The queen entered the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen began to speak and said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale.
Parallel translations
- WEB The queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: the queen spoke and said, O king, live forever; don’t let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed.
- KJV Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
- BSB Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow pale.
- NKJV The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change.
- NLT But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The queen (likely the queen mother) enters and urges the king not to be so troubled, for she knows of one who can help. Her counsel points the king toward Daniel.
Overview
Hearing the uproar, the queen mother comes in with composure and direction. Her memory of past events provides the link to Daniel, showing how God preserves testimony to His faithful servants even across changing reigns. Her words begin to turn the king's attention from failed wisdom toward the man through whom God speaks.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Dan 3:9They answered Nebuchadnezzar the king, O king, live for ever.
- Dan 2:4Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live forever: tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
- Dan 6:6Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus to him, King Darius, live forever.
- Job 13:4But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.
- 1 Sam 4:20–22About the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Don’t be afraid; for you have given birth to a son.” But she didn’t answer, neither did she regard it.
- Gen 35:17–18When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for now you will have another son.”
- 1 Kgs 1:31Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and showed respect to the king, and said, “Let my lord king David live forever!”
- Dan 6:21Then Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever.
- Job 21:34So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Daniel sees the stone cut without hands that shatters the kingdoms, and 'one like a son of man' given everlasting dominion — titles and visions Jesus claims as his own.
How Daniel 5:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.