Daniel 5:8
New International Version
Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant.

New Living Translation
But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant.

English Standard Version
Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation.

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

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Now all the king’s wise men came, but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation.

New American Standard Bible
Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king.

NASB 1995
Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king.

NASB 1977
Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known its interpretation to the king.

Amplified Bible
Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or reveal to the king its interpretation.

Christian Standard Bible
So all the king’s wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make its interpretation known to him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So all the king’s wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make its interpretation known to him.

American Standard 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.

Contemporary English Version
All of King Belshazzar's highest officials came in, but not one of them could read the writing or tell what it meant,

English Revised 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
All the king's wise advisers came, but they couldn't read the writing or tell the king its meaning.

Good News Translation
The royal advisers came forward, but none of them could read the writing or tell the king what it meant.

International Standard Version
Then all the king's advisors came in, but they were unable to read the writing or tell the king what it meant.

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

NET Bible
So all the king's wise men came in, but they were unable to read the writing or to make known its interpretation to the king.

New Heart English Bible
Then came in all the king's wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation of it.

World English Bible
Then all the king’s wise men came in; but they could not read the writing, and couldn’t make known to the king the interpretation.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Then all the wise men of the king are coming up, and they are not able to read the writing, and to make known the interpretation to the king;

Young's Literal Translation
Then coming up are all the wise men of the king, and they are not able to read the writing, and the interpretation to make known to the king;

Smith's Literal Translation
Then came in all the king's wise ones: and they were not able to read the writing, and to make known the interpretation to the king.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then came in all the king's wise men, but they could neither read the writing, nor declare the interpretation to the king.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then, in came all the wise men of the king, but they could neither read the writing, nor reveal the interpretation to the king.

New American Bible
But though all the king’s wise men came in, none of them could either read the writing or tell the king what it meant.

New Revised Standard Version
Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king the interpretation.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
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.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Then the Wise Men of the King were entering, and they were unable to read the writing and to make its translation known to the King
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known the interpretation to the king.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Handwriting on the Wall
7The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” 8So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him. 9Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face grew even more pale, and his nobles were bewildered.…

Cross References
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.

Exodus 7:11-12
But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts. / Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.

Isaiah 47:12-13
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! / You are wearied by your many counselors; let them come forward now and save you—your astrologers who observe the stars, who monthly predict your fate.

Jeremiah 50:35-36
A sword is against the Chaldeans, declares the LORD, against those who live in Babylon, and against her officials and wise men. / A sword is against her false prophets, and they will become fools. A sword is against her warriors, and they will be filled with terror.

1 Samuel 28:6-7
He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. / Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” “There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied.

2 Kings 17:17
They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

Ezekiel 21:21-22
For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He shakes the arrows, he consults the idols, he examines the liver. / In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect a siege wall.

Acts 8:9-11
Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great, / and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.” / They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.

Acts 13:6-8
They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, / an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, a man of intelligence, summoned Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. / But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

Matthew 2:1-2
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, / asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

Matthew 12:38-39
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” / Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Mark 8:11-12
Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, testing Him by demanding from Him a sign from heaven. / Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

Luke 11:29-30
As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. / For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation.

1 Corinthians 1:20
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1 Corinthians 2:14
The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

but.

Daniel 2:27
Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;

Daniel 4:7
Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.

Genesis 41:8
And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

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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














Then all the king’s wise men came in
This phrase sets the stage for the unfolding drama in the royal court of Babylon. The "wise men" referred to here are the magi, astrologers, and enchanters who served in the Babylonian court. Historically, these individuals were considered the intellectual elite, skilled in various forms of divination and interpretation of omens. The Hebrew term for "wise men" is "ḥăḵāmîm," which denotes those who are learned or skilled in wisdom. In the context of the ancient Near East, these wise men were often consulted for their supposed ability to interpret dreams and signs, a practice deeply rooted in the culture of the time.

but they could not read the inscription
The inability of the wise men to read the inscription highlights the limitations of human wisdom and understanding when confronted with divine mysteries. The phrase "could not read" suggests a failure not just in comprehension but in the very act of deciphering the writing. The Hebrew word "qārā'" means to call out or proclaim, indicating that the wise men were unable to even articulate the words, let alone interpret them. This moment underscores the theme of divine sovereignty over human affairs, as God’s message is beyond the grasp of those who rely solely on human wisdom.

or interpret it for him
The word "interpret" comes from the Hebrew "pāraš," meaning to explain or make clear. The wise men's failure to interpret the writing signifies the futility of relying on human insight without divine revelation. This inability serves as a prelude to Daniel's entrance, who, endowed with God-given wisdom, will later provide the interpretation. The phrase "for him" refers to King Belshazzar, emphasizing the personal nature of the message and the king's desperate need for understanding. This situation illustrates the broader biblical theme that true wisdom and understanding come from God alone, as seen in Proverbs 2:6, "For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."

(8) Then--i.e., after the king had addressed the wise men whom he had summoned. But why could not they read an inscription which Daniel deciphered at first sight? It has been conjectured (1) that the character was old Semitic, or one which the wise men did not know; (2) that the language of the inscription was unknown to them; (3) that the words were written in vertical columns, and the wise men endeavoured to read them horizontally. The only true explanation is to be found in the supernatural character of the inscription, and in the inspiration of Daniel. In this way God asserts Himself against the false wisdom of the heathens.

Verse 8. - 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. As we have already said, the Septuagint here repeats the list of wise men. and omits "the Chaldeans." If the word "Chaldean" had been in the text originally, the fact that astrologers were frequently called Chaldeans would render it unlikely that the word should be omitted. Whereas from this very ground it was a word specially apt to be added on the margin, and once on the margin it would easily drop into the text. Even in the case of the Massoretic text, there seems to be a repetition here. It is certainly more obvious in the Septuagint text. The verse according to the Septuagint is, "And there entered in the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the astrologers, and were not able to announce the interpretation of the writing." Theodotion agrees here with the received text; the Peshitta omits "all." The only way in which we can escape the idea of this being a repetition is by holding that the word "all" is emphatic. The omission of the word "all" from the Peshitta is against this. It is to be observed that in the Septuagint there is no reference to "reading the writing;" it is only to announce the interpretation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So
אֱדַ֙יִן֙ (’ĕ·ḏa·yin)
Adverb
Strong's 116: Then, thereupon

all
כֹּ֖ל (kōl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3606: The whole, all, any, every

the king’s
מַלְכָּ֑א (mal·kā)
Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 4430: A king

wise men
חַכִּימֵ֣י (ḥak·kî·mê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2445: Wise, a Magian

came in,
עָֽלִּ֔ין (‘āl·lîn)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 5954: To enter, to introduce

but they could
כָהֲלִ֤ין (ḵā·hă·lîn)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 3546: To be able

not
וְלָֽא־ (wə·lā-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3809: Not, no

read
לְמִקְרֵ֔א (lə·miq·rê)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7123: To call, read out or aloud

the inscription
כְּתָבָא֙ (kə·ṯā·ḇā)
Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 3792: Something written, a writing, record, book

or interpret it
וּפִשְׁרֵ֖הּ (ū·p̄iš·rêh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6591: An interpretation

for [him].
לְמַלְכָּֽא׃ (lə·mal·kā)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 4430: A king


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OT Prophets: Daniel 5:8 Then came in all the king's wise (Dan. Da Dn)
Daniel 5:7
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