Daniel 5

1. Belshazzar the king. From the Scriptures (2 Kings xxv. 27; Jer. iii. 31) we learn that the son and successor of Nebuchadrezzar was Evil-Merodach (561 B.C.). Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus, and so far no satisfactory explanation has been given of his appearance here as king. “But the cuneiform inscriptions have proved that he is no figment of the imagination. He was at one time heir to the throne and the commander of the Babylonian army.” (See Sayce: The Higher Criticism and the Monuments, Fourth Ed., 1894, p. 527).

2 his wives and his concubines. The Babylonians differed from the Persians and other Oriental nations (see Esther i. 10, 11) in admitting females to their banquets.

5 over against the candlestick. The writing being over against the chandelier would be very conspicuous.

6 the king’s countenance, etc. Lit., “the king’s brightnesses; i.e., his bright looks grew pale. The pallor, faintness, trembling, and loud outcry, showed the extreme terror of the conscience-stricken king.

7 the third ruler. See note, ver. I.

8 they could not read the writing. It is likely that the meaning rather than the actual words was what they could not understand, as the language, Aramaic, was well known to them.

10 the queen. The queen mother. Some suppose “the queen” to be Nitocris, a woman of great energy and wisdom, mentioned by Herodotus, i. 185-188. She was probably either daughter to Nebuchadrezzar, or, as some think, widow of Neriglissar.

11 there is a man in thy kingdom. Daniel appears always to have avoided connecting himself very closely with the magi; and he probably lost his office as their chief at the death of Nebuchadrezzar; and thus ceased to be connected with the king’s court, though employed in some department of the government (viii. 27). It might therefore easily happen that Belshazzar had little or no personal knowledge of him.

[I say] thy father. The repetition is emphatic, reminding Belshazzar that his royal ancestor Nebuchadrezzar, who was eminently wise and successful, had honoured and trusted Daniel above all his other advisers.

13. Jewry. Or, “Judea.”

25. Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. “Mene, Mene”: numbered, numbered: “Tekel”; weighed: “Upharsin”; U and: Pharsin (meaning the same as “Peres”) divided, but perhaps thus modified, to suggest the name of the “Persians,” whose empire was to supersede that of Babylon: see ii. 39. The words are Aramaic.

26 hath numbered thy kingdom. That is, the years of its duration.

27 weighed in the balances. This is a frequent metaphor, representing judicial decision: cp. 1 Sam. ii. 3; Job xxxi. 6.

28 divided. That is, torn away from thee, and given to others.

31. Darius the Median. Authorities differ greatly as to the identity of this Darius.