Nevrashtah (נְבְרַשְׁתָּא, H5043) is an Aramaic word meaning lampstand, candlestick, light-bearer. It appears in Daniel 5:5 — describing the lampstand (nevrashtah) before which the mysterious hand wrote on the wall of Belshazzar's palace. The word is related to Aramaic and Akkadian terms for flame and light. This is the lamp that illuminated the divine handwriting that announced the end of Belshazzar's kingdom.
The lampstand of Daniel 5 is one of the most dramatic appearances of a light symbol in all of Scripture. Belshazzar had profaned the holy vessels from Jerusalem's Temple, drinking wine from them in honor of false gods — and it was against the backdrop of the lampstand's light that God's judgment was written. The connection to the Temple menorah is intentional: Israel's sacred lampstand (Exodus 25:31–40) was designed to illuminate the holy place, signifying God's presence. When that same context becomes a venue for sacrilege, the light becomes the witness of judgment. The menorah in the tabernacle and temple was fueled by pure olive oil (Leviticus 24:2), representing the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:1–6). Revelation 1–3 images the churches as lampstands (lychniai, G3087) before Christ. The message of the lampstand: God sees in the dark; His light exposes what human darkness tries to hide.