5368. neqash

Lexical Summary

neqash: To ensnare, to trap, to lay a snare

Original Word: נְקַשׁ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nqash
Pronunciation: neh-KAHSH
Phonetic Spelling: (nek-ash')
KJV: smote
NASB: knocking
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H5367 (נָקַשׁ - ensnared), but used in the sense of H5362 (נָקַף - To go around)]

1. to knock

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

smote

(Aramaic) corresponding to naqash; but used in the sense of naqaph; to knock -- smote.

see HEBREW naqash

see HEBREW naqaph

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to naqash
Definition
to knock
NASB Translation
knocking (1).

Topical Lexicon

Scriptural Occurrence and Context

Daniel 5:6 records the single use of נְקַשׁ. When King Belshazzar sees the mysterious writing on the plaster of his palace wall, “the king’s face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hip joints gave way and his knees knocked together” (Berean Standard Bible). The verb paints an audible, physical reaction of terror—knees striking one another—as God interrupts the revelry of Babylon with a message of imminent judgment.

Literary and Theological Implications

1. Public Exposure of Internal Fear: The image of royal knees clashing underscores how divine revelation strips away human bravado. What Belshazzar sought to display—power, opulence, and control—crumbles in a moment of divine confrontation (compare Isaiah 13:6-8; Nahum 2:10).
2. The Holiness of God Confronting Human Pride: The banquet scene mocks the sacred vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple (Daniel 5:2-4). Belshazzar’s trembling demonstrates that no earthly throne stands secure when God speaks (Psalm 2:4-5).
3. Prelude to Judgment: The physical trembling precedes the prophetic interpretation “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN” (Daniel 5:25-28). Terror is not the judgment itself but the advance warning that gives occasion for repentance—a pattern echoed in passages such as Jonah 3:5-9 and Revelation 6:15-17.

Historical Background

Belshazzar co-reigned with his father Nabonidus during Babylon’s final years. While Persian armies closed in, the court indulged in sacrilegious celebration. Archaeology confirms the city’s walls and banquet halls, lending historical weight to Daniel’s depiction of arrogant security suddenly shattered. The violent knocking of the king’s knees captures the empire’s swift fall to Cyrus the Great that very night (Daniel 5:30-31).

Intercanonical Parallels on Fear and Judgment

• Exodus 15:15; Joshua 2:11 – Hearts melt when the Lord acts on behalf of His people.
• Ezekiel 7:17 – “Every hand will go limp, and every knee will become as water.”
• Philippians 2:10 – Every knee will ultimately bow at Jesus’ name, whether willingly or in dread.
• Hebrews 10:31 – “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Ministry and Homiletical Insights

• A Call to Sobriety: Festivity divorced from reverence invites disaster (Luke 12:19-21). Belshazzar’s revelry becomes a warning against trivializing holy things.
• The Surety of Divine Verdict: Judgment may appear delayed, but when it comes, it is sudden and irreversible (2 Peter 3:9-10).
• The Searchlight of Revelation: God still exposes hidden sin through His Word and Spirit (John 16:8). The terror that led Belshazzar to Daniel should lead congregations to Christ, the greater Interpreter.

Practical Application for Believers

1. Cultivate Reverence: Treat what God calls holy with holy fear (1 Peter 1:15-17).
2. Prepare for Accountability: Just as Babylon’s ruler could not withstand the written verdict, every life will be measured by God’s standard (2 Corinthians 5:10).
3. Offer Hope Through the Gospel: Where terror once struck a pagan king, believers herald mercy through the cross, urging sinners to flee from wrath to the refuge of Christ (Romans 5:9).

Belshazzar’s knees knocking together is more than a descriptive detail; it is a vivid reminder that the God who judges nations still calls individuals to humility, repentance, and faith.

Forms and Transliterations

נָֽקְשָֽׁן׃ נקשן׃ nā·qə·šān NakeShan nāqəšān

Englishman's Concordance

Daniel 5:6
HEB: דָּ֥א לְדָ֖א נָֽקְשָֽׁן׃
NAS: and his knees began knocking together.
KJV: and his knees smote one
INT: together together knocking

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5368
1 Occurrence

nā·qə·šān — 1 Occ.