1Der König Belsazar machte seinen tausend Gewaltigen ein großes Mahl, und er trank Wein vor den Tausend. 2Belsazar befahl, als der Wein ihm schmeckte, daß man die goldenen und die silbernen Gefäße herbeibrächte, welche sein Vater Nebukadnezar aus dem Tempel zu Jerusalem weggenommen hatte, auf daß der König und seine Gewaltigen, seine Frauen und seine Kebsweiber daraus tränken. 3Dann brachte man die goldenen Gefäße, welche man aus dem Tempel des Hauses Gottes zu Jerusalem weggenommen hatte; und der König und seine Gewaltigen, seine Frauen und seine Kebsweiber tranken daraus. 4Sie tranken Wein und rühmten die Götter von Gold und Silber, von Erz, Eisen, Holz und Stein. 5In demselben Augenblick kamen Finger einer Menschenhand hervor und schrieben, dem Leuchter gegenüber, auf den Kalk der Wand des königlichen Palastes; und der König sah die Hand , welche schrieb. 6Da veränderte sich die Gesichtsfarbe des Königs, und seine Gedanken ängstigten ihn; und die Bänder seiner Hüften lösten sich, und seine Knie schlugen aneinander. 7Der König rief mit Macht, daß man die Beschwörer, die Chaldäer und die Wahrsager hereinbringe; und der König hob an und sprach zu den Weisen von Babel: Jeder, der diese Schrift lesen und ihre Deutung mir anzeigen wird, der soll mit Purpur bekleidet werden, mit einer goldenen Kette um seinen Hals, und er soll als Dritter im Königreich herrschen. 8Dann kamen alle Weisen des Königs herbei; aber sie vermochten nicht die Schrift zu lesen, noch die Deutung derselben dem König kundzutun. 9Da geriet der König Belsazar in große Angst, und seine Gesichtsfarbe veränderte sich an ihm; und seine Gewaltigen wurden bestürzt. 10Infolge der Worte des Königs und seiner Gewaltigen trat die Königin in das Haus des Gelages. Die Königin hob an und sprach: O König, lebe ewiglich! laß deine Gedanken dich nicht ängstigen und deine Gesichtsfarbe sich nicht verändern! 11Es ist ein Mann in deinem Königreich, in welchem der Geist der heiligen Götter ist; und in den Tagen deines Vaters wurden Erleuchtung und Verstand und Weisheit gleich der Weisheit der Götter bei ihm gefunden; und der König Nebukadnezar, dein Vater, hat ihn zum Obersten der Schriftgelehrten, der Beschwörer, der Chaldäer und der Wahrsager erhoben, dein Vater, o König! 12darum daß ein außergewöhnlicher Geist, und Kenntnis und Verstand, ein Geist der Traumdeutung und der Rätselerklärung und der Knotenlösung bei ihm gefunden wurde, bei Daniel, welchem der König den Namen Beltsazar gegeben hat. So werde nun Daniel gerufen, und er wird die Deutung anzeigen. 13Darauf wurde Daniel vor den König geführt. Der König hob an und sprach zu Daniel: Bist du Daniel, einer der Weggeführten von Juda, welche der König, mein Vater, aus Juda hergebracht hat? 14Und ich habe von dir gehört, daß der Geist der Götter in dir ist, und daß Licht und Verstand und außergewöhnliche Weisheit bei dir gefunden werden. 15Und nun sind die Weisen, die Beschwörer, vor mich geführt worden, damit sie diese Schrift läsen und ihre Deutung mir kundtäten; aber sie vermögen nicht, die Deutung der Sache anzuzeigen. 16Ich habe aber von dir gehört, daß du Deutung zu geben und Knoten zu lösen vermagst. Nun, wenn du diese Schrift zu lesen und ihre Deutung mir kundzutun vermagst, so sollst du mit Purpur bekleidet werden, mit einer goldenen Kette um deinen Hals, und du sollst als Dritter im Königreich herrschen. 17Da antwortete Daniel und sprach vor dem König: Deine Gaben mögen dir verbleiben, und deine Geschenke gib einem anderen; jedoch werde ich die Schrift dem König lesen und die Deutung ihm kundtun. 