicles 33:23 but he did not humble himself before the LORD as his father Manasseh had done; instead, Amon increased his guilt.
- 2 Chronicles 36:12 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke for the LORD.
- James 4:17 Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.
- James 4:6 But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- 1 Peter 5:5 Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Psalms 119:46 I will speak of Your testimonies before kings, and I will not be ashamed.
- Isaiah 26:10 Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD.
- Daniel 5:18 As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor.
- Matthew 14:4 because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”