Daniel 5:4-14

4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote opposite the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

6 Then the king's countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another.

7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Whosoever shall read this writing and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

8 Then came in all the king's wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

9 Then was King Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were dismayed.

10 Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house. And the queen spoke and said, "O king, live for ever! Let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.

11 There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And in the days of thy father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him whom King Nebuchadnezzar thy father -- the king, I say, thy father -- made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.

12 Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and interpreting of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts were found in the same Daniel whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called and he will show the interpretation."

13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spoke and said unto Daniel, "Art thou that Daniel who art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?

14 I have even heard of thee that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in thee.

Daniel 5:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 5

This chapter gives an account of a feast made by King Belshazzar, attended with drunkenness, idolatry, and profanation of the vessels taken out of the temple at Jerusalem, Da 5:1-4, and of the displeasure of God, signified by a handwriting on the wall, which terrified the king, and caused him to send in haste for the astrologers to read and interpret it, but they could not, Da 5:5-8, in this distress, which appeared in the countenances of him and his nobles, the queen mother advises him to send for Daniel, of whom she gives a great encomium, Da 5:9-12, upon which he was brought in to the king, and promised a great reward to read and interpret the writing; the reward he slighted, but promised to read and interpret the writing, Da 5:13-17 and after putting him in mind of what had befallen his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar, and charging him with pride, idolatry, and profanation of the vessels of the Lord, Da 5:18-23 reads and interprets the writing to him Da 5:24-28, when he had honour done him, and was preferred in the government, Da 5:29 and the chapter is concluded with an account of the immediate accomplishment of ancient prophecies, and of this handwriting, in the slaying of the king of Babylon, in the dissolution of the Babylonish monarchy, and the possession of it by Darius the Mede, Da 5:30,31.