Daniel 5:10

10 Now the malkah (queen) by reason of the words of the king and his nobles came into the banquet house; and the malkah (queen) spoke and said, O king, live forever; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.

Daniel 5:10 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 5:10

Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his
lords, came into the banquet house
Not the wife of Belshazzar, as Porphyry would have it; but rather the queen mother, as Jacchiades, the widow of Evilmerodach his father, whose name was Nitocris; and is spoken of, by Herodotus ^F17, as a very prudent woman; and as this seems to be by her words and conduct: though Josephus ^F18 says it was his grandmother, she who had been the wife of Nebuchadnezzar; and of this opinion were some mentioned by Aben Ezra; whose name was Amyitis; and it appears, by what she says afterwards, that she was well acquainted with affairs in his time; and, being an ancient woman, might be the reason why she was not among the ladies at the feast in the banqueting house; but came into it, without being sent for, on hearing the consternation and distress the king and his lords were in, and the moanful despairing words they expressed on this occasion: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever;
the usual salutation given to the kings of Babylon, and other eastern monarchs; see ( Daniel 2:4 ) ( 6:21 ) : let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed;
at this affair, as if it could never be understood, and the true meaning of it be given; but be of good: cheer, and put on a good countenance; there is hope yet that it may be cleared up to satisfaction.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Clio, sive l. 1. c. 185, 188.
F18 Antiqu. l. 10. c. 11. sect. 2.

Daniel 5:10 In-Context

8 Then came in all the king’s chachamim, but they could not read the mikhtav (writing), nor make known to the king the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof.

9 Then was king Belshatzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his nobles were perplexed.

10 Now the malkah (queen) by reason of the words of the king and his nobles came into the banquet house; and the malkah (queen) spoke and said, O king, live forever; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.

11 There is a man in thy malchut, in whom is the Ruach Elohin Kadishin (Ruach Elohim HaKadosh) and in the days of thy forefather ohr and seichel and chochmah, like the chochmah of HaElohim, was found in him; the king Nevuchadnetzar thy forefather, the king, I say, thy forefather, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Kasdim (Chaldeans), and soothsayers;

12 Forasmuch as an excellent ruach, and da’as, and seichel, interpreting of chalomot, and solving riddles, and explaining enigmas, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Beltshatzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the pesher (interpretation, explanation).