Daniel 5:8

5:8 So all the king’s wise men came in, but they were unable to read the writing or to make known its ¹  interpretation to the king.

Daniel 5:15

5:15 Now the wise men and ²  astrologers were brought before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation. But they were unable to disclose the interpretation of the message.

Daniel 5:24-28

5:24 Therefore the palm of a hand was sent from him, and this writing was inscribed.

5:25 “This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, ³  TEQEL, and PHARSIN. ⁴  5:26 This is the interpretation of the words: ⁵  As for mene ⁶  – God has numbered your kingdom’s days and brought it to an end. 5:27 As for teqel – you are weighed on the balances and found to be lacking. 5:28 As for peres ⁷  – your kingdom is divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”

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¹ tc Read וּפִשְׁרֵהּ (ufishreh) with the Qere rather than וּפִשְׁרָא (ufishra’) of the Kethib.

² tn The Aramaic text does not have “and.” The term “astrologers” is either an appositive for “wise men” (cf. KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV, NRSV), or the construction is to be understood as asyndetic (so the translation above).

³ tc The Greek version of Theodotion lacks the repetition of מְנֵא (mÿne’, cf. NAB).

⁴ tc The Aramaic word is plural. Theodotion has the singular (cf. NAB “PERES”).

⁵ tn Or “word” or “event.” See HALOT 1915 s.v. מִלָּה.

⁶ tn The Aramaic term מְנֵא (mÿne’) is a noun referring to a measure of weight. The linkage here to the verb “to number” (Aram. מְנָה, mÿnah) is a case of paronomasia rather than strict etymology. So also with תְּקֵל (tÿqel) and פַרְסִין (farsin). In the latter case there is an obvious wordplay with the name “Persian.”

⁷ sn Peres (פְּרֵס) is the singular form of פַרְסִין (pharsin) in v. 25.