CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Daniel 5
Chapter 5 of 12
Chapter Overview
What happens in Daniel 5
Years later, King Belshazzar hosts a great feast and uses the sacred cups stolen from God's temple. A mysterious hand writes a message on the wall. Daniel is called to read the writing, which announces the fall of Babylon that very night.
Scripture
Daniel 5
Belshazzar's Great Feast
Study note
Belshazzar was a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar and was ruling Babylon. He held a huge feast for a thousand of his nobles. Using the sacred cups from God's temple to drink wine and praise false gods was a deliberate insult to the God of Israel.
1 Years later, King Belshazzar threw a great feast for a thousand of his top officials. He was drinking wine right alongside them. Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
2 After the wine went to his head, Belshazzar ordered servants to bring out the gold and silver cups. His father Nebuchadnezzar had stolen them from the temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his friends. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
3 So the servants brought out those sacred gold cups from God's temple, and the king and all his guests drank wine from them. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
4 As they drank, they praised their gods — statues made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
The Writing on the Wall
Study note
In the middle of the feast, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the wall. The king was so terrified that his legs went weak and his knees knocked together. None of the wise men could read or understand the mysterious writing.
5 Then, out of nowhere, the fingers of a human hand appeared and started writing on the palace wall near the lampstand. The king stared at the hand as it moved. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6 The king's face went white as a sheet. His thoughts raced with terror. His legs turned to jelly, and his knees were knocking together. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
7 He yelled for his astrologers, wise men, and fortune-tellers. "Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means," the king announced, "will get purple robes, a gold chain, and the third-highest position in my kingdom!" The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
8 His wise men all came running, but not one of them could read the writing or explain what it said. Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
9 This made King Belshazzar even more panicked. His face grew paler still, and his officials were completely bewildered. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.
Daniel Is Called
Study note
The queen mother remembered Daniel and his ability to interpret dreams and solve mysteries. Daniel was now an old man who had served since Nebuchadnezzar's time. Belshazzar offered Daniel the position of third highest ruler in the kingdom.
10 When the queen mother heard all the commotion, she came into the banquet hall. "Calm down, your majesty!" she said. "There is no need to look so frightened." Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
11 "There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods. When your father Nebuchadnezzar was king, this man showed amazing understanding and wisdom -- like the gods themselves. Nebuchadnezzar put him in charge of every magician, fortune-teller, and wise man." There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
12 "His name is Daniel — though the king used to call him Belteshazzar. He has a brilliant mind. He can interpret dreams, solve riddles, and unravel the toughest problems. Send for Daniel, and he will explain the writing." Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.
13 Daniel was brought before the king. Belshazzar asked, "So you are Daniel, one of the captives my predecessor brought here from Judah?" Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
14 "I have heard that the spirit of the gods lives in you. They say you have amazing wisdom, understanding, and insight." I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15 "My wise men and astrologers already tried to read this writing and explain it, but they all failed." And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:
16 "Can you read the writing and tell me what it means? If so, I will dress you in purple. I will put a gold chain on your neck. You will be the third most powerful man in the kingdom." And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Daniel Reads the Writing
Study note
Daniel first reminded the king of what happened to Nebuchadnezzar because of pride. Then he condemned Belshazzar for dishonoring God by using the temple cups. The words MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN are Aramaic words meaning numbered, weighed, and divided. They spelled out God's judgment on Babylon.
17 Daniel answered, "Keep your gifts, or give your rewards to someone who wants them. But I will read the writing and tell you what it means." Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18 "Your majesty, the Most High God once gave your father a kingdom. He gave him greatness, glory, and power." O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19 "He became so powerful that people of every nation shook with fear before him. He could kill or spare anyone, raise up or bring down anyone — all as he pleased." And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
20 "But when pride took over his heart and stubbornness filled his spirit, he was yanked off his royal throne. His glory was stripped away." But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21 "He was driven away from people. His mind became like an animal's. He lived with wild donkeys. He ate grass like cattle. He slept outside and got soaked by the dew. This went on until he finally understood that the Most High God is in charge of every kingdom. God puts whoever he wants in power." And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
22 "Yet you, Belshazzar — even though you knew all of this — you never once humbled yourself." And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
23 "Instead, you set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You brought the sacred cups from his temple and used them for your drinking party. You and your guests drank from them while praising gods made of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone — gods that are blind, deaf, and clueless. But the God who holds your very breath in his hand and controls your whole life — him you ignored completely." But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
24 "Therefore God sent the hand to write this message." Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
25 "Here is what it says: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN." And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 "And here is what each word means: MENE — God has counted every day of your kingdom and has brought it to its end." This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27 "TEKEL — you have been weighed on God's scale of justice and you came up short." TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28 "PERES — your kingdom has been torn apart and handed over to the Medes and Persians." PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
The Fall of Babylon
Study note
Even though Daniel delivered a message of doom, Belshazzar honored his promise and rewarded Daniel. That very night, Belshazzar was killed. Darius the Mede took control of the kingdom. Babylon fell to the Medo-Persian Empire, just as the statue dream in chapter 2 had predicted.
29 Belshazzar kept his word. Daniel was dressed in purple, given a gold chain, and announced as the third-highest ruler in the kingdom. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 But that very same night, Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was killed. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
31 Darius the Mede took over the kingdom. He was sixty-two years old at the time. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
Key Themes
Themes in Daniel 5
The writing on the wallAccountability before GodThe fall of BabylonDesecrating what is holyGod weighs our lives
Apply This Today
Living Daniel 5
Belshazzar knew what happened to Nebuchadnezzar but refused to learn from it. Using the sacred temple vessels for a drunken feast was the final act of defiance. This chapter warns us that ignoring what we know to be true does not remove our accountability. God sees, God weighs, and God acts.
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