If a time clause is used at the end of verse 5, this verse will be a continuation of the sentence started there: “When the king saw … he turned pale….” The appearance of the hand caused four simultaneous reactions in the king. Two were visible: (a) paleness and (d) trembling; and the other two were internal: (b) dread and (c) exhaustion or loss of strength. In each case the structure of the phrase may be awkward in some languages, since the subject of the verb is a part of the king (his color, thoughts, limbs, or knees) but not the king himself. The structure will have to be changed if this is the case.

The king’s color changed: the word for color is actually plural in form in the original. As an equivalent for this expression, translators should look for the most natural way of describing the change in physical appearance that comes over a person when he is paralyzed with fear. It is interesting to note that, while many English translations speak of Belshazzar’s face turning pale, New Jerusalem Bible renders the same expression “the king’s face darkened.”

His thoughts alarmed him: the meaning is simply “he became very frightened.”

His limbs gave way: literally “the joints of his loins/hips were loosened” (compare King James Version). But the word for loins or hips may, in fact, refer to the entire midsection of the body, which was the source of physical strength, according to ancient thinking. Sudden and extreme anxiety can cause the loss of physical force. So the meaning of this expression is something like “his hips gave way” or “he became extremely weak all over.” But in some languages it will be possible to stay close to the form of the original.

His knees knocked together: this refers to an observable trembling in the legs. It may or may not be natural in a given language to speak of the knees actually coming together as a result of this shaking.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .