I. Verse 1-4 "Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2 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 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 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone."
1. Vs. 1-2: Belshazzar was a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar, though not his literal son. Compare Jer. 27:7. It is not uncommon to see a descendant referred to as a son, or an ancestor referred to as a father. See Acts 7:2, etc. According to some archaeological records, the line of succession is Nebuchadnezzar, Amel-Marduk, Neriglissar, Labashi-Marduk, Nabonidas. Belshazzar would have been co-regent with Nabonidas, his father. See Barnes’ Notes On Daniel, Volume I, p. 283. Josephus Antiquities 10:11, 2 has Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-Merodach (18 years), Neglissar (40 years), Labosordacus (9 months) and then Betasar (Belshazzar; 17 years) co-regent with Naboandelus. These two lists are similar enough to be considered compatible. Since Belshazzar was a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar and successor to his throne, it is fitting to refer to him as son of Nebuchadnezzar.
2. Vs. 2-4: Belshazzar completely defiled the holy vessels in his acts of praise and worship to pagan deities. His violations of God’s law were; drinking wine in excess, touching the holy vessels, idolatry, etc. See Exo. 40:9-15, Num. 1:50-53, Num. 3:30-38 and Num. 4:15-20.
II. Verse 5-6 "In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 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."
1. Vs. 5: The king sees only the part of the hand that writes, rather than the entire hand. Presumably this would be the thumb and two opposing fingers, creating a most unusual apparition.
2. Vs. 6: His mood changes completely, from festive to fearful. His legs were weakened by fear so that he could barely stand.
III. Verse 7-9 "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 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 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied."
1. Vs. 7-8: Remarkably, he continues in the same avenue of error as Nebuchadnezzar. As in Daniel 2 and Daniel 4, he consults the Chaldeans regarding the enigma.
IV. Verse 10-12 "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 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 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."
1. Vs. 10: The identity of the queen is difficult to ascertain. She would have been matriarch of the royal family and was likely grandmother to Belshazzar. So says Josephus in Antiquities 10:11, 2.
2. Vs. 11: It is interesting that Daniel’s good reputation was sufficiently strong to have lasted through several years.
3. Vs. 11-12: Note the queen’s confidence in Daniel. In Dan. 2:28 Daniel said, "there is a God in heaven," showing his intention to give God all the glory. In this case the queen says, "there is a man in your kingdom," showing she had full confidence in Daniel and no apparent awareness of God.
V. Verse 13-16 "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 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 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 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."
1. Vs. 16: The king seems to think he is offering something great and generous. What worth is the third seat of power in a defunct kingdom? One third of nothing!
VI. Verse 17-22 "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 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: 19 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 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 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 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;"
1. Vs. 17: Notice that Daniel’s motive was not money or power. He refused any such reward.
2. Vs. 18-21: This event points back to the problem Nebuchadnezzar had with pride in Daniel 4. Belshazzar should have learned from his predecessor’s mistakes.
3. Vs. 22: Instead, he has the same problem, likely worse. In every way his actions show arrogance and total defiance of the true God of heaven.
VII. Verse 23-31 "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 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. 25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. 29 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 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. 31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old."
1. Vs. 23: Daniel reprimands Belshazzar for his crimes against God.
2. Vs. 25: The phrase is mene (numbered) mene (numbered) tekel (weighed) upharsin or peres (divided).
3. Vs. 26-28: The gist of the vision is that Belshazzar’s days are numbered, he is weighed and found lacking, and his kingdom will be divided. This last term may involve a play on words, pointing to the Persian Empire. The word "peres" was perac in Chaldean, Strong’s #6537. The word for Persia was parac, Strong’s #6540. These are similar words and would sound very similar, if not the same. Thus the play on words may have pointed to the Persians as victors over the Babylonians. Josephus Antiquities 10:11, 3 says that the first occurrence of "mene" means the days of Belshazzar’s life are numbered and the second means the days of his kingdom are also numbered. While this opinion may or may not have been correct, it does reflect at least what some early Jewish thought was on the matter.
4. Vs. 30-31: Later that night the Medo/Persian Empire overthrew the Babylonian capital en route to their conquest of the known world.
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