(KJV) Daniel 51

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⥃Belshazzar’s Feast

[1] Belshazzar the king made2 a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. [2] Belshazzar3, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden4 and silver vessels which his father5 Nebuchadnezzar had taken out6 of the temple which [was] in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might7 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 praised8 the gods of gold9, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

⥃The Handwriting on the Wall

[5] [¶]In the same10 hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote11 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’s12 countenance13 was changed14, and his thoughts15 troubled him, so that16 the joints17 of his loins were loosed, and his knees18 smote one against another. [7] The king cried aloud19 to bring20 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 clothed21 with scarlet22, and [have] a chain23 of gold about his neck, and shall be the third24 ruler in the kingdom. [8] Then came in all the king’s wise [men]: but25 they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. [9] Then was king Belshazzar greatly26 troubled, and his countenance27 was changed28 in him, and his lords were astonied.

[10] [Now] the queen29, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: [and] the queen spake and said, O king30, live for ever: let not31 thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: [11] There is a man32 in thy kingdom, in whom [is] the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father33 light34 and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar35 thy father, the king, [I say], thy father, made master36 of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, [and] soothsayers; [12] Forasmuch as an excellent37 spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of38 dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving39 of doubts40, were found in the same Daniel, whom41 the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

⥃Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

[13] Then was Daniel brought in before the king. [And] the king spake and said unto Daniel, [Art] thou42 that Daniel, which [art] of the children43 of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father44 brought out of Jewry45? [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.46 [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:47 [16] And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make48 interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt49 be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.

[17] [¶]Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let50 thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards51 to another; yet I will read52 the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. [18] O thou53 king, the most54 high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: [19] And for the majesty that he55 gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew56; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. [20] But when57 his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened58 in pride59, he was deposed60 from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: [21] And he was driven61 from the sons of men; and his heart was made like62 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 thou63 his son64, O Belshazzar, hast65 not humbled thine heart, though66 thou knewest all this; [23] But hast lifted67 up thyself against the Lord68 of heaven; and they69 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 praised70 the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which71 see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose72 hand thy breath [is], and whose73 [are] all thy ways, hast thou74 not glorified: [24] Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.75

[25] [¶]And this [is] the writing that was written, MENE76, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. [26] This [is] the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God77 hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. [27] TEKEL; Thou78 art79 weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. [28] PERES80; Thy81 kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. [29] Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed82 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.83 [31] And Darius84 the Median took the kingdom, [being85] about86 threescore and two years old.

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  1. Dan 5:1, Belshazzar’s impious feast; Dan 5:5, A hand-writing unknown to the magicians, troubles the king; Dan 5:10, At the commendation of the queen Daniel is brought; Dan 5:17, He, reproving the king of pride and idolatry, Dan 5:25. reads and interprets the writing; Dan 5:30, The monarchy is translated to the Medes. ↩

  2. Gen 40:20; Esth 1:3; Isa 21:4-5, Isa 22:12, Isa 22:14; Jer 51:39, Jer 51:57; Nah 1:10; Mark 6:21-22 ↩

  3. 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. ↩

  4. Dan 1:2; 2Kgs 24:13, 2Kgs 25:15; 2Chr 36:10, 2Chr 36:18; Ezra 1:7-11; Jer 27:16-22; Jer 52:19 ↩

  5. or, grandfather, Dan 5:11, Dan 5:13, Dan 5:18; 2Sam 9:7; 2Kgs 8:25-27; 2Chr 11:20, 2Chr 15:16; Jer 27:7 ↩

  6. Chal, brought forth ↩

  7. Dan 5:4, Dan 5:23 ↩

  8. Dan 5:23, Dan 4:37; Judg 16:23-24; Isa 42:8; Hos 2:8-13; Rev 9:20-21 ↩

  9. Dan 3:1-7, Dan 3:8-18; Ps 115:4-8, Ps 135:15-18; Isa 40:19-20, Isa 42:17, Isa 46:6-7; Jer 10:4-9; Hab 2:19; Acts 17:29, Acts 19:24-28; Rev 9:20 ↩

