Daniel 5

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 5:20

He was deposed from his kingly throne - Became insane; and the reins of government were taken out of his hands. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 5:22

Hast not humbled thine heart - These judgments and mercies have had no good effect upon thee. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 5:23

But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord - And the highest evidence of this rebellion was, the profaning the sacred vessels of the Lord's house. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 5:24

Then was the part of the hand sent - This was the filling up of the cup of thy iniquity; this last act made thee ripe for destruction. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 5:25

And this is the writing - Had the words been written in the Chaldean character, every wise man there, every one that could read the alphabet of his own language, could have read and interpreted them. Let it be observed, - That the character which we now call Hebrew is the Chaldean character. That the true Hebrew character is that which we call the Samaritan. Daniel could easily read this, for it was the character used by the Jews previously to the Babylonish captivity. It appears... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 5:29

Clothed Daniel with scarlet - ארגונא argevana , more probably with purple. The gold chain about the neck was an emblem of magisterial authority. It is often thus mentioned in Scripture. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 5:30

In that night was Belshazzar - slain - Xenophon says, he was dispatched by two lords, Gadatas and Gobrias, who went over to Cyrus, to avenge themselves of certain wrongs which Belshazzar had done them. We have already seen that Cyrus entered the city by the bed of the Euphrates, which he had emptied, by cutting a channel for the waters, and directing them into the marshy country. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 5:31

Darius the Median took the kingdom - This is supposed to be the same as Cyaxares, son of Astyages and maternal uncle of Cyrus, to whom he gave the throne of Babylon, after himself had had the honor of taking the city. Daniel speaks nothing of the war that raged between the Babylonians and the Medes; but Isaiah speaks particularly of it, chap. 13, 14, 45, Isaiah 46:1-13 , Isaiah 47:1-15 .; and so does Jeremiah, chap. 50, 51. I need not add, that it is largely spoken of by profane... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 5:1

Verse 1 Daniel here refers to the history of what happened at the taking of Babylon; but meanwhile he leaves those judgments of God to the consideration of his readers, which the Prophets had predicted before the people had become exiles. He does not use the prophetic style, as we shall afterwards see, but is content with simple narrative; while the practice of history may be learnt from the following expressions. It is our duty now to consider how this history tends towards building us up in... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Daniel 5:2

Verse 2 Here king Belshazzar courts his own punishment, because he furiously stirred up God’s wrath against himself, as if he was dissatisfied with its delay while God put off his judgment for so long a period. This is according to what I have said. When the destruction of a house is at hand, the impious remove the posts and gates, as Solomon says. (Proverbs 17:19.) God therefore, when he wishes to execute his judgments, impels the reprobrate by a secret instinct to rush forward of their own... read more

Group of Brands