Belshazzar — The grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. Made a great feast — After the manner of the eastern kings who shewed their magnificence this way. But this is prodigious that he should carouse when the city was besieged, and ready to be taken by Darius the Mede.... [ Continue Reading ]
To bring the vessels — Triumphing thereby over God and his people.... [ Continue Reading ]
And praised the gods of gold — At the same time insulting the great God of heaven and earth.... [ Continue Reading ]
Came forth fingers — The likeness of a man's hand.... [ Continue Reading ]
His knees smote — So soon can the terrors of God make the loftiest cedars, the tyrants of the earth.... [ Continue Reading ]
The queen came — The women in those courts had an apartment by themselves, and this being the queen — mother, and aged, did not mingle herself with the king's wives and concubines, yet she broke the rule in coming in now, upon this solemn occasion.... [ Continue Reading ]
From him — From that God whom thou hast despised.... [ Continue Reading ]
MENE — MENE MENE, it is numbered, it is numbered; the words are doubled for the greater confirmation. It relates to the number of the seventy years for the overthrow of the Babylonish empire.... [ Continue Reading ]
Art found wanting — There is no weight nor worth in thee; thou hast made light of God, and the Lord makes light of thee.... [ Continue Reading ]
PERES — Separated, divided, broken. Phars signifies two things, broken off, and Persian; noting that, first, this kingdom was broken down from Belshazzar. Secondly, that it was given to the Persians.... [ Continue Reading ]
Darius the Mede — This was he that with Cyrus besieged and took Babylon.... [ Continue Reading ]