  10. Dan 4:31, Dan 4:33; Job 20:5; Ps 78:30-31; Prov 29:1; Luke 12:19-20; 1Thess 5:2-3 ↩

  11. Dan 5:8, Dan 5:15, Dan 5:24-28; Col 2:14; Rev 20:12-15 ↩

  12. Dan 5:9, Dan 2:1, Dan 3:19; Job 15:20-27, Job 20:19-27; Ps 73:18-20; Isa 21:2-4 ↩

  13. Chal, brightness, Dan 5:9 ↩

  14. Chal, changed it ↩

  15. Dan 5:10, Dan 4:5, Dan 4:19, Dan 7:28 ↩

  16. Ps 69:23; Isa 13:7-8, Isa 21:3-4 ↩

  17. or, girdles, Isa 5:27, Chal, bindings, or knots ↩

  18. Isa 35:3; Ezek 7:17, Ezek 21:7; Nah 2:10; Heb 12:12 ↩

  19. Chal, with might, Dan 4:14 *marg. ↩

  20. Dan 2:2, Dan 4:6; Gen 41:8; Isa 44:25-26, Isa 47:13 ↩

  21. Dan 5:16, Dan 5:29, Dan 2:6; Gen 41:42-44; Num 22:7, Num 22:17, Num 24:11; 1Sam 17:25 ↩

  22. or, purple ↩

  23. Prov 1:9; Song 1:10; Ezek 16:11 ↩

  24. Dan 2:48, Dan 6:2-3; Esth 3:1, Esth 10:2-3 ↩

  25. Because, probably, it was written in the ancient Hebrew or Samaritan character. Dan 2:27, Dan 4:7; Gen 41:8; Isa 47:9, Isa 47:12-15 ↩

  26. Dan 5:6, Dan 2:1; Job 18:11-14; Ps 18:14; Rev 6:15 ↩

  27. Chal, brightness, Dan 5:6, Dan 10:8 ↩

  28. Ps 48:6; Isa 13:6-8, Isa 21:2-4; Jer 6:24, Jer 30:6; Matt 2:3 ↩

  29. This was probably Nitocris, the queen-mother, widow of Evil–merodach, son of Nebuchadnezzar, and father of Belshazzar. ↩

  30. Dan 2:4, Dan 3:9, Dan 6:6, Dan 6:21; 1Kgs 1:31 ↩

  31. Gen 35:17-18; 1Sam 4:20-22; Job 13:4, Job 21:34 ↩

  32. Dan 2:47, Dan 4:8-9, Dan 4:18; Gen 41:11-15 ↩

  33. or, grandfather, Dan 5:2 ↩

  34. Dan 2:11; 2Sam 14:17; Acts 12:22, Acts 14:11; Rev 3:9 ↩

  35. 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. ↩

  36. Dan 2:48, Dan 4:9; Acts 16:16 ↩

  37. Dan 5:14, Dan 6:3; Ps 16:3; Prov 12:26, Prov 17:27; Col 1:29 ↩

  38. or, of an interpreter of, etc ↩

  39. or, of a dissolver ↩

  40. Chal. knots. Dan 5:16; 1Kgs 10:1-3; 2Chr 9:1-2 ↩

  41. Dan 1:7, Dan 4:8, Dan 4:19 ↩

  42. Though Daniel was one of the chief ministers of state, who did "the king's business" in the palace (Dan 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. Dan 5:11, Dan 1:21, Dan 2:48, Dan 8:1, Dan 8:27 ↩

  43. Dan 2:25, Dan 6:13; Ezra 4:1, Ezra 6:16, Ezra 6:19-20, Ezra 10:7, Ezra 10:16 ↩

  44. or, grandfather, Dan 5:2, Dan 5:11, Dan 5:18 ↩

  45. John 7:1, John 7:3, Judea ↩

  46. Dan 5:11-12 ↩

  47. Dan 5:7-8, Dan 2:3-11; Isa 29:10-12, Isa 47:12 ↩

  48. Chal, interpret, Gen 40:8 ↩

  49. Dan 5:7; Acts 8:18 ↩

  50. 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. Dan 5:29; Gen 14:23; 2Kgs 3:13, 2Kgs 5:16, 2Kgs 5:26; Acts 8:20 ↩

