Daniël 5:23

23 Maar gij hebt u verheven tegen den Heere des hemels, en men heeft de vaten van Zijn huis voor u gebracht, en gij, en uw geweldigen, uw vrouwen, en uw bijwijven hebben wijn uit dezelve gedronken, en de goden van zilver en goud, koper, ijzer, hout en steen, die niet zien, noch horen, noch weten, hebt gij geprezen; maar dien God, in Wiens hand uw adem is, en bij Wien al uw paden zijn, hebt gij niet verheerlijkt.

Daniël 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.

Daniël 5:23 In-Context

21 En hij werd van de kinderen der mensen verstoten, en zijn hart werd den beesten gelijk gemaakt, en zijn woning was bij de woudezelen; men gaf hem gras te smaken gelijk den ossen; en zijn lichaam werd van den dauw des hemels nat gemaakt, totdat hij bekende, dat God, de Allerhoogste, Heerser is over de koninkrijken der mensen, en over dezelve stelt, wien Hij wil.

22 En gij, Belsazar, zijn zoon! hebt uw hart niet vernederd, alhoewel gij dit alles wel geweten hebt.

23 Maar gij hebt u verheven tegen den Heere des hemels, en men heeft de vaten van Zijn huis voor u gebracht, en gij, en uw geweldigen, uw vrouwen, en uw bijwijven hebben wijn uit dezelve gedronken, en de goden van zilver en goud, koper, ijzer, hout en steen, die niet zien, noch horen, noch weten, hebt gij geprezen; maar dien God, in Wiens hand uw adem is, en bij Wien al uw paden zijn, hebt gij niet verheerlijkt.

24 Toen is dat deel der hand van Hem gezonden, en dit schrift getekend geworden.

25 Dit nu is het schrift, dat daar getekend is: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.