_Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand._ Ver. 1. _Belshazzar the king._] Son to Evilmerodach, grandson to Nebuchadnezzar, whose line failed in this king, according to Jeremiah 27:7. Of Evilmerodach, Daniel saith nothing, because nothin... [ Continue Reading ]
Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which [was] in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. Ver. 2. _Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the... [ Continue Reading ]
Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which [was] at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. Ver. 3. _Then they brought the golden vessels._] Made and appointed for a better use; as were likewise mu... [ Continue Reading ]
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. Ver. 4. _They drank wine._] To the honour of their goddess Shac; for so these feast days were called σακεαι ημεραι, being like the Roman saturnalia. _ And praised the gods of silver and of gold.... [ Continue Reading ]
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Ver. 5. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand.] Taken off from the arm. This strange sight... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. Ver. 6. Then the king's countenance was changed.] How soon is carnal joy extinct, the gallantry of it checked with troubles and terrors! how... [ Continue Reading ]
The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. [And] the king spake, and said to the wise [men] of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about his neck, and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then came in all the king's wise [men]: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof._ Ver. 8. _But they could not read the writing._] _Utpote caecitate et stupore pervulsi; _ they could not so read it as to make any good sense of it. It may be the ini... [ Continue Reading ]
Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. Ver. 9. _Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled._] In the midst of his feast he was thus damped and cast into his dumps; according to that of Amos, Amo 8:10 "I will turn your feasts in... [ Continue Reading ]
Daniel 5:10 [Now] the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: [and] the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: Ver. 10. _Now the queen._] The queen mother, whom Herodotus calle... [ Continue Reading ]
There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom [is] the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, [I say], thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers,... [ Continue Reading ]
Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation. Ver. 12. _Forasmuch as... [ Continue Reading ]
Then was Daniel brought in before the king. [And] the king spake and said unto Daniel, [Art] thou that Daniel, which [art] of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? Ver. 13. _Then was Daniel brought in._] Wise men are never found to be unnecessarily fo... [ Continue Reading ]
I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods [is] in thee, and [that] light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. Ver. 14. _I have even heard of thee that the spirit, &c._] This silly and shallow prince hath nothing to say but what was put into his month by his wiser gr... [ Continue Reading ]
And now the wise [men], the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: Ver. 15. _But they could not show the interpretation of the thing._] They could no... [ Continue Reading ]
And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. Ver.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. Ver. 17. _Let thy gifts be to thyself._] Honours, pleasures, riches, “ _Haec tria pro trino numine mmadu... [ Continue Reading ]
O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: Ver. 18. _O thou king, the most high God gave Nebachadnezzar._] See here the necessary and profitable use of history, which hath its name, saith Plato, παρα το ισταναι τον ρουν, from stoppin... [ Continue Reading ]
And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. Ver. 19. _Whom he would he slew._] _De facto loquitur, non de iure._ See the... [ Continue Reading ]
But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: Ver. 20. _But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride._] Pride is of a hardening property, causeth men to commit sin with a high hand, as P... [ Continue Reading ]
And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling [was] with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and [that] he appointeth over i... [ Continue Reading ]
_And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;_ Ver. 22. _And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart._] It was no small aggravation of his sins not to be warned, and now he shall hear of it on both ears. The putting out of the French kin... [ Continue Reading ]
But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor... [ Continue Reading ]
Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. Ver. 24. _Then was the part of the hand._] _Completa peccati mensura, non differtur poena,_ when sin is once ripe, punishment is ready. The bottle of wickedness, when once full with those bitter waters, will soon sink to the... [ Continue Reading ]
And this [is] the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. Ver. 25. _MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN._] These words signify, He hath perfectly numbered, he hath weighed, and it falleth in pieces. They were the Samaritan characters, saith one, _a_ therefore the Babylonians could not read t... [ Continue Reading ]
This [is] the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. Ver. 26. _MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom._] He hath cast up thy reckonings, taken account of thy maladministration, and calleth for satisfaction. So he dealt with Pharaoh, king of Egypt. _Cum dupli... [ Continue Reading ]
TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Ver. 27. TEKEL; thou art weighed in the balances, _a_ and art found wanting.] As the former was a term taken from creditors, so this from light coin; _deprehensus es minus habere,_ thou art not current. Others may think thee weighty en... [ Continue Reading ]
_PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians._ Ver. 28. _PERES; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes._] This had been long before prophesied, Isaiah 13:17; yea, Genesis 9:25; and now Ham's posterity felt his father's curse. Nimrod, the founder of Babylon, came of Ha... [ Continue Reading ]
Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and [put] a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. Ver. 29. _Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel._] No nay, but they would do it; and he a... [ Continue Reading ]
In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. Ver. 30. In that night was Belshazzar … slain.] By Gaddatha and Gobrya, two of Cyrus's commanders, who had been wronged by Belshazzar (as Xenophon _a_ also testifieth), and now took revenge on him, after that they had betrayed the city,... [ Continue Reading ]
And Darius the Median took the kingdom, [being] about threescore and two years old. Ver. 31. _And Darius._] Called by Ctesias, Dαριαιος, which comes near to Dariaves, as the Chaldee here calleth him. He is thought to be the same with Cyaxares, son of Astyages, and uncle to Cyrus. _ Being about thr... [ Continue Reading ]