Daniel 5:24-31

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Daniel 5:10-29

Here is, I. The information given to the king, by the queen-mother, concerning Daniel, how fit he was to be consulted in this difficult case. It is supposed that this queen was the widow of Evil-Merodach, and was that famous Nitocris whom Herodotus mentions as a woman of extraordinary prudence. She was not present at the feast, as the king's wives and concubines were (Dan. 5:2); it was not agreeable to her age and gravity to keep a merry night. But, tidings of the fright which the king and his... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Daniel 5:30-31

Here is, 1. The death of the king. Reason enough he had to tremble, for he was just falling into the hands of the king of terrors, Dan. 5:30. In that night, when his heart was merry with wine, the besiegers broke into the city, aimed at the palace; there they found the king, and gave him his death's wound. He could not find any place so secret as to conceal him, or so strong as to protect him. Heathen writers speak of Cyrus's taking Babylon by surprise, with the assistance of two deserters... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 5:24

Then was the part of the hand sent from him ,.... That is, from God: being thus reproached and blasphemed, at that very instant, and for that reason, because the vessels of his sanctuary were profaned, and idol gods were praised, and he despised; he caused part of a hand, the writing fingers of it, to appear on the wall of the king's palace: and this writing was written ; which was then upon the wall, and he points to it. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 5:25

And this is the writing that was written ,.... They are such and such letters, and so to be read, as follows: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN ; which are Chaldee words, and may be literally rendered, "he hath numbered, he hath numbered"; that is, God hath certainly, perfectly, and exactly numbered; "he hath weighed", God hath weighed thee, Belshazzar; "and they divide the kingdom"; that is, the Medes and Persians, as appears from the following interpretation: read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 5:26

This is the interpretation of the thing ,.... Or, "word" F26 מלתא "sermonis", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus; "verborum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Broughtonus; "verbi", Cocceius; "illius verbi", Michaelis. ; for they might all seem as one word; or this is the sense of the whole: MENE ; as for this word, it signifies, God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it ; God had fixed the number of years, how long that monarchy should last, which he was now at the head of, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 5:27

TEKEL ,.... As for the meaning of this word, and what it points at, it is this: thou art weighed in the balances : of justice and truth, in the holy righteous law of God; as gold, and jewels, and precious stones, are weighed in the scales by the goldsmith and jeweller with great exactness, to know the worth of them: and art found wanting ; found to be adulterated gold, reprobate silver, bad coin, a false stone; found to be a worthless man, a wicked prince, wanting the necessary... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 5:28

PERES ,.... The singular of "Pharsin", Daniel 5:25 . The sense of this word is, thy kingdom is divided : which, though it consisted of various provinces, united under Belshazzar, now should be broken and separated from him: and given to the Medes and Persians ; to Darius the Mede, and to Cyrus the Persian, who was a partner for a while with his uncle Darius in the government of the empire: there is an elegant play on words in the words "Peres" and "Persians"; and a grievous thing... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 5:29

Then commanded Belshazzar ,.... As soon as he had heard the writing read and interpreted; instead of being full of wrath, as might have been expected, he orders the reward promised to be given, to show he had a regard to his word and honour, as a king; and to secure his credit with his nobles and people; and perhaps he might not understand, by Daniel's interpretation, that the destruction of him and his kingdom was so near at hand as it was; or he might put this evil day far from him, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 5:30

In that night was Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans, slain. Not by a servant of his own, as Jacchiades; or by an eunuch, one of his guards, as Saadiah and Joseph ben Gorion F2 Hist. Heb. l. 1. c. 6. p. 26. ; but by Gadales and Gobryas, who led Cyrus's army up the river Euphrates into the city of Babylon, its course being turned; the inhabitants of which being revelling and rioting, and the gates open, these men went up to the king's palace; the doors of which being opened by the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 5:31

And Darius the Median took the kingdom ,.... This was Cyaxares the son of Astyages, and uncle of Cyrus; he is called the Median, to distinguish him from another Darius the Persian, that came after, Ezra 4:5 , the same took the kingdom of Babylon from Cyrus who conquered it; he took it with his consent, being the senior prince and his uncle. Darius reigned not long, but two years; and not alone, but Cyrus with him, though he is only mentioned. Xenophon F11 Cyropaedia, l. 8. c. 36. ... read more

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