English · KJV
H4961

מִשְׁתֶּה

mishteh /mish-teh'/ Ask about this word
Root(Aramaic) corresponding to מִשְׁתֶּה
Meaninga banquet
KJV usagebanquet.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mishteh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Aramaic word mishteh, represented by H4961, is the term for a banquet. It appears just 1 time in 1 verse, marking a very specific event. The word itself is the Aramaic corresponding term for a feast.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its sole biblical appearance, H4961 sets the scene for a pivotal moment of royal judgment. The queen enters the banquet house because of the commotion caused by the "words of the king and his lords" Daniel 5:10. Her arrival is in response to the king's terror, whose thoughts troubled him and whose countenance changed Daniel 5:6. The queen attempts to reassure the king in the midst of this grand, yet disrupted, royal affair.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Aramaic words provide the context for the banquet:

  • H1005 bayith (house): This word is used directly with mishteh to describe the location as the "banquet house" Daniel 5:10. This term has various applications, from the sacred "house of God" Ezra 6:17 to a royal dwelling like the "house of the kingdom" Daniel 4:30.
  • H4430 melek (king): The king, Belshazzar, is the host of the banquet Daniel 5:10. The term is central to the surrounding narrative, highlighting the contrast between an earthly king and the God who "removeth kings, and setteth up kings" Daniel 2:21.
  • H7261 rabrᵉbân (lord, prince): These magnates were the guests attending the event with the king Daniel 5:10. The lords participated in the feast and were present for the terrifying events that unfolded Daniel 5:9.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4961 is derived entirely from the event it hosts.

  • A Stage for Divine Judgment: The banquet is not a place of simple celebration but the setting where God's judgment is delivered to King Belshazzar. The feast is interrupted by a divine sign that causes the king's thoughts to trouble him Daniel 5:10.
  • Hubris and Defiance: The event is characterized by human pride. At this gathering, the king and his lords used the sacred vessels from God's house for their feast, an act of defiance that directly preceded the judgment Daniel 5:23.
  • Fulfillment of Prophecy: The disruption of the banquet signals the end of the Babylonian kingdom. The queen's plea for the king to live for ever Daniel 5:10 is deeply ironic, as God's judgment is being delivered at that very moment, affirming that His own kingdom is the one that will stand for ever Daniel 2:44.

Summary

In summary, mishteh H4961 is a term whose significance is defined by its singular, dramatic context. While appearing only once, it pinpoints the location of Belshazzar's feast, a pivotal event in the book of Daniel. It provides the backdrop for a profound lesson on divine sovereignty, judgment, and the ultimate futility of human pride when set against the power of God.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 1 occurrence, inflected in 1 grammatical form — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • מִשְׁתְּיָ

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H1005 בַּיִת (Aramaic) corresponding to בַּיִת; {a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)}; house H4430 מֶלֶךְ (Aramaic) corresponding to מֶלֶךְ; a king; king, royal. H7261 רַבְרְבָן (Aramaic) from רַבְרַב; a magnate; lord, prince.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

1 verse, all in Daniel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.