Daniel 5:23

23 But you have been lifting yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and they have put the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your women, have taken wine in them; and you have given praise to gods of silver and gold, of brass and iron and wood and stone, who are without the power of seeing or hearing, and without knowledge: and to the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not given glory;

Daniel 5:23 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 5:23

But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven
Who made it, and dwells in it; from whence he beholds all the actions of the children of men, and will bring them to an account for them; and yet, though so high and great, such was the insolence of this king, that he dared to lift up himself against him, as if he was above him, and greater than he; and indeed so it may be rendered, "above the Lord of heaven" ^F24; which showed his great pride and vanity, his want of knowledge, both of himself, and of the true God. This name of God is the same with Beelsamen ^F25; by which the Phoenicians used to call him: and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee;
that is, his servants by his orders had brought the vessels of the temple at Jerusalem, which Nebuchadnezzar had took from thence, and set them upon his table for him and his company to drink out of; which is an instance of the pride of his heart, and of his daring boldness and impiety; see ( Daniel 5:2 Daniel 5:3 ) : and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drank wine
in them;
even that very day or night: this Daniel had knowledge of by some means or another; and his intelligence was so good that he could with great certainty affirm it: and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron,
wood, and stone;
see ( Daniel 5:4 ) : which see not, nor hear, nor know;
no more, than the various metals and materials of which they are made; and therefore it must be great madness and folly to praise such as gods that are below men, and even brutes; have neither the sense of animals, nor the knowledge of men; see ( Psalms 115:4-7 ) : and the God in whose hand thy breath is;
who gave it to him at first, and as yet continued it in him, and could take it away when he pleased: and whose are all thy ways; counsels and designs, works and actions; under whose direction and control they all are; the events, issue, and success of which all depend upon him; see ( Jeremiah 10:23 ) : him hast thou not glorified;
by owning him as the only true God; ascribing all he was and had unto him, and giving due worship, adoration, and honour to him; but, on the contrary, setting up his idol gods above him, and treating him, and everything belonging to him, with ignominy and contempt.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 (aymv yrm le) "super Dominum coeli", Montanus; "super Dominum scelorum", Michaelis.
F25 Sanchoniatho apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 1. c. 9. p. 34.

Daniel 5:23 In-Context

21 And he was sent out from among the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts', and he was living with the asses of the fields; he had grass for his food like the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he was certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives power over it to anyone at his pleasure.

22 And you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not kept your heart free from pride, though you had knowledge of all this;

23 But you have been lifting yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and they have put the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your women, have taken wine in them; and you have given praise to gods of silver and gold, of brass and iron and wood and stone, who are without the power of seeing or hearing, and without knowledge: and to the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not given glory;

24 Then the part of the hand was sent out from before him, and this writing was recorded.

25 And this is the writing which was recorded, Mene, tekel, peres.