Daniel 5:8

KJV

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.

KJV (with Strong's)

Then {H116} came {H5954} in all {H3606} the king's {H4430} wise {H2445} men: but they could {H3546} not {H3809} read {H7123} the writing {H3792}, nor make known {H3046} to the king {H4430} the interpretation {H6591} thereof.

Complete Jewish Bible

But although all the king's sages came in, none could read the inscription or tell the king what it meant.

Berean Standard Bible

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

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Daniel 5:8 vividly portrays the utter failure of King Belshazzar's esteemed wise men to decipher the mysterious handwriting that supernaturally appeared on the palace wall during his blasphemous feast. Despite their positions as the kingdom's most learned and spiritually discerning advisors, they proved powerless to either read the enigmatic script or provide any interpretation to the terrified monarch, thereby profoundly highlighting the inherent limitations of human wisdom and pagan practices when confronted with the direct, sovereign revelation and impending judgment of God.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** The immediate literary context of Daniel 5:8 is the dramatic and pivotal account of Belshazzar's feast and the fall of Babylon. The chapter opens with King Belshazzar's audacious act of sacrilege, where he uses the sacred vessels plundered from the Jerusalem temple for a drunken revelry, directly defying the God of Israel. This act of hubris precipitates the miraculous appearance of a disembodied hand writing a cryptic message on the palace wall, as described in [Daniel 5:5](/daniel/5-5 "Daniel 5:5 - The Hand Writes on the Wall"). Overwhelmed by terror, Belshazzar immediately summons his most trusted and learned advisors—the astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers—offering lavish rewards for an interpretation. Daniel 5:8 specifically details the collective and profound inability of these elite royal counselors to either read the mysterious script or provide its meaning. This failure is crucial, as it sets the stage for Daniel's eventual summons in [Daniel 5:13](/daniel/5-13 "Daniel 5:13 - Daniel is Summoned") and his subsequent divine interpretation, which spans [Daniel 5:25-28](/daniel/5-25-28 "Daniel 5:25-28 - Daniel Interprets the Writing"). The narrative strategically positions the wise men's impotence to underscore the narrative's central theme: the absolute sovereignty of God over all human kingdoms and wisdom.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The events of Daniel 5 unfold around 539 BC, on the very eve of the Medo-Persian conquest of Babylon. Belshazzar, serving as co-regent with his father Nabonidus, was effectively the last ruler of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Babylonian society was deeply steeped in divination, astrology, and omens, with a highly influential class of "wise men" (including magicians, enchanters, and Chaldeans) who served as indispensable royal advisors. These individuals were extensively educated in cuneiform, astronomy, and various forms of occult practices, believed to possess unique insight into divine will and future events. Their utter failure to read or interpret the writing in [Daniel 5:8](/daniel/5-8 "Daniel 5:8 - The Wise Men's Inability") was not merely a personal embarrassment but a profound cultural and religious shock, exposing the utter impotence of their pagan wisdom and practices when confronted by the true God. The desecration of the temple vessels was a grave insult, not merely a political slight, but a direct affront to Yahweh, the God of Israel, whose supreme power even Nebuchadnezzar had been forced to acknowledge (compare [Daniel 4:34-37](/daniel/4-34-37 "Daniel 4:34-37 - Nebuchadnezzar Praises God's Sovereignty")).
* **Key Themes:** Daniel 5:8 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes woven throughout the book of Daniel. Firstly, it starkly illustrates **The Limitations of Human Wisdom** when confronted with divine revelation. The most esteemed human intellect, occult knowledge, and sophisticated divination techniques proved utterly useless, emphasizing that true understanding and insight originate solely from God (as seen in [Daniel 2:27-28](/daniel/2-27-28 "Daniel 2:27-28 - Daniel Attributes Wisdom to God Alone")). Secondly, this verse dramatically sets the stage for the theme of **God's Absolute Sovereignty and Imminent Judgment**. It demonstrates unequivocally that only Yahweh possesses the power to reveal hidden things and execute His divine will, even against the most formidable earthly empires. The mysterious writing itself serves as an undeniable harbinger of swift and decisive divine judgment upon Belshazzar for his profound pride and blasphemy, foreshadowing the imminent downfall of Babylon. Lastly, the failure of the pagan wise men implicitly reinforces the theme of **Divine Revelation and Prophecy**, as their inability to interpret the message paves the way for Daniel, God's faithful servant, to step forward as the true and divinely-empowered interpreter of God's word.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **wise (Aramaic, _chakkîym'_):** This Aramaic term refers to individuals considered skilled, learned, or possessing wisdom, often carrying connotations of magical arts, astrology, or divination within the Babylonian context. Their inability to interpret the writing dramatically underscores the stark contrast between their worldly, occult wisdom and the true, divine wisdom that originates solely from God, which they demonstrably lacked.
* **read (Aramaic, _qᵉrâʼ'_):** This word means "to call out to" or, more commonly in this context, "to read." The fact that they "could not read the writing" suggests more than a simple inability to understand a foreign language. It strongly implies either a script made supernaturally illegible to them, or a spiritual blindness that prevented them from perceiving its nature, indicating a divine intervention beyond mere linguistic or intellectual challenge.
* **interpretation (Aramaic, _pᵉshar'_):** This term specifically denotes an "interpretation" or "solution," particularly of dreams, visions, or cryptic messages. The complete failure of the wise men to provide the interpretation, even if they had somehow managed to decipher the characters, signifies their profound spiritual and intellectual inadequacy in discerning God's message, which was intentionally veiled to those outside His divine revelation.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Then came in all the king's wise men":** This clause highlights the immediate, comprehensive, and urgent response to Belshazzar's profound terror. The king spared no expense or effort, summoning every available expert—the collective pinnacle of Babylonian wisdom, occult knowledge, and intellectual prowess. This emphasizes the extreme gravity of the situation and the king's desperate, immediate need for an answer and reassurance.
* **"but they could not read the writing":** This marks the first and most critical failure. It suggests that the script was not merely in an unknown language, but perhaps written in an obscure, ancient, or divinely obscured hand that defied even their extensive knowledge of various ancient scripts and languages. This fundamental inability to even *read* the characters immediately and powerfully demonstrates the supernatural origin of the message and the inherent limitations of human expertise when confronted with divine intervention.
* **"nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof":** This is the second, equally significant failure, building upon the first. Even if, hypothetically, they had managed to decipher the characters, they utterly lacked the spiritual insight or divine connection necessary to understand its profound meaning. This confirms that the message was not just a linguistic puzzle but a profound spiritual revelation that required divine wisdom to interpret, a wisdom which they, as pagan practitioners, fundamentally did not possess.