18Du, o König! der höchste Gott hatte Nebukadnezar, deinem Vater, das Königtum und die Größe und die Ehre und die Herrlichkeit verliehen; 19und wegen der Größe, die er ihm verliehen, bebten und fürchteten sich vor ihm alle Völker, Völkerschaften und Sprachen. Wen er wollte, tötete er, und wen er wollte ließ er leben; und wen er wollte, erhob er, und wen er wollte, erniedrigte er. 20Als aber sein Herz sich erhob und sein Geist bis zur Vermessenheit sich verstockte, wurde er von seinem königlichen Throne gestürzt, und man nahm ihm seine Würde. 21Und er wurde von den Menschenkindern ausgestoßen, und sein Herz wurde dem der Tiere gleich, und seine Wohnung war bei den Wildeseln; man gab ihm Kraut zu essen wie den Rindern, und sein Leib wurde vom Tau des Himmels benetzt - bis er erkannte, daß der höchste Gott über das Königtum der Menschen herrscht, und darüber bestellt, wen er will. 22Und du, Belsazar, sein Sohn, hast dein Herz nicht gedemütigt, obwohl du dieses alles gewußt hast. 23Und du hast dich über den Herrn des Himmels erhoben; und man hat die Gefäße seines Hauses vor dich gebracht, und du und deine Gewaltigen, deine Frauen und deine Kebsweiber, ihr habt Wein daraus getrunken. Und du hast die Götter von Silber und Gold, von Erz, Eisen, Holz und Stein gerühmt, die nicht sehen und nicht hören und nicht wahrnehmen ; aber den Gott, in dessen Hand dein Odem ist, und bei dem alle deine Wege sind, hast du nicht geehrt. 24Da wurde von ihm diese Hand gesandt und diese Schrift gezeichnet. 25Und dies ist die Schrift, welche gezeichnet worden ist: Mene, mene, tekel upharsin . 26Dies ist die Deutung der Sache: Mene - Gott hat dein Königtum gezählt und macht ihm ein Ende. 27Tekel - du bist auf der Waage gewogen und zu leicht erfunden worden. 28Peres - dein Königreich wird zerteilt und den Medern und Persern gegeben. 29Alsdann befahl Belsazar, und man bekleidete Daniel mit Purpur, mit einer goldenen Kette um seinen Hals; und man rief über ihn aus, daß er der dritte Herrscher im Königreich sein solle. - 30In derselben Nacht wurde Belsazar, der König der Chaldäer, getötet.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 BELSHAZZAR'S IMPIOUS FEAST; THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL INTERPRETED BY DANIEL OF THE DOOM OF BABYLON AND ITS KING. (Dan. 5:1-31)
Belshazzar--RAWLINSON, from the Assyrian inscriptions, has explained the seeming discrepancy between Daniel and the heathen historians of Babylon, BEROSUS and ABYDENUS, who say the last king (Nabonidus) surrendered in Borsippa, after Babylon was taken, and had an honorable abode in Caramania assigned to him. Belshazzar was joint king with his father (called Minus in the inscriptions), but subordinate to him; hence the Babylonian account suppresses the facts which cast discredit on Babylon, namely, that Belshazzar shut himself up in that city and fell at its capture; while it records the surrender of the principal king in Borsippa (see my Introduction to Daniel). The heathen XENOPHON'S description of Belshazzar accords with Daniel's; he calls him "impious," and illustrates his cruelty by mentioning that he killed one of his nobles, merely because, in hunting, the noble struck down the game before him; and unmanned a courtier, Gadates, at a banquet, because one of the king's concubines praised him as handsome. Daniel shows none of the sympathy for him which he had for Nebuchadnezzar. XENOPHON confirms Daniel as to Belshazzar's end. WINER explains the "shazzar" in the name as meaning "fire."
made . . . feast--heaven-sent infatuation when his city was at the time being besieged by Cyrus. The fortifications and abundant provisions in the city made the king despise the besiegers. It was a festival day among the Babylonians [XENOPHON].
drank . . . before the thousand--The king, on this extraordinary occasion, departed from his usual way of feasting apart from his nobles (compare
Esth 1:3).
