Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Daniel 5:29-31
7. Daniel’s rise and Belshazzar’s fall 5:29-31 read more
Daniel 5
Thomas Constable
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Daniel 5:30
Herodotus, Xenophon, Berossus, the Babylonian Chronicles, and Cyrus (on the Cyrus Cylinder) all described the fall of Babylon in writings that have remained to the present day. [Note: See Goldingay, pp. 106-7; James B. Pritchard, ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts, pp. 305-6, 315-16; D. W. Thomas, ed., Documents from Old Testament Times, pp. 81-83, 92-95; Flavius Josephus, Against Apion, 1:20; and J. M. Cook, The Persian Empire, p. 31.] Isaiah and Jeremiah had predicted Babylon’s fall (Isaiah... read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Daniel 5:31
Belshazzar suffered execution that very night, and Darius the Mede became the ruler of Babylonia (cf. Daniel 2:21). The writer introduced Darius in Daniel 5:31, which is the first verse of chapter 6 in the Hebrew Bible, and he is the prominent king in chapter 6."The references to Darius the Mede in the book of Daniel have long been recognized as providing the most serious historical problem in the book." [Note: H. H. Rowley, Darius the Mede and the Four World Empires in the Book of Daniel, p.... read more
John Dummelow
John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 5:1-31
Belshazzar’s FeastBelshazzar, king of Babylon, holds a great feast, at which he profanely uses the sacred vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar from the Temple at Jerusalem (Daniel 5:1-4). He is terrified at seeing part of a human hand writing mysterious words on the wall of the banqueting room, and vainly offers great rewards to the wise men of Babylon if they can read and explain the writing (Daniel 5:5-9). The queen tells him of Daniel, and of his fame for wisdom, acquired in Nebuchadnezzar’s... read more
Charles John Ellicott
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Daniel 5
EXCURSUS C: BELSHAZZAR (Daniel 5:0).Before any opinion can be pronounced upon the identification of this king with other known kings, the following questions require an answer. In Daniel 5:11, Are the words to be taken literally, and explained to mean that Belshazzar was Nebuchadnezzar’s own son? In Daniel 5:13, Does Belshazzar claim Nebuchadnezzar to be his father? (Comp. Daniel 5:18; Daniel 5:22.) And lastly, Is it stated in Daniel 5:30 that the Chaldean Empire passed over into the hands of... read more
Charles John Ellicott
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Daniel 5:1
V.(1) Belshazzar.—On this king see Excursus C. As he was the son of Nabonidus, a space of about thirty years must have elapsed since the event recorded in the last chapter. The Babylonian empire survived the death of Nebuchadnezzar only twenty-five years.A thousand.—There is nothing unreasonable in the number of the guests; in fact, the LXX. have doubled the number. (See Esther 1:3-4.)Before the thousand.—The king appears to have had a special table reserved for himself apart from the guests.... read more
Charles John Ellicott
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Daniel 5:2
(2) Whiles he tasted—i.e., while he was enjoying the wine. The sacred vessels were brought out of the temple of Merodach, and profaned in this manner for the purpose of defying Jehovah. But it may be reasonably asked, What led him to think of Jehovah in the midst of the revelry? It may have been that some drunken fancy seized him. It may have been that he had been warned that the prophets of Jehovah had foretold the overthrow of Babylon by Cyrus, whose armies were now in the neighbourhood.... read more
Charles John Ellicott
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Daniel 5:5
(5) In the same hour—i.e., suddenly and unexpectedly. (Comp. Daniel 3:6.) Observe that it was only a portion of the hand that the king saw (comp. Daniel 5:24), and that we are not told whether the guests saw the hand or not. That the writing was visible to all is plain from Daniel 5:8. We remark here, as in other supernatural manifestations recorded in Scripture, that a portion only has been witnessed by many, while the whole has been seen only by one or by a few. (Comp. John 12:28-29; Acts... read more
Charles John Ellicott
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Daniel 5:6
(6) The king’s countenance was changed.—The effect of the vision on the king changes his whole expression to that of alarm instead of drunken mirth. read more
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Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Daniel 5:29
Belshazzar kept his promise (Daniel 5:16), though Daniel’s honors only lasted a few hours at most, typical of the honors of this world. The king’s response is surprising. We might have expected him to execute Daniel for confronting him publicly. Perhaps his response indicates that he was drunk or that he repented. If he repented, his repentance was too late to prevent judgment from falling."In its rise to power the Babylonian Empire had conquered Jerusalem, taken its inhabitants into captivity,... read more