Daniel 5:4-6

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

5:5 At that very moment the fingers of a human hand appeared ¹  and wrote on the plaster of the royal palace wall, opposite the lampstand. ²  The king was watching the back ³  of the hand that was writing. 5:6 Then all the color drained from the king’s face ⁴  and he became alarmed. ⁵  The joints of his hips gave way, ⁶  and his knees began knocking together.

[5:5]  ¹ tn Aram “came forth.”

[5:5]  ² sn The mention of the lampstand in this context is of interest because it suggests that the writing was in clear view.

[5:5]  ³ tn While Aramaic פַּס (pas) can mean the palm of the hand, here it seems to be the back of the hand that is intended.

[5:6]  ⁴ tn Aram “[the king’s] brightness changed for him.”

[5:6]  ⁵ tn Aram “his thoughts were alarming him.”

[5:6]  ⁶ tn Aram “his loins went slack.”