2 whiles he tasted the wine--While under the effects of wine, men will do what they dare not do when sober.
his father Nebuchadnezzar--that is, his forefather. So "Jesus . . . the son of David, the son of Abraham" (
Matt 1:1). Daniel does not say that the other kings mentioned in other writers did not reign between Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar, namely, Evil-merodach (
Jer 52:31), Neriglissar, his brother-in-law, and Laborasoarchod (nine months). BEROSUS makes Nabonidus, the last king, to have been one of the people, raised to the throne by an insurrection. As the inscriptions show that Belshazzar was distinct from, and joint king with, him, this is not at variance with Daniel, whose statement that Belshazzar was son (grandson) of Nebuchadnezzar is corroborated by Jeremiah (
Jer 27:7). Their joint, yet independent, testimony, as contemporaries, and having the best means of information, is more trustworthy than any of the heathen historians, if there were a discrepancy. Evil-merodach, son of Nebuchadnezzar (according to BEROSUS), reigned but a short time (one or two years), having, in consequence of his bad government, been dethroned by a plot of Neriglissar, his sister's husband; hence Daniel does not mention him. At the elevation of Nabonidus as supreme king, Belshazzar, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, was doubtless suffered to be subordinate king and successor, in order to conciliate the legitimate party. Thus the seeming discrepancy becomes a confirmation of genuineness when cleared up, for the real harmony must have been undesigned.
wives . . . concubines--not usually present at feasts in the East, where women of the harem are kept in strict seclusion. Hence Vashti's refusal to appear at Ahasuerus' feast (
Esth 1:9-
Esth 1:12). But the Babylonian court, in its reckless excesses, seems not to have been so strict as the Persian. XENOPHON [Cyropćdia, 5.2,28] confirms Daniel, representing a feast of Belshazzar where the concubines are present. At the beginning "the lords" (
Dan 5:1), for whom the feast was made, alone seem to have been present; but as the revelry advanced, the women were introduced. Two classes of them are mentioned, those to whom belonged the privileges of "wives," and those strictly concubines (
2Sam 5:13;
1Kgs 11:3;
Song 6:8).
3 This act was not one of necessity, or for honor's sake, but in reckless profanity.
4 praised--sang and shouted praises to "gods," which being of gold, "are their own witnesses" (
Isa 44:9), confuting the folly of those who fancy such to be gods.
5 In the same hour--that the cause of God's visitation might be palpable, namely, the profanation of His vessels and His holy name.
fingers of . . . hand--God admonishes him, not by a dream (as Nebuchadnezzar had been warned), or by a voice, but by "fingers coming forth," the invisibility of Him who moved them heightening the awful impressiveness of the scene, the hand of the Unseen One attesting his doom before the eyes of himself and his guilty fellow revellers.
against the candlestick--the candelabra; where the mystic characters would be best seen. BARNES makes it the candlestick taken from the temple of Jerusalem, the nearness of the writing to it intimating that the rebuke was directed against the sacrilege.
upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace--Written in cuneiform letters on slabs on the walls, and on the very bricks, are found the perpetually recurring recital of titles, victories, and exploits, to remind the spectator at every point of the regal greatness. It is significant, that on the same wall on which the king was accustomed to read the flattering legends of his own magnificence, he beholds the mysterious inscription which foretells his fall (compare
Pro 16:18;
Acts 12:21-
Acts 12:23).
part of the hand--the anterior part, namely, the fingers.
6 countenance--literally, "brightness," that is, his bright look.
joints of his loins--"the vertebrć of his back" [GESENIUS].
7 He calls for the magicians, who more than once had been detected in imposture. He neglects God, and Daniel, whose fame as an interpreter was then well-established. The world wishes to be deceived and shuts its eyes against the light [CALVIN]. The Hebrews think the words were Chaldee, but in the old Hebrew character (like that now in the Samaritan Pentateuch).
third ruler--The first place was given to the king; the second, to the son of the king, or of the queen; the third, to the chief of the satraps.
8 The words were in such a character as to be illegible to the Chaldees, God reserving this honor to Daniel.
10 queen--the queen mother, or grandmother, Nitocris, had not been present till now. She was wife either of Nebuchadnezzar or of Evil merodach; hence her acquaintance with the services of Daniel. She completed the great works which the former had begun. Hence HERODOTUS attributes them to her alone. This accounts for the deference paid to her by Belshazzar. (See on
Dan 4:36). Compare similar rank given to the queen mother among the Hebrews (
1Kgs 15:13).
11 spirit of the holy gods--She remembers and repeats Nebuchadnezzar's language (
Dan 4:8-
Dan 4:9,
Dan 4:18). As Daniel was probably, according to Oriental custom, deprived of the office to which Nebuchadnezzar had promoted him, as "master of the magicians" (
Dan 4:9), at the king's death, Belshazzar might easily be ignorant of his services.
the king . . . thy father the king . . . thy father--The repetition marks with emphatic gravity both the excellencies of Daniel, and the fact that Nebuchadnezzar, whom Belshazzar is bound to reverence as his father, had sought counsel from him in similar circumstances.
