Daniel 5

Note: From what I have gathered, Nebuchadnezzar’s son Evil-Merodach (Jeremiah 52:31) succeeded him as king. The last king of Babylon was Evil-Merodach’s son, Nabonidus, with whom his son, Belshazzar, co-reigned, but as a subordinate to his father. At the time of this incident, his father is out of the country. [See Gill’s Exposition.]

1-4 Be

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lshazzar’s Feast

1-2 King Belshazzar, drunk with wine in a feast he is giving for a thousand lords, orders that the gold and silver vessels his “father,” Nebuchadnezzar, took out of the temple be brought in to the banquet.

3-4 The king and his guests not only drink from the vessels but praise the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.

5-12 The Writing on the Wall

5-9 Suddenly a human hand appears and begins writing on the wall, terrifying the king. So he calls for his wise men to interpret the writing, but none can.

10-12 The queen [probably either Nebuchadnezzar’s or Evil-Merodach’s widow] ] tells him that she knows of Daniel, who, with the “wisdom of the gods” could “interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve problems.”

13-30 Daniel Interprets the Writing on the Wall

13-16 They bring Daniel in, and Belshazzar promises him a robe of purple, gold chain around his neck, and third place in the kingdom if he will interpret the writing.

17 Daniel: I will interpret for you, but you can keep your gifts.

18-21 Daniel relates the story of Belshazzar’s great-grandfather, who in all his power became proud, and whom God humbled by driving him into the wilderness to live as an animal.

22-23 Daniel tells Belshazzar that even though he knew that story, he still exalted himself, drinking from the temple vessels and praising false gods but not even acknowledging the God “in whose power is your very breath.”

24-28 So from his presence, this hand and message were sent: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin, meaning God has numbered your days of your kingdom and brought it to an end, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting, and your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

29-30 Belshazzar keeps his promise to Daniel of the robe, chain and position in the kingdom, and Belshazzar is killed that night, replaced by Darius the Mede (62 years old). I’m surprised that Belshazzar would keep his promise, seeing the news was bad. But he had made the promise in public, so he had to keep the promise in public as well. And he was killed before he could renege on it.

Note re Darius from John Gill Exposition:

This was Cyaxares the son of Astyages, and uncle of Cyrus; he is called the Median, to distinguish him from another Darius the Persian, that came after, (Ezra 4:5) , the same took the kingdom of Babylon from Cyrus who conquered it; he took it with his consent, being the senior prince and his uncle. Darius reigned not long, but two years; and not alone, but Cyrus with him, though he is only mentioned.