Daniel 5
1 Belshazzar's impious feast.
5 A hand-writing unknown to the magicians, troubles the king.
10 At the commendation of the queen Daniel is brought.
17 He, reproving the king of pride and idolatry,
25 reads and interprets the writing.
30 The monarchy is translated to the Medes.
prepared <05648> [made.]
Belshazzar <01113> [Belshazzar.]
Belshazzar is said by Josephus to be the same as Naboandelus, the Nabonadius of Ptolemy, and the Labynetus of Herodotus. He reigned seven years, during which time he was engaged in unsuccessful wars with the Medes and Persians; and at this very time was besieged by Cyrus.
gold <01722> [the golden.]
father <02> [father. or, grandfather.]
confiscated from <05312 04481> [taken out. Chal. brought forth. might.]
praised <07624> [praised.]
gold <01722> [of gold.]
moment <08160> [the same.]
wrote ........................ writing <03790> [wrote.]
king's <04430> [the king's.]
face <02122> [countenance. Chal. brightness.]
color drained <08133> [was changed. Chal. changed it. and his thoughts.]
joints <07001> [so that.]
joints <07001> [joints. or, girdles.]
[Chal. bindings, or knots. and his knees.]
loudly <02429> [aloud. Chal. with might.]
summon <05954> [to bring.]
clothed <03848> [be clothed.]
purple <0711> [scarlet. or, purple. a chain.]
third <08523> [the third.]
unable <03546> [but.]
Because, probably, it was written in the ancient Hebrew or Samaritan character.
very <07690> [greatly.]
<02122> [countenance. Chal. brightness.]
visibly shaken <08133> [changed.]
queen mother ....... She <04433> [the queen.]
This was probably Nitocris, the queen-mother, widow of Evil-merodach, son of Nebuchadnezzar, and father of Belshazzar.
king ................ king <04430> [O king.]
Don't .... Don't <0409> [let not.]
man <01400> [a man.]
father .................. father <02> [father. or, grandfather.]
insight <05094> [light.]
Nebuchadnezzar <05020> [Nebuchadnezzar.]
Nebuchadnezzar was certainly the grandfather of Belshazzar; but the term father in Hebrew and Chaldee is frequently used to denote a progenitor, or ancestor, however remote.
father .................. father <02> [father. or, grandfather.]
chief <07229> [master.]
extraordinary <03493> [an excellent.]
interpret dreams <06590 02493> [interpreting of. or, of an interpreter of, etc. dissolving. or, of a dissolver. doubts. Chal. knots.]
king <04430> [whom.]
you that <0607> [Art thou.]
Though Daniel was one of the chief ministers of state, who did "the king's business" in the palace, (Da 8:27,) yet Belshazzar seems to have known nothing of him. This shews that he was a weak and vicious prince, who minded pleasure more than business, according to the character given him by historians. He appears to have left the care of public affairs to his mother, Nitocris, a lady celebrated for her wisdom, who evidently knew Daniel well, and probably constantly employed him in the government of the kingdom.
one <01123> [the children.]
father <02> [father. or, grandfather.]
Judah ......... Judah <03061> [Jewry.]
[Judea.]
provide interpretations ................. make known <06590 03046> [make. Chal. interpret.]
wear <03848> [thou shalt.]
gifts <04978> [Let.]
Daniel, on this occasion, behaved in a very different manner to Belshazzar, than he had formerly done to Nebuchadnezzar. Belshazzar had that very night insulted the God of heaven in the most daring manner; and the venerable prophet, as His delegate, denounced sentence against him.
rewards <05023> [rewards. or, fee.]
read <07123> [I will read.]
you <0607> [O thou.]
most high <05943> [the most.]
bestowed <03052> [that he.]
were ........... wished ... spared .... wished ... exalted .... wished .... brought <01934> [whom he would he slew.]
mind <03825> [when.]
filled <08631> [hardened.]
pride <02103> [in pride. or, to deal proudly. deposed. Chal. made to come down.]
driven <02957> [he was driven.]
mind ... changed to that ....... with <07739 05974 03825> [his heart was made like. or, he made his heart equal. etc. till.]
you ........... knew <0607 03046> [thou.]
son <01247> [his son.]
He was, strictly speaking, "his grandson;" but the term son is frequently used to denote filiation at any distance.
not <03809> [hast.]
although <06903> [though.]
exalted <07313> [lifted.]
Lord <04756> [the Lord.]
brought <0858> [and they.]
praised <07624> [hast praised.]
see <02370> [which.]
control <03028> [in whose.]
all <03606> [and whose.]
cannot ... or ... or ...... not <03809> [hast thou.]
MENE MENE <04484> [MENE.]
Had these words been written in the Chaldean character, every one who knew the alphabet of the language could at least have read them: they are pure Chaldee, and literally denote "He is numbered, he is numbered; he is weighed; they are divided."
God <0426> [God.]
teqel .... weighed <08625> [Thou.]
teqel .... weighed ...... found <08625 07912> [art.]
peres ..... divided <06537> [PERES.]
Peres,"he was divided," pronounced paras, denoted Persians, who seem evidently referred to.
kingdom <04437> [Thy.]
clothed <03848> [they clothed.]
Darius <01868> [Darius.]
This was Cyaxares, son of Astyages, king of Media, and maternal uncle to Cyrus, who allowed him the title of his conquests, as long as he lived.
sixty-two <08361> [being. Chal. he as the son of, etc. about. or, now.]
