Danielchapter 5
31 verses · BSBDaniel book hub →
Daniel Interprets the Writing on the Wall — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
A.Belshazzar drinks from the temple vesselsvv. 1-4
1 Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. 2 Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. 3 Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king drank from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. 4 As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
B.Fingers writing on the plaster of the wallvv. 5-9
5 At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. As the king watched the hand that was writing, 6 his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together. 7 The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” 8 So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him. 9 Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face grew even more pale, and his nobles were bewildered.
C.The queen remembers a man with the spirit of the holy godsvv. 10-16
10 Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow pale. 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king, 12 did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon Daniel, therefore, and he will give you the interpretation.” 13 So Daniel was brought before the king, who asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom. 15 Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this inscription and interpret it for me, but they could not give its interpretation. 16 But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
D.You knew all this and did not humble your heartvv. 17-24
17 In response, Daniel said to the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him. 18 As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor. 19 Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished. 20 But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes. 22 But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways. 24 Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
E.Numbered, weighed, divided — and the city falls that nightvv. 25-31
25 Now this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. 26 And this is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 27 TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. 28 PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.” 29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was slain, 31 and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
Chapter summary
Belshazzar makes a feast for a thousand of his lords and calls for the vessels taken from the house of God, and they drink from them while praising gods of gold and silver, brass, iron, wood and stone.
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Chapter summary
Belshazzar makes a feast for a thousand of his lords and calls for the vessels taken from the house of God, and they drink from them while praising gods of gold and silver, brass, iron, wood and stone.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
Belshazzar makes a feast for a thousand of his lords and calls for the vessels taken from the house of God, and they drink from them while praising gods of gold and silver, brass, iron, wood and stone. Then the fingers of a man's hand write on the plaster of the wall, and the king's knees smite one against another. The queen remembers Daniel, who refuses the gifts and delivers the sharpest sermon in the book: you knew what happened to Nebuchadnezzar, yet 'the God in whose hand thy breath is… hast thou not glorified.' MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN, numbered, weighed and found wanting, divided to the Medes and Persians. 'In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.'
Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.
Context
Prophecy · Daniel — Daniel overview
- A. 1–4 Belshazzar drinks from the temple vessels
- B. 5–9 Fingers writing on the plaster of the wall
- C. 10–16 The queen remembers a man with the spirit of the holy gods
- D. 17–24 You knew all this and did not humble your heart
- E. 25–31 Numbered, weighed, divided — and the city falls that night
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
Daniel 59 verses
- Daniel 5:5At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. As the king watched the hand that was writing,
- Daniel 5:6his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together.
- Daniel 5:7The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
- Daniel 5:11There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king,
- Daniel 5:14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.
- Daniel 5:16But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
- Read Daniel 5: 3 more there →
Daniel 49 verses
- Daniel 4:7When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.
- Daniel 4:8But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream:
- Daniel 4:17This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’
- Daniel 4:18This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you are able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
- Daniel 4:22you, O king, are that tree! For you have become great and strong; your greatness has grown to reach the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.
- Daniel 4:25You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.
- Read Daniel 4: 3 more there →
Daniel 29 verses
- Daniel 2:1In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.
- Daniel 2:3he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”
- Daniel 2:4Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
- Daniel 2:12This response made the king so furious with anger that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
- Daniel 2:25Arioch hastily brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who will tell the king the interpretation.”
- Daniel 2:27Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires.
- Read Daniel 2: 3 more there →
Daniel 65 verses
- Daniel 6:1Now it pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,
- Daniel 6:3Soon, by his extraordinary spirit, Daniel distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps. So the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
- Daniel 6:6So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said, “O King Darius, may you live forever!
- Daniel 6:13Then they told the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, shows no regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed. He still makes his petition three times a day.”
- Daniel 6:28So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
- Read Daniel 6 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
Daniel 33 verses
- Daniel 3:4Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “O people of every nation and language, this is what you are commanded:
- Daniel 3:6And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.”
- Daniel 3:9saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, may you live forever!
- Read Daniel 3 →
Jeremiah 513 verses
- Jeremiah 51:31One courier races to meet another, and messenger follows messenger, to announce to the king of Babylon that his city has been captured from end to end.
- Jeremiah 51:39While they are flushed with heat, I will serve them a feast, and I will make them drunk so that they may revel; then they will fall asleep forever and never wake up, declares the LORD.
- Jeremiah 51:57I will make her princes and wise men drunk, along with her governors, officials, and warriors. Then they will fall asleep forever and not wake up,” declares the King, whose name is the LORD of Hosts.
- Read Jeremiah 51 →
Genesis 402 verses
- Genesis 40:8“We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
- Genesis 40:20On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
- Read Genesis 40 →
Daniel 12 verses
- Daniel 1:2And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.
- Daniel 1:7The chief official gave them new names: To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
- Read Daniel 1 →
Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.