Daniel 5:23

23 And thou has been exalted against the Lord God of heaven; and they have brought before thee the vessels of his house, and thou, and thy nobles, and thy mistresses, and thy concubines, have drunk wine out of them; and thou has praised the gods of gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, and wood, and stone, which see not, and which hear not, and know not: and the God in whose hand are thy breath, and all thy ways has thou not glorified.

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.

---

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 driven forth from men; and his heart was given him after the nature of wild beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; and they fed him with grass as an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the most high God is Lord of the kingdom of men, and will give it to whomsoever he shall please.

22 And thou accordingly, his son, O Baltasar, has not humbled thine heart before God: knowest thou not all this?

23 And thou has been exalted against the Lord God of heaven; and they have brought before thee the vessels of his house, and thou, and thy nobles, and thy mistresses, and thy concubines, have drunk wine out of them; and thou has praised the gods of gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, and wood, and stone, which see not, and which hear not, and know not: and the God in whose hand are thy breath, and all thy ways has thou not glorified.

24 Therefore from his presence has been sent forth the knuckle of a hand; and he has ordered the writing.

25 And this is the ordered writing, Mane, Thekel, Phares.