Daniel5
New American Standard
1Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.
2While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines could drink out of them.
3Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank out of them.
4They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
5Suddenly the fingers of a human hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing.
6Then the king’s face became pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints loosened and his knees began knocking together.
7The king called aloud to bring in the sorcerers, the Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king began speaking and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Anyone who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as third ruler in the kingdom.”
8Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king.
9Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, his face grew even more pale, and his nobles were perplexed.
10The queen entered the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen began to speak and said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale.
11There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—appointed him chief of the soothsayer priests, sorcerers, Chaldeans, and diviners.
12This was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of riddles, and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.”
13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king began speaking and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?
14Now I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight, and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you.
15Just now the wise men and the sorcerers were brought in before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not declare the interpretation of the message.
16But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its interpretation known to me, you will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.”
17Then Daniel replied and said before the king, “Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him.
18O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, greatness, honor, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.
19Now because of the greatness which He granted him, all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages trembled and feared in his presence; whomever he wished, he killed, and whomever he wished, he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated, and whomever he wished he humbled.
20But when his heart was arrogant and his spirit became so overbearing that he behaved presumptuously, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his dignity was taken away from him.
21He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of animals, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind, and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.
22Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this,
23but you have risen up against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines have been drinking wine out of them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified.
24Then the hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.
25“Now this is the inscription that was written: ‘Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.’
26This is the interpretation of the message: ‘Mene’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.
27‘Tekel’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.
28‘Peres’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.
30That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.
31So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Daniel 5.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Belshazzar's impious feast; the hand-writing on the wall. (1-9). Daniel is sent for to interpret it. (10-17). Daniel warns the king of his destruction. (18-31).
vv1-9
Belshazzar bade defiance to the judgments of God. Most historians consider that Cyrus then besieged Babylon. Security and sensuality are sad proofs of approaching ruin. That mirth is sinful indeed, which profanes sacred things; and what are many of the songs used at modern feasts better than the praises sung by the heathens to their gods! See how God struck terror upon Belshazzar and his lords. God's written word is enough to put the proudest, boldest sinner in a fright. What we see of God, the part of the hand that writes in the book of the creatures, and in the book of the Scriptures, should fill us with awful thoughts concerning that part which we do not see. If this be the finger of God, what is his arm when made bare? And what is He? The king's guilty conscience told him that he had no reason to expect any good news from heaven. God can, in a moment, make the heart of the stoutest sinner to tremble; and there needs no more than to let loose his own thoughts upon him; they will give him trouble enough. No bodily pain can equal the inward agony which sometimes seizes the sinner in the midst of mirth, carnal pleasures, and worldly pomp. Sometimes terrors cause a man to flee to Christ for pardon and peace; but many cry out for fear of wrath, who are not humbled for their sins, and who seek relief by lying vanities. The ignorance and uncertainty concerning the Holy Scriptures, shown by many who call themselves wise, only tend to drive sinners to despair, as the ignorance of these wise men did.
vv10-17
Daniel was forgotten at court; he lived privately, and was then ninety years of age. Many consult servants of God on curious questions, or to explain difficult subjects, but without asking the way of salvation, or the path of duty. Daniel slighted the offer of reward. He spoke to Belshazzar as to a condemned criminal. We should despise all the gifts and rewards this world can give, did we see, as we may by faith, its end hastening on; but let us do our duty in the world, and do it all the real service we can.
vv18-31
Daniel reads Belshazzar's doom. He had not taken warning by the judgments upon Nebuchadnezzar. And he had insulted God. Sinners are pleased with gods that neither see, nor hear, nor know; but they will be judged by One to whom all things are open. Daniel reads the sentence written on the wall. All this may well be applied to the doom of every sinner. At death, the sinner's days are numbered and finished; after death is the judgment, when he will be weighed in the balance, and found wanting; and after judgment the sinner will be cut asunder, and given as a prey to the devil and his angels. While these things were passing in the palace, it is considered that the army of Cyrus entered the city; and when Belshazzar was slain, a general submission followed. Soon will every impenitent sinner find the writing of God's word brought to pass upon him, whether he is weighed in the balance of the law as a self-righteous Pharisee, or in that of the gospel as a painted hypocrite.
Key Words
מֶלֶךְ: a king
בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר: {Belshatstsar, a Babylonian king}
עֲבַד: to do, make, prepare, keep, etc.
רַב: {abundant}
לְחֶם: {(for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it)}
אֲלַף: {hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand}
רַבְרְבָן: a magnate
שְׁתָה: {to imbibe (literally or figuratively)}
חֲמַר: wine
קְבֵל: (adverbially) in front of; usually (with other particles) on account of, so as, since, hence
Cross References
Daniel 5Prophetic description of the sudden terror and physical trembling of Babylon's king during a feast.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Jeremiah foretells that nations would serve Nebuchadnezzar, his son, and his grandson (Belshazzar).
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Establishes the origin of the temple vessels that Belshazzar sacrilegiously abuses.
Supported by John Calvin
Prophetic rebuke of Babylon's secure, careless pleasure-seeking and false sense of safety.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Prophecy that Babylon's princes and rulers would be made drunk and sleep a perpetual sleep.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Traces the ultimate return of these same temple vessels back to Jerusalem.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prophecy that God would loose the loins of kings before Cyrus, fulfilled in Belshazzar's terror.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Historical precedent of a divine voice removing the kingdom from proud Nebuchadnezzar.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Exposes the folly of praising lifeless idols of wood and stone over the living God.
Supported by JFB
Identifies Daniel's status and previous service under Belshazzar's predecessor.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Nebuchadnezzar's warning that God is able to abase those who walk in pride.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Wisdom principle linking pride directly to destruction and a haughty spirit to a fall.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The exact judgment predicted and fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar that Belshazzar ignored.
Supported by John Calvin
Daniel explicitly bases Belshazzar's guilt on his failure to learn from his father's history.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Contrast between Nebuchadnezzar's ultimate acknowledgment of God and Belshazzar's defiance.
Supported by John Calvin