Daniel 5:9Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.
The setting
Babylon, 539 BC. King Belshazzar's face drains of color as reality hits — his empire is about to fall. His nobles watch their leader crumble, modern-day Iraq...
The emotion here: recording the collapse of human pride with solemn satisfaction
The original word
behal (בהל) — to terrify, literally 'to rush upon with violence'
Why it matters
Belshazzar was actually crown prince ruling for his father Nabonidus, not the true king
Read with care
What most readers miss in Daniel 5:9
The phrase 'his face was changed' means he went pale — ancient way of describing shock
Common misconceptionPeople think God enjoys our terror, but this shows consequences of rejecting Him — like a parent watching a child ignore safety warnings.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Daniel 5:9
Bible Genome reading
Daniel 5:9 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Daniel 5:9 comes from the book of Daniel, written during the Exile period. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include fear, confusion. Notable phrases: greatly troubled; lords were perplexed.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Daniel 5:9 mean to you, today?
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