Daniel 5:8

So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — King Belshazzar has just offered high honors to anyone who can read the mysterious inscription, and his court officials enter his presence at that exact moment to attempt the task.

The words — The negation וְלָא־ (ve./la'-) combined with the verb כָהֲלִ֤ין (kha.ha.Lin) literally renders as "and not [they were] able," showing that the failure comes from the absence of capability rather than a lexical meaning of incapacity.

The thread — This pattern of court experts failing to decipher divine messages appears in Daniel 2:27, Daniel 4:7, and Genesis 41:8, where Babylonian and Egyptian advisors similarly lack the power to interpret supernatural signs.

Why it lands — The text establishes that human wisdom reaches its limit before divine revelation, requiring the reader to recognize that interpretation belongs to God alone rather than to court scholars.

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

אֱדַ֙יִן֙'e.Da.yinthen עָֽלִּ֔יןa.la.lin[were] going in כֹּ֖לkolall חַכִּימֵ֣יcha.ki.Mei[the] wise men of מַלְכָּ֑אmal.Ka/'king/ the וְלָֽא־ve./la'-and/ not כָהֲלִ֤יןkha.ha.Lin[they were] able כְּתָבָא֙ke.ta.Va/'writing/ the לְמִקְרֵ֔אle./mik.Re'to/ read aloud וּפִשְׁרֵ֖הּu./fish.ra/hand/ interpretation/ its לְהוֹדָעָ֥הle./ho.da.'Ahto/ make known לְמַלְכָּֽא׃le./mal.Ka/'to/ king/ the

King James Version

Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

Cross-references

Daniel 2:27 Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires.
Genesis 41:8 In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
Daniel 4:7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.
Isaiah 47:9 These two things will overtake you in a moment, in a single day: loss of children, and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the potency of your spells.
Isaiah 47:12 So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror!
Daniel 5:15 Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this inscription and interpret it for me, but they could not give its interpretation.