Daniel 5:4
New International Version
As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

New Living Translation
While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

English Standard Version
They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Berean Standard Bible
As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

King James Bible
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

New King James Version
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

New American Standard Bible
They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

NASB 1995
They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

NASB 1977
They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Legacy Standard Bible
They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

Amplified Bible
They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

Christian Standard Bible
They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

American Standard Version
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

English Revised Version
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, or stone.

Good News Translation
and praised gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

International Standard Version
As they drank the wine, they praised gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Majority Standard Bible
As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

NET Bible
As they drank wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

New Heart English Bible
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

Webster's Bible Translation
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

World English Bible
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
they have drunk wine, and have praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

Young's Literal Translation
they have drunk wine, and have praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

Smith's Literal Translation
They drank wine, and praised to the gods of gold and silver, brass, iron, wood and stone.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They drank wine, and praised their gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, and of wood, and of stone.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They drank wine, and they praised their gods of gold, and silver, brass, iron, and wood and stone.

New American Bible
wine from them, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

New Revised Standard Version
They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver and of brass and of iron and of wood and of stone
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of iron, and of wood, and of stone.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Belshazzar's Impious Feast
3Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king drank from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. 4As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

Cross References
Exodus 20:3-5
You shall have no other gods before Me. / You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. / You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Isaiah 42:8
I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.

Deuteronomy 4:28
And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ...

Jeremiah 10:3-5
For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. / They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. / Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.”

Habakkuk 2:18-19
What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. / Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”

1 Corinthians 8:4-6
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. / For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords), / yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

Revelation 9:20
Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.

Isaiah 46:6-7
They pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales; they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god, so they can bow down and worship. / They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.

Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. ...

1 Corinthians 10:20-21
No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons. / You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.

Acts 17:29
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.

Romans 1:21-23
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. / Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

1 John 5:21
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

Isaiah 44:9-20
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. / Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? / Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame. ...


Treasury of Scripture

They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

praised.

Daniel 5:23
But 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:

Daniel 4:37
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

Judges 16:23,24
Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand…

of gold.

Daniel 3:1-3
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon…

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands…

Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands…

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Brass Bronze Drank Drunk Gods Gold Iron Praise Praised Silver Stone Wine Wood
Daniel 5
1. Belshazzar's impious feast.
5. A hand-writing unknown to the magicians, troubles the king.
10. At the commendation of the queen Daniel is brought.
17. He, reproving the king of pride and idolatry,
25. reads and interprets the writing.
30. The monarchy is translated to the Medes














As they drank the wine
This phrase sets the scene of indulgence and revelry. The act of drinking wine in the context of a royal feast signifies not only celebration but also a potential loss of sobriety and discernment. In the Hebrew context, wine is often associated with joy and blessing (Psalm 104:15), but here it becomes a symbol of excess and moral decline. The participants are so engrossed in their revelry that they become oblivious to the sacredness of the vessels they are using, which were taken from the temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 5:2-3). This act of drinking, therefore, becomes a metaphor for spiritual blindness and the dangers of prioritizing earthly pleasures over divine reverence.

they praised their gods
The act of praising gods in this context is a direct affront to the God of Israel. The Hebrew word for "praise" (שָׁבַח, shabach) implies a loud and boastful proclamation. This is not a quiet or introspective worship but a public and ostentatious display of allegiance to false deities. Historically, this reflects the polytheistic culture of Babylon, where multiple gods were worshipped, each representing different aspects of life and nature. Theologically, this act of praise is a stark contrast to the worship of Yahweh, who demands exclusive devotion (Exodus 20:3). It highlights the spiritual adultery of the Babylonians and sets the stage for divine judgment.

of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone
This list of materials is significant both materially and symbolically. Gold and silver were precious metals, often associated with wealth and power. Bronze and iron were used for tools and weapons, symbolizing strength and might. Wood and stone, while more common, were foundational materials for construction and idol-making. In the context of ancient Near Eastern culture, these materials were often used to craft idols, which were then worshipped as gods. Theologically, this enumeration underscores the futility and impotence of idols, as they are mere creations of human hands (Psalm 115:4-8). The progression from precious metals to common materials may also suggest a descending order of value, emphasizing the worthlessness of these gods compared to the living God. This verse serves as a reminder of the first commandment and the call to worship the Creator rather than the creation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
As they drank
אִשְׁתִּ֖יו (’iš·tîw)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8355: To imbibe

the wine,
חַמְרָ֑א (ḥam·rā)
Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 2562: Wine

they praised
וְ֠שַׁבַּחוּ (wə·šab·ba·ḥū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7624: To adulate, adore

their gods
לֵֽאלָהֵ֞י (lê·lā·hê)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 426: God

of gold
דַּהֲבָ֧א (da·hă·ḇā)
Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 1722: Gold

and silver,
וְכַסְפָּ֛א (wə·ḵas·pā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 3702: Silver, money

bronze
נְחָשָׁ֥א (nə·ḥā·šā)
Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 5174: Copper, bronze

and iron,
פַרְזְלָ֖א (p̄ar·zə·lā)
Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 6523: Iron

wood
אָעָ֥א (’ā·‘ā)
Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 636: A tree, wood

and stone.
וְאַבְנָֽא׃ (wə·’aḇ·nā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular determinate
Strong's 69: A stone


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OT Prophets: Daniel 5:4 They drank wine and praised the gods (Dan. Da Dn)
Daniel 5:3
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