  51. or, fee, Dan 2:6 ↩

  52. Ps 119:46 ↩

  53. Dan 3:17-18, Dan 4:22, Dan 6:22; Acts 26:13, Acts 26:19 ↩

  54. Dan 2:37-38, Dan 4:17, Dan 4:22-25, Dan 4:32; Deut 32:8; Ps 7:17, Ps 9:2, Ps 47:2, Ps 92:8; Lam 3:35, Lam 3:38; Acts 7:48 ↩

  55. Dan 3:4, Dan 4:22; Jer 25:9-14, Jer 27:5-7; Hab 2:5; Rom 13:1 ↩

  56. Dan 2:12-13, Dan 3:6, Dan 3:20-21, Dan 3:29; Prov 16:14; John 19:11 ↩

  57. Dan 4:30-33, Dan 4:37; Exod 9:17, Exod 18:11; Job 15:25-27, Job 40:11-12; Prov 16:5, Prov 16:18; Isa 14:12-17; Luke 1:51-52, Luke 18:14 ↩

  58. 1Sam 6:6; 2Kgs 17:14; 2Chr 36:13; Jer 19:15; Heb 3:13 ↩

  59. or, to deal proudly ↩

  60. Chal, made to come down, Isa 47:1; Jer 13:18, Jer 48:18; Ezek 30:6 ↩

  61. Dan 4:25, Dan 4:32-33; Job 30:3-7 ↩

  62. or, he made his heart equal, etc. till. Dan 4:17, Dan 4:25, Dan 4:32, Dan 4:35, Dan 4:37; Exod 9:14-16; Ps 83:17-18; Ezek 17:24 ↩

  63. Dan 5:18; Ps 119:46; Matt 14:4; Acts 4:8-13 ↩

  64. He was, strictly speaking, "his grandson;" but the term son is frequently used to denote filiation at any distance. ↩

  65. Exod 10:3; 2Chr 33:23, 2Chr 36:12; Isa 26:10; Matt 21:32; Acts 5:29-33; 1Pet 5:5-6 ↩

  66. Luke 12:47; John 13:17; Jas 4:6, Jas 4:17 ↩

  67. Dan 5:3-4; 2Kgs 14:10; Isa 2:12, Isa 33:10, Isa 37:23; Jer 50:29; Ezek 28:2, Ezek 28:5, Ezek 28:17; Ezek 31:10; Hab 2:4; 1Tim 3:6; Rev 13:5-6 ↩

  68. Dan 4:37; Gen 14:19; Ps 115:16 ↩

  69. Dan 5:2-4; 1Sam 5:1-9 ↩

  70. Judg 16:23 ↩

  71. Ps 115:4-8, Ps 135:15-17; Isa 37:19, Isa 46:6-7; Hab 2:18-19; 1Cor 8:4 ↩

  72. Gen 2:7; Job 12:10, Job 34:14-15; Ps 104:29, Ps 146:4; Isa 42:5; Acts 17:25, Acts 17:28-29 ↩

  73. Job 31:4; Ps 139:3; Prov 20:24; Jer 10:23; Heb 4:13 ↩

  74. Rom 1:21-23 ↩

  75. Dan 5:5 ↩

  76. 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." Dan 5:25 ↩

  77. Dan 9:2; Job 14:14; Isa. 13:1-14:32, Isa 21:1-10, Isa 47:1-15; Jer 25:11-12; Jer 27:7, 50:1-51:64; Acts 15:18 ↩

  78. Job 31:6; Ps 62:9; Jer 6:30; Ezek 22:18-20 ↩

  79. Matt 22:11-12; 1Cor 3:13 ↩

  80. Peres,"he was divided," pronounced paras, denoted Persians, who seem evidently referred to. ↩

  81. Dan 5:31, Dan 6:28, Dan 8:3-4, Dan 8:20, Dan 9:1; Isa 13:17, Isa 21:2, Isa 45:1-2 ↩

  82. Dan 5:7, Dan 5:16 ↩

  83. Dan 5:1-2; Isa 21:4-9, Isa 47:9; Jer 51:11, Jer 51:31, Jer 51:39, Jer 51:57 ↩

  84. 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. Dan 6:1, Dan 9:1 ↩

  85. Chal, he as the son of, etc ↩

  86. or, now ↩