Daniel 5:11

11 A man is in thy realm, that hath the spirit of holy gods in himself, and in the days of thy father knowing and wisdom were found in him; for why and Nebuchadnezzar, thy father, made him prince of astronomers, of enchanters, of Chaldees, and of diviners by looking on altars; soothly thy father, thou king, did this; (There is a man in thy kingdom, who hath the spirit of the holy gods in himself, and in the days of thy predecessor, knowledge and wisdom were found in him; because of this, Nebuchadnezzar, thy predecessor, made him the chief of the astrologers, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners by looking on altars; truly thy predecessor, O king, did this;)

Daniel 5:11 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 5:11

There is a man in thy kingdom
She does not say in his court; very probably, after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, perhaps in one of the former reigns, he was removed from his offices; for, had he been in one, very likely the queen would have described him by it; and this seems to receive confirmation by the question Belshazzar put to him upon his coming into his presence, art thou that Daniel
; and only says that he had heard of him, ( Daniel 5:13 Daniel 5:14 ) : in whom is the spirit of the holy gods;
something divine, something more than human; she uses the very words of Nebuchadnezzar; which seems to confirm that opinion, that she was his widow, ( Daniel 4:8 ) : and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like
the wisdom of the gods, was found in him;
"light" in the knowledge of things obscure; understanding in the interpretation of dreams; and "wisdom" in things both human and divine, like that of an angel of God, as Jacchiades interprets "Elohim": of this instances were given in the days of his grandfather, for so Nebuchadnezzar was; nor is it unusual for a grandfather to be called a father, and even a more remote ancestor; which instances were, telling him his dream when he had forgot it, as well as the interpretation of it; and explaining his dream or vision of the tree cut down to its stump; of which see Daniel chapters two and four: whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father,
made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers,
( Daniel 2:48 ) she seems tacitly to upbraid him with his neglect of such a man, or with turning him out of his office, when so great a prince as his grandfather was took so much notice of him, and so highly advanced him.

Daniel 5:11 In-Context

9 Wherefore king Belshazzar was disturbed enough, and his cheer was changed, but also his best men were disturbed. (And so King Belshazzar was greatly disturbed, and his face was pale, and also his best men were disturbed.)

10 Forsooth the queen entered into the house of feast, for the thing that had befelled to the king, and (his) best men; and she spake, and said, (O) King, live thou without end. Thy thoughts disturb not thee, and thy face be not changed (Let not thy thoughts disturb thee, and thy face be so pale).

11 A man is in thy realm, that hath the spirit of holy gods in himself, and in the days of thy father knowing and wisdom were found in him; for why and Nebuchadnezzar, thy father, made him prince of astronomers, of enchanters, of Chaldees, and of diviners by looking on altars; soothly thy father, thou king, did this; (There is a man in thy kingdom, who hath the spirit of the holy gods in himself, and in the days of thy predecessor, knowledge and wisdom were found in him; because of this, Nebuchadnezzar, thy predecessor, made him the chief of the astrologers, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners by looking on altars; truly thy predecessor, O king, did this;)

12 for [the] more spirit, and more prudent, and understanding, and interpreting of dreams, and showing of privates, and solving of bound things were found in him, that is, in Daniel, to whom the king putted the name Belteshazzar. Now therefore Daniel be called, and he shall tell the interpreting. (for great ability, and much prudence, or wisdom, and understanding, and the interpreting of dreams, and the revealing of mysteries, or of secrets, and the solving of bound things were found in him, that is, in Daniel, to whom the king gave the name Belteshazzar. And so now let Daniel be called, and he shall tell thee the interpretation.)

13 Therefore Daniel was brought in before the king. To whom the foresaid king said, Art thou Daniel, of the sons of the captivity of Judah, whom my father, the king (whom my predecessor, the king), brought from Judah?