#### Literary Devices
Daniel 5:8 powerfully employs **Irony** and **Foreshadowing**. The profound irony lies in the fact that the "wise men," who were universally regarded as the most enlightened, discerning, and spiritually attuned individuals in the kingdom, were rendered utterly helpless and impotent before a direct divine message. Their esteemed positions and supposed wisdom are exposed as utterly meaningless when confronted by God's power, highlighting the futility of human knowledge and occult practices apart from divine truth. This collective failure also serves as a potent **Foreshadowing** of the imminent downfall of Belshazzar and the Babylonian Empire itself, as their inability to interpret the divine warning signifies a profound lack of understanding regarding God's impending judgment upon their kingdom. Furthermore, the verse functions as a stark **Contrast** between the impotent, worldly wisdom of the pagan advisors and the true, divinely-given wisdom embodied by Daniel, setting the stage for his dramatic appearance and successful, God-glorifying interpretation.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Daniel 5:8 profoundly illustrates the theological truth that human wisdom, no matter how advanced, esteemed, or sophisticated, is ultimately insufficient to comprehend divine revelation or avert God's sovereign judgment. The collective failure of Babylon's most learned and spiritually astute men serves as a powerful testament to the qualitative and infinite difference between earthly knowledge and heavenly insight. It underscores the biblical principle that God's ways and thoughts are infinitely higher and more profound than humanity's, and His messages often require a spiritual discernment that only He can grant. This sets the stage for the dramatic demonstration of God's power through His chosen servant, Daniel, emphasizing that true wisdom and understanding come directly from the Creator, not from human intellect, pagan practices, or occult arts.

* [1 Corinthians 1:20](/1_corinthians/1-20 "1 Corinthians 1:20 - God Makes Worldly Wisdom Foolish")
* [Proverbs 2:6](/proverbs/2-6 "Proverbs 2:6 - The Lord Gives Wisdom")
* [Isaiah 29:14](/isaiah/29-14 "Isaiah 29:14 - The Wisdom of the Wise Shall Perish")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Daniel 5:8 offers a timeless and humbling lesson for all generations: the inherent limitations of human wisdom when confronted with the profound, supernatural truths of God. In a contemporary world that often exalts human intellect, scientific advancement, technological prowess, and self-reliance as the ultimate sources of truth and problem-solving, this verse serves as a sobering reminder that there are mysteries, challenges, and divine decrees that only God can reveal and resolve. When we face life's inexplicable challenges, seek guidance for complex decisions, or grapple with the deeper meanings of existence and destiny, our ultimate reliance must not be solely on our own understanding or the collective wisdom of humanity, however impressive it may seem. Instead, we are called to humbly acknowledge our intellectual and spiritual limitations and to earnestly seek God's wisdom through His infallible Word, persistent prayer, and the illuminating guidance of the Holy Spirit. Just as Belshazzar's wise men were utterly helpless without divine revelation, so too are we fundamentally limited without the illuminating power of God's truth, which alone can provide clarity, divine direction, and true, enduring understanding in a world often shrouded in confusion and spiritual darkness.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **Where do I primarily seek wisdom and understanding in my life – from human sources and expertise, or from divine revelation through God's Word and Spirit?**
* **How does the profound failure of the wise men in Daniel 5:8 challenge my own tendencies to rely on worldly expertise, self-sufficiency, or intellectual pride?**
* **In what specific areas of my life do I need to humbly acknowledge my limitations and earnestly seek God's unique, supernatural insight and discernment?**

