Daniel 5

Daniel 5:1

BElshazzar the king] Daniel reciteth this history of King Belshazzar Evilmerodachs sonne, to shew Gods judgements against the wicked, for the deliverance of his Church, and how the prophecie of Jeremie was true, that they should be delivered after seventy yeers.

drank wine] This word signifies a solemn drinking, in a publique feast, which they say was used among the Chaldeans.

before the thousand] The Kings of the East parts then used to it alone commonly, and disdained that any should sit in their company: and now to shew his power, and how little he set by his enemy, which then besieged Babylon, he made a solemne banquet, and used excesse in their company, which is meant here by drinking wine: Thus the wicked are most dissolute and negligent when their destruction is at hand.

Daniel 5:2

he tasted the wine] Being heated with wine, and disposing himself to drink largely: or when he had well drunk, and beganne to be merry: Great men in their jollitie do often that which offends God, and grieveth good men.

his father Nebuchadnezzar] Meaning his grand-father.

taken out] Chald. brought forth.

Daniel 5:3

and his princes] It is easie for great men, to have partners in sinne.

Daniel 5:4

and praised the gods of gold] Attributing to them their victories over Gods people, feasting in honour of them in contempt of the true God, praysing their idols, not that they thought, that the gold or silver were Gods, but that there was a certain vertue and power in them, to do them good, which is also the opinion of all idolaters.

of silver] Men have no measure in idolatrie and dishonouring God.

Daniel 5:5

In the same houre] God meeteth with men sometimes in the midst of their sinnes.

came forth] Whence? from the wall? or from heaven? the words of the 24. verse intimate the latter.

fingers of a mans hand] The likenesse of the hand reached out.

over against the candlestick] That it might better be seen.

Daniel 5:6

Then] God doth smite Princes offenders sometimes first, and most.

countenance] Chald. brightnesses.

was changed] Chald. changed it.

joynts of his loyns] Or, girdles. Chald. bindings, or knots. A proverbiall manner of speech, Isaiah 5:27. taken from souldiers amazed and fleeing, that cast their weapons from them: the sense is, all force and spirit failed him.

his knees smote one against another] So he that before contemned God, was moved by this sight to tremble for feare of Gods judgement.

Daniel 5:7

cried aloud] Chald. with might.

astrologers] Thus the wicked in their troubles seek many means, who draw them from God, because they seek not to him who is the onely comfort in all afflictions.

clothed with scarlet] Or, purple. A signe of the honour of great Officers and Signories, Genesis 41:42. See how great Princes promise honour to others when they are near to lose their owne.

third ruler in the kingdome] Next to me, and the Queen my mother.

Daniel 5:8

they could not read the writing] It is probable that the letters were written without distinction, or space between the words, so that they knew not how to put them together, or frame them to make any sense of them. Others say, the Chaldeans knew not God to be one, and to rule mens affaires. Besides, they knew not their own impietie: but said in their heart, There is no God. Wherefore they knew not who should be weighed, specially in the ballance: and touching the Medes and Persians, now their besiegers, they little thought that they should surprize the strong Babel; and bragged, how they were victualled for 20. yeers siege, as Xenophon recordeth.

Daniel 5:9

countenance] Chald. brightnesses.

Daniel 5:10

queen] To wit, his grandmother Nebuchadnezzars wife, which for her age was not before at the feast, but came thither when she heard of these strange news.

Daniel 5:11

There is a man] Chap. 2. 48.

in whom] Chap. 4. 8, 9. 18.

spirit of the holy gods] God sometimes giveth his servants such rare gifts, that the greatest of the heathen have them in admiration.

father] Or, grandfather.

master of the magicians] Chap. 4. 9. See the Note, Chap. 4. 6. This declareth that he used not those vile practises, because he was not among them when all were called.

Daniel 5:12

interpreting of] Or, of an interpreter, &c.

dissolving] Or, of a dissolver. Perplext sentences and obscure.

doubts] Chald. knots.

named Belteshazzar] Chap. 1. 7. When the Kings that favoured Daniel were dead, the Chaldeans were content that old Daniel, now about 90. yeers of age, was suffered to hold his name, and to want that which they thought glorious, and he loathed.

Daniel 5:13

father] Or, grandfather.

Daniel 5:14

spirit of the gods] For the idolaters thought that there were many Gods, and that the spirit of prophecie and understanding came of them.

Daniel 5:16

make interpretations] Chald. interpret.

third ruler in the kingdome] It is wisdome in Princes to preferre wise men to great places of honour.

Daniel 5:17

thy self] Good men, receiving good parts from God, do not so much look at reward as at honouring God Freely ye have received, freely give, Matthew 10:8.

rewards] Or, see, as Chap. 2. 6.

Daniel 5:18

O thou king] Before he read the writing, he declareth to the King his great ingratitude toward God, who could not be moved to give him the glory, considering his wonderfull work toward his grandfather; and so sheweth that he doth not sinne of ignorance, but of malice.

Daniel 5:20

But when his heart] Chap. 4. 30.

and his mind hardened] Contrary to the exhortation of Daniel, Chap. 4. 27.

in pride] Or, to deal proudly.

deposed] Chald. made to come down.

from his kingly throne] When men abuse their greatnesse, God taketh it away.

Daniel 5:21

driven from the sonnes of men] Ch. 4. 23. Chald. Enosh. The names of Adam and Enosh are in Scripture the name of all their sonnes, Psalms 8:4.

his heart was made like] Or, he made his heart equall, &c.

Daniel 5:22

humbled thine heart] Some mens hearts are not moved with Gods hand upon their nearest friends.

Daniel 5:23

which see not] Conferre, Psal. 115. 5, &c.

whose are all thy wayes] Who by his Soveraign power rules all events and enterprises.

Daniel 5:24

Then] After that God had so long time deferred his anger, and patiently waited for thine amendment.

Daniel 5:25

MENE, MENE] This word is twice written for the certainty of the thing, shewing that God had most surely numbred; signifying also, that God hath appointed a terme for all kingdoms, and that a miserable end shall come on all that raise themselves against him.

Daniel 5:26

God hath numbred] God hath suffered thee long, and is now come to reckon with thee, about thy administration; and having now cast up thy accounts, he requireth now payment of thee. Words borrowed from Creditors.

Daniel 5:27

weighed] Words taken from light money: the sense is, God hath examined thee, and found thee unworthy of the degree thou holdest.

Daniel 5:28

divided] Like false money cut in pieces: or, there is an allusion between Peres and Persia.

Medes and Persians] To Darius the Mede, vers. 31. and to Cyrus the Persian, Chap. 6. 28.

Daniel 5:30

Median] In that there wer Parsin partners, not of Madai onely, but also of Elam: we must know, that Cyrus King of Paras or Elam, was fellow in Empire with Darius: and of that we have expresse warrant, 2 Chron. 36. 20. where the Jews are servants to the Chaldeans untill Paras reigneth.

being] Chald. he as the sonne of, &c.

about] Or, now.

threescore and two year old] Darius being 6. at the fall of Babel, which Empire lasted 70 years, falleth to be born at the eight of Nebuchadnezzar, when he carried the King Jeconiah captive, and all the Nobles, and ten thousand valiant men, and all Jerusalem, and all saving the base of the land; and had carried away all the treasure of the house of the Lord, and brake all the vessels of the Temple which King Solomon made: see 2 King. 24. 13, 15. Then Madai, who with Elam must revenge the cause of Judah, had a Prince born. To what better purpose should Daniel tell the Kings age, then to shew how God provided a remedy when he stroke?