13 the captivity of Judah--the captive Jews residing in Babylon.
17 Not inconsistent with
Dan 5:29. For here he declares his interpretation of the words is not from the desire of reward. The honors in
Dan 5:29 were doubtless urged on him, without his wish, in such a way that he could not with propriety refuse them. Had he refused them after announcing the doom of the kingdom, he might have been suspected of cowardice or treason.
18 God gave--It was not his own birth or talents which gave him the vast empire, as he thought. To make him unlearn his proud thought was the object of God's visitation on him.
majesty--in the eyes of his subjects.
glory--from his victories.
honour--from the enlargement and decoration of the city.
19 A purely absolute monarchy (
Jer 27:7).
21 heart was made like . . . beasts--literally, "he made his heart like the beasts," that is, he desired to dwell with them.
22 Thou hast erred not through ignorance, but through deliberate contempt of God, notwithstanding that thou hadst before thine eyes the striking warning given in thy grandfather's case.
23 whose are all thy ways-- (
Jer 10:23).
24 Then--When thou liftedst up thyself against the Lord.
the part of the hand--the fore part, the fingers.
was . . . sent from him--that is, from God.
25 Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin--literally, "numbered, weighed, and dividers."
26 God hath fixed the number of years of thine empire, and that number is now complete.
27 weighed in the balances--The Egyptians thought that Osiris weighed the actions of the dead in a literal balance. The Babylonians may have had the same notion, which would give a peculiar appropriateness to the image here used.
found wanting--too light before God, the weigher of actions (
1Sam 2:3;
Ps 62:9). Like spurious gold or silver (
Jer 6:30).
28 Peres--the explanation of "dividers" (
Dan 5:25), the active participle plural there being used for the passive participle singular, "dividers" for "divided." The word "Peres" alludes to the similar word "Persia."
divided--namely, among the Medes and Persians [MAURER]; or, "severed" from thee [GROTIUS].
29 Belshazzar . . . clothed Daniel with scarlet--To come from the presence of a prince in a dress presented to the wearer as a distinction is still held a great honor in the East. Daniel was thus restored to a similar rank to what he had held under Nebuchadnezzar (
Dan 2:48). Godly fidelity which might be expected to bring down vengeance, as in this case, is often rewarded even in this life. The king, having promised, was ashamed before his courtiers to break his word. He perhaps also affected to despise the prophecy of his doom, as an idle threat. As to Daniel's reasons for now accepting what at first he had declined, compare Note, see on
Dan 5:17. The insignia of honor would be witnesses for God's glory to the world of his having by God's aid interpreted the mystic characters. The cause of his elevation too would secure the favor of the new dynasty (
Dan 6:2) for both himself and his captive countrymen. As the capture of the city by Cyrus was not till near daylight, there was no want of time in that eventful night for accomplishing all that is here recorded. The capture of the city so immediately after the prophecy of it (following Belshazzar's sacrilege), marked most emphatically to the whole world the connection between Babylon's sin and its punishment.
30 HERODOTUS and XENOPHON confirm Daniel as to the suddenness of the event. Cyrus diverted the Euphrates into a new channel and, guided by two deserters, marched by the dry bed into the city, while the Babylonians were carousing at an annual feast to the gods. See also
Isa 21:5;
Isa 44:27;
Jer 50:38-
Jer 50:39;
Jer 51:36. As to Belshazzar's being slain, compare
Isa 14:18-
Isa 14:20;
Isa 21:2-
Isa 21:9;
Jer 50:29-
Jer 50:35;
Jer 51:57.
31 Darius the Median--that is Cyaxares II, the son and successor of Astyages, 569-536 B.C. Though Koresh, or Cyrus, was leader of the assault, yet all was done in the name of Darius; therefore, he alone is mentioned here; but
Dan 6:28 shows Daniel was not ignorant of Cyrus' share in the capture of Babylon.
Isa 13:17;
Isa 21:2, confirm Daniel in making the Medes the leading nation in destroying Babylon. So also
Jer 51:11,
Jer 51:28. HERODOTUS, on the other hand, omits mentioning Darius, as that king, being weak and sensual, gave up all the authority to his energetic nephew, Cyrus [XENOPHON, Cyropćdia, 1.5; 8.7].
threescore and two years old--This agrees with XENOPHON [Cyropćdia, 8.5,19], as to Cyaxares II.