Daniel 2:48-49

2:48 Then the king elevated Daniel to high position and bestowed on him many marvelous gifts. He granted him authority over the entire province of Babylon and made him the main prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 2:49 And at Daniel’s request, the king ¹  appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the administration of the province of Babylon. Daniel himself served in the king’s court. ² 

Daniel 5:16

5:16 However, I have heard ³  that you are able to provide interpretations and to decipher knotty problems. Now if you are able to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, you will wear purple and have a golden collar around your neck and be third ⁴  ruler in the kingdom.”

Daniel 5:29

5:29 Then, on Belshazzar’s orders, ⁵  Daniel was clothed in purple, a golden collar was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom.

Daniel 5:1

Belshazzar Sees Mysterious Handwriting on a Wall

5:1 King Belshazzar ⁶  prepared a great banquet ⁷  for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of ⁸  them all. ⁹ 

Daniel 2:30

2:30 As for me, this mystery was revealed to me not because I possess more wisdom ¹⁰  than any other living person, but so that the king may understand ¹¹  the interpretation and comprehend the thoughts of your mind. ¹² 

Proverbs 3:16

3:16 Long life ¹³  is in her right hand;

in her left hand are riches and honor.

[2:49]  ¹ tn Aram “and Daniel sought from the king and he appointed.”

[2:49]  ² tn Aram “was at the gate of the king.”

[5:16]  ³ tn The Aramaic text has also the words “about you.”

[5:16]  ⁴ tn Or perhaps “one of three rulers,” in the sense of becoming part of a triumvir. So also v. 29.

[5:29]  ⁵ tn Aram “Belshazzar spoke.”

[5:1]  ⁶ sn As is clear from the extra-biblical records, it was actually Nabonidus (ca. 556-539 B.C.) who was king of Babylon at this time. However, Nabonidus spent long periods of time at Teima, and during those times Belshazzar his son was de facto king of Babylon. This arrangement may help to explain why later in this chapter Belshazzar promises that the successful interpreter of the handwriting on the wall will be made third ruler in the kingdom. If Belshazzar was in effect second ruler in the kingdom, this would be the highest honor he could grant.

[5:1]  ⁷ sn This scene of a Babylonian banquet calls to mind a similar grandiose event recorded in Esth 1:3-8. Persian kings were also renowned in the ancient Near Eastern world for their lavish banquets.

[5:1]  ⁸ sn The king probably sat at an elevated head table.

[5:1]  ⁹ tn Aram “the thousand.”

[2:30]  ¹⁰ tn Aram “not for any wisdom which is in me more than [in] any living man.”

[2:30]  ¹¹ tn Aram “they might cause the king to know.” The impersonal plural is used here to refer to the role of God’s spirit in revealing the dream and its interpretation to the king. As J. A. Montgomery says, “it appropriately here veils the mysterious agency” (Daniel [ICC], 164-65).

[2:30]  ¹² tn Aram “heart.”

[3:16]  ¹³ tn Heb “length of days” (so KJV, ASV).