### FAQ
**Why couldn't the Babylonian wise men read the writing?**

Answer: The text explicitly states they "could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof." This suggests more than a simple linguistic barrier, such as the script being in an unknown language. It is highly probable that the script was either divinely obscured, written in an ancient or symbolic form intentionally made illegible to them, or that they were spiritually blinded to its true nature and meaning. Their fundamental inability to even *read* the characters strongly implies a supernatural element at play, demonstrating that God's message was intentionally veiled from those who relied on pagan wisdom and occult practices, reserving its revelation for His chosen servant, Daniel, who possessed true spiritual discernment rooted in the one true God (compare [Daniel 2:27-28](/daniel/2-27-28 "Daniel 2:27-28 - Daniel Attributes Wisdom to God Alone")).

**What was the profound significance of the wise men's failure?**

Answer: The failure of the king's wise men was profoundly significant on multiple levels. Firstly, it publicly exposed the utter impotence, inadequacy, and spiritual bankruptcy of Babylonian pagan wisdom, occult practices, and divination in the face of direct divine revelation. Their collective inability to interpret the message highlighted the qualitative and infinite difference between finite human knowledge and God's infinite, sovereign wisdom. Secondly, and crucially, it served to powerfully magnify God's absolute sovereignty and strategically set the stage for Daniel, God's faithful servant, to be brought forward. This ensured that when the true and accurate interpretation was finally given, it would be unequivocally understood as coming directly from the God of Israel, not from human ingenuity, pagan divination, or occult powers, thereby bringing immense glory and honor to Him alone (compare [Daniel 4:34-37](/daniel/4-34-37 "Daniel 4:34-37 - Nebuchadnezzar Praises God's Sovereignty")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The narrative of Daniel 5:8, with its stark emphasis on the utter failure of human wisdom to comprehend divine revelation and avert impending judgment, finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Just as the Babylonian wise men were utterly incapable of discerning God's mysterious message on the wall, so too is fallen humanity inherently blind and unable to grasp spiritual truths or understand God's righteous decrees without divine intervention. The "writing on the wall" for all humanity is the universal reality of sin and the certainty of impending divine judgment, a message that the world's most brilliant wisdom, philosophies, and scientific advancements cannot truly read, interpret, or resolve (as affirmed in [Romans 3:23](/romans/3-23 "Romans 3:23 - All Have Sinned and Fall Short")). Jesus, however, stands as the ultimate "Interpreter" and the very embodiment of God's perfect wisdom (as declared in [1 Corinthians 1:24](/1_corinthians/1-24 "1 Corinthians 1:24 - Christ the Power and Wisdom of God") and [Colossians 2:3](/colossians/2-3 "Colossians 2:3 - In Christ Are Hidden All Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge")). He not only perfectly reads and understands the divine decree against sin but also provides the singular, definitive solution, bearing the full weight of humanity's judgment upon Himself on the cross. Through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, He offers the "interpretation" of God's eternal plan for salvation, making known the profound mystery of God's grace that was hidden from ages past (as revealed in [Ephesians 3:9-10](/ephesians/3-9-10 "Ephesians 3:9-10 - The Mystery Hidden in God Revealed")). Thus, what human wisdom, power, or occult knowledge could never achieve, Christ perfectly accomplished, revealing God's truth, fulfilling His righteous demands, and providing the only way to eternal life for all who believe and trust in Him (as proclaimed in [John 14:6](/john/14-6 "John 14:6 - Jesus the Way, Truth, and Life")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

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.

Isaiah 47:9

But these two [things] shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, [and] for the great abundance of thine enchantments.

Isaiah 47:12

Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.

Isaiah 47:15

Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, [even] thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.

Daniel 5:15

And now the wise [men], the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: