Daniel 5:22-23 · Bible study
Daniel 5:22-23 Commentary: Knowing All, Humbling Nothing
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Belshazzar's full knowledge of Nebuchadnezzar's judgment only deepened his guilt. A study on pride, idolatry, and the God who holds our breath.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Belshazzar saw God’s judgment on Nebuchadnezzar, yet refused to humble himself, profaning temple vessels and praising idols. He did not glorify the God who holds his breath and his ways.
- Key words: Humbled (shephel: to be brought low), the opposite of lifting oneself up (hitromamta, from rum). Glorified (hadar: to honour). Breath (nishma): not just air, but the spirit of life from God.
- Main debate: No substantive debate among the supplied commentators; all agree Belshazzar sinned with full knowledge and deliberate contempt.
- Theological theme: The danger of knowing God’s works without a humble response; the contrast between lifeless idols and the living God who sustains all.
- Best use: Preached as a warning against pride and presumption, especially for those familiar with Scripture but not transformed by it. Also used to contrast true worship with empty religion.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
22But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.
23Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.
WEB World English Bible 2000
22“You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,
23but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t see, or hear, or know; and you have not glorified the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways.
KJV King James Version 1769
22And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
23But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
22And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this,
23but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine from them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
22`And thou, his son, Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though all this thou hast known;
23and against the Lord of the heavens thou hast lifted up thyself; and the vessels of His house they have brought in before thee, and thou, and thy great men, thy wives, and thy concubines, are drinking wine with them, and gods of silver, and of gold, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, that are not seeing, nor hearing, nor knowing, thou hast praised: and the God in whose hand is thy breath, and all thy ways, Him thou hast not honoured.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
22And thou, Belshazzar, his son, hast not humbled thy heart, although thou knewest all this;
23but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of the heavens; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy nobles, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised thegods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
22Thou also, his son, O Baltasar, hast not humbled thy heart, whereas thou knewest all these things:
23But hast lifted thyself up against the Lord of heaven: and the vessels of his house have been brought before thee: and thou, and thy nobles, and thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them: and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and of gold, and of brass, of iron, and of wood, and of stone, that neither see, nor hear, nor feel: but the God who hath thy breath in his hand, and all thy ways, thou hast not glorified.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Daniel 5:22
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree these verses indict Belshazzar for knowing the lesson of Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation and still refusing to humble himself. Calvin stresses that the king was ‘intractable and willfully blind to God’s judgment’, his sin was not ignorance but deliberate defiance. Barnes notes that Belshazzar had before him ‘a striking warning,’ yet, as Jamieson-Fausset-Brown put it, he ‘erred not through ignorance, but through deliberate contempt of God.’ Gill adds that he lifted his heart in pride ‘against the Lord of heaven,’ profaning the temple vessels and praising mute idols while failing to glorify the God who held his very breath. The commentators uniformly see his sin as compounded knowledge: the more he knew, the more inexcusable his pride.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Belshazzar knowingly resisted God despite a clear warning from Nebuchadnezzar’s example, and his judgment was just and proportionate.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The role of prior knowledge in judgment | All supplied commentators agree that Belshazzar’s knowledge of Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation made his sin far worse because he acted deliberately. | No debate in the supplied sources; the point is uniformly treated as an aggravation of guilt. |
| The relationship between Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar | Commentators agree that Belshazzar is Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson (or, loosely, successor). Gill notes he is called ‘son’ in the Semitic sense of descendant. | There is minor variation in whether ‘son’ indicates direct descent or succession, but all agree on the family link. |
| The nature of the sin: pride vs. idolatry | The sin is both internal pride (‘lifted up yourself’) and outward acts (profaning vessels, praising idols). Commentators see these as intertwined. | No substantive debate; each commentator emphasizes both dimensions. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Belshazzar ruled as co-regent with his father Nabonidus while Cyrus the Mede besieged Babylon. The feast described in Daniel 5 likely took place on the very night the city fell, Herodotus mentions a festival that led to carelessness, and Jewish tradition (followed by Poole) connects it to an idolatrous celebration of Bel. These verses form the heart of Daniel’s indictment before he interprets the handwriting on the wall.
The ‘vessels of his house’ came from the Jerusalem temple; Nebuchadnezzar had carried them away in 586 BC (2 Kings 25:14-15). Using them for a royal drinking party was not only sacrilege but a political taunt against the God of Israel, who had apparently let His temple be plundered. Belshazzar’s list of idol materials, silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, stone, echoes Nebuchadnezzar’s dream statue (Dan 2:31-33), subtly underscoring that Babylon’s empire was itself passing away.
The phrase ‘Lord of heaven’ (Aramaic mārē’ shemayyā) was an authentic Babylonian title for high gods, but Daniel uses it for Yahweh alone, the one who actually rules the heavens. By contrast, the idols are impotent: ‘which don’t see, or hear, or know.’ The accusation in verse 23 is precise: you praised gods that cannot perceive, but you did not glorify the God who holds your breath. Barnes calls this ‘a deeply affecting consideration’, the fragile breath of every person is in the hand of an invisible, sovereign God.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Daniel 5:22-23. The Aramaic text is consistent across the major manuscripts (MT, LXX, Theodotion). A few minor differences appear in the list of metals (e.g., ‘brass’ vs. ‘bronze’ in translations), but these reflect the translator’s preference, not a textual discrepancy.
Reception History
This passage has been widely used in Christian tradition as a lesson on the danger of knowing God’s ways without obeying them. Early church writers (e.g., Jerome) highlighted Belshazzar’s profanation of sacred vessels as a warning against treating holy things carelessly. During the Reformation, commentators such as Calvin and the Geneva Bible used it to rebuke those who had access to Scripture but lived in pride. The phrase ‘the God in whose hand your breath is’ has appeared in hymns and prayers across traditions, reminding believers of their total dependence on God for every moment.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Knowledge without humility deepens guilt, Belshazzar knew everything about Nebuchadnezzar’s fall but did not let it shape his heart.
- Profaning sacred things reveals a hardened soul, Using the temple vessels for drunken revelry was not just bad manners; it was a declaration of war against God.
- Praising counterfeit gods while ignoring the true God is the heart of idolatry, The idols are deaf, blind, and ignorant; the living God holds the king’s breath and his every step.
Five-point outline
- Belshazzar knew the history lesson (v.22), His grandfather’s pride and madness were a public record.
- He refused to humble himself (v.22), ‘Lifting up’ is the opposite of the ‘bringing low’ that God did to Nebuchadnezzar.
- He desecrated sacred things (v.23a), The vessels were meant for worship; he used them for partying.
- He praised powerless gods (v.23b), The materials are precious, but the deities are functional non-entities.
- He failed to glorify the God who sustains him (v.23c), The ultimate sin is ignoring the source of your own existence.
Illustration hooks
- A teenager who sees an older sibling crash a car due to reckless driving, and then does the same thing the next weekend.
- Someone who takes a family heirloom meant for honour and uses it as a beer bong at a party.
- The contrast between working hard to impress a human boss while ignoring the phone call from the employer who signs your pay cheque.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God let me see other people’s mistakes and still make my own?
- How can I tell if I’ve ‘lifted myself up’ against God in subtle ways?
- What does it mean practically to ‘glorify’ God with the breath He gives me each day?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with a sobering truth: knowing what God has done does not guarantee a humble heart. Belshazzar had the best possible example, his grandfather’s seven years of madness, and he still chose pride. As you work through these questions, let the text search your own hearts for any area where knowledge has not produced humility.
Discussion questions
- Read Daniel 4:28-37 and then Daniel 5:22. What exactly did Belshazzar know? Why didn’t that knowledge change him?
- The word ‘humbled’ (Aramaic shephel) means to be brought low, made dependent. How does humbling oneself differ from being humiliated?
- In verse 23, Daniel lists three offences: lifting oneself up against God, profaning sacred vessels, and praising idols. Which of these do you find most shocking? Why?
- What makes an object ‘sacred’? Are some things still sacred today, or has that idea changed? How should Christians treat what is set apart for God?
- The idols “don’t see, or hear, or know.” What modern ‘idols’ might we be praising, without realising they are utterly powerless?
- “The God in whose hand your breath is”, how does that image affect the way you think about ordinary life: your health, your plans, your future?
- If someone in your group knew a clear warning from Scripture but chose to ignore it, how would you pray for them, and for yourself?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 10:3 | Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, “This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. |
| II Chronicles 33:23 | He didn’t humble himself before Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more. |
| II Chronicles 36:12 | He did that which was evil in Yahweh his God’s sight. He didn’t humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from Yahweh’s mouth. |
| Psalms 119:46 | I will also speak of your statutes before kings, and will not be disappointed. |
| Isaiah 26:10 | Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness he will deal wrongfully, and will not see Yahweh’s majesty. |
| Daniel 5:18 | “To you, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty. |
| Matthew 14:4 | For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” |
| Matthew 21:32 | For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Daniel 5:22 Hast not humbled thine heart - These judgments and mercies have had no good effect upon thee. Daniel 5:23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord - And the highest evidence of this rebellion was, the profaning the sacred vessels of the Lord's house.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that Belshazzar failed to learn from Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling, a failure common to humanity. People rarely profit from the recorded calamities of others. He stresses the universal disregard for God’s absolute and invisible power over every breath and each daily step, a power men seldom acknowledge despite their complete dependence on it.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that Belshazzar sinned with full knowledge, having his own grandfather Nebuchadnezzar's humbling as a clear warning at home. His profane feast, sacrilege with temple vessels, and praise of lifeless idols while dishonoring the living God who holds his breath in His hand proves deliberate, inexcusable arrogance against heaven.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible Schools notes that Daniel first reminds Belshazzar how Nebuchadnezzar's pride and refusal to acknowledge God's sovereignty brought bitter humiliation. Belshazzar has shown the same faults even more openly, so the handwriting is sent as a direct warning of the punishment now about to fall.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that Belshazzar knew his father Nebuchadnezzar's humbling firsthand, yet still refused to humble his own heart. He profaned the temple vessels and praised deaf, blind idols, while failing to glorify the living God who holds his very breath and directs all his ways.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that Belshazzar's guilt was far worse because he knew the full story of Nebuchadnezzar's humbling and still refused to humble his own heart. Daniel charges him with lifting himself up against the Lord of heaven, as if he stood above God, and with showing that contempt by using the temple vessels to praise blind idols while ignoring the God who held his very breath.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Thou hast erred not through ignorance, but through deliberate contempt of God, notwithstanding that thou hadst before thine eyes the striking warning given in thy grandfather's case.