Daniel 5 (NET)

Belshazzar Sees Mysterious Handwriting on a Wall

1 King Belshazzar1 prepared a great banquet2 for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of3 them all.4 2 While under the influence5 of the wine, Belshazzar issued an order to bring in the gold and silver vessels – the ones that Nebuchadnezzar his father6 had confiscated7 from the temple in Jerusalem8 – so that the king and his nobles, together with his wives and his concubines, could drink from them.9 3 So they brought the gold and silver10 vessels that had been confiscated from the temple, the house of God11 in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, together with his wives and concubines, drank from them. 4 As they drank wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 At that very moment the fingers of a human hand appeared12 and wrote on the plaster of the royal palace wall, opposite the lampstand.13 The king was watching the back14 of the hand that was writing. 6 Then all the color drained from the king’s face15 and he became alarmed.16 The joints of his hips gave way,17 and his knees began knocking together. 7 The king called out loudly18 to summon19 the astrologers, wise men, and diviners. The king proclaimed20 to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and disclose its interpretation would be clothed in purple21 and have a golden collar22 placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom.

8 So all the king’s wise men came in, but they were unable to read the writing or to make known its23 interpretation to the king. 9 Then King Belshazzar was very terrified, and he was visibly shaken.24 His nobles were completely dumbfounded.

10 Due to the noise25 caused by the king and his nobles, the queen mother26 then entered the banquet room. She27 said, “O king, live forever! Don’t be alarmed! Don’t be shaken! 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has within him a spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, he proved to have28 insight, discernment, and wisdom like that29 of the gods.30 King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him chief of the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners.31 12 Thus there was found in this man Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar, an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and skill to interpret32 dreams, solve riddles, and decipher knotty problems.33 Now summon34 Daniel, and he will disclose the interpretation.”

13 So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard about you, how there is a spirit of the gods in you, and how you have35 insight, discernment, and extraordinary wisdom. 15 Now the wise men and36 astrologers were brought before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation. But they were unable to disclose the interpretation of the message. 16 However, I have heard37 that you are able to provide interpretations and to decipher knotty problems. Now if you are able to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, you will wear purple and have a golden collar around your neck and be third38 ruler in the kingdom.”

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting on the Wall

17 But Daniel replied to the king, “Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else! However, I will read the writing for the king and make known its39 interpretation. 18 As for you, O king, the most high God bestowed on your father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty.40 19 Due to the greatness that he bestowed on him, all peoples, nations, and language groups were trembling with fear41 before him. He killed whom he wished, he spared42 whom he wished, he exalted whom he wished, and he brought low whom he wished. 20 And when his mind43 became arrogant44 and his spirit filled with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and his honor was removed from him. 21 He was driven from human society, his mind45 was changed to that of an animal, he lived46 with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until he came to understand that the most high God rules over human kingdoms, and he appoints over them whomever he wishes.

22 “But you, his son47 Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself,48 although you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You brought before you the vessels from his temple, and you and your nobles, together with your wives and concubines, drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone – gods49 that cannot see or hear or comprehend! But you have not glorified the God who has in his control50 your very breath and all your ways! 24 Therefore the palm of a hand was sent from him, and this writing was inscribed.

25 “This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE,51 TEQEL, and PHARSIN.52 26 This is the interpretation of the words:53 As for mene54 – God has numbered your kingdom’s days and brought it to an end. 27 As for teqel – you are weighed on the balances and found to be lacking. 28 As for peres55 – your kingdom is divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”

29 Then, on Belshazzar’s orders,56 Daniel was clothed in purple, a golden collar was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom. 30 And in that very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king,57 was killed.58 31 59 So Darius the Mede took control of the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old.

15:1sn As is clear from the extra-biblical records, it was actually Nabonidus (ca. 556-539 B.C.) who was king of Babylon at this time. However, Nabonidus spent long periods of time at Teima, and during those times Belshazzar his son was de facto king of Babylon. This arrangement may help to explain why later in this chapter Belshazzar promises that the successful interpreter of the handwriting on the wall will be made third ruler in the kingdom. If Belshazzar was in effect second ruler in the kingdom, this would be the highest honor he could grant. 25:1sn This scene of a Babylonian banquet calls to mind a similar grandiose event recorded in Esth 1:3-8. Persian kings were also renowned in the ancient Near Eastern world for their lavish banquets. 35:1sn The king probably sat at an elevated head table. 45:1tn Aram “the thousand.” 55:2tn Or perhaps, “when he had tasted” (cf. NASB) in the sense of officially initiating the commencement of the banquet. The translation above seems preferable, however, given the clear evidence of inebriation in the context (cf. also CEV “he got drunk and ordered”). 65:2tn Or “ancestor”; or “predecessor” (also in vv. 11, 13, 18). The Aramaic word translated “father” can on occasion denote these other relationships. 75:2tn Or “taken.” 85:2map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 95:2sn Making use of sacred temple vessels for an occasion of reveling and drunkenness such as this would have been a religious affront of shocking proportions to the Jewish captives. 105:3tc The present translation reads וְכַסְפָּא (vÿkhaspa’, “and the silver”) with Theodotion and the Vulgate. Cf. v. 2. The form was probably accidentally dropped from the Aramaic text by homoioteleuton. 115:3tn Aram “the temple of the house of God.” The phrase seems rather awkward. The Vulgate lacks “of the house of God,” while Theodotion and the Syriac lack “the house.” 125:5tn Aram “came forth.” 135:5sn The mention of the lampstand in this context is of interest because it suggests that the writing was in clear view. 145:5tn While Aramaic פַּס (pas) can mean the palm of the hand, here it seems to be the back of the hand that is intended. 155:6tn Aram “[the king’s] brightness changed for him.” 165:6tn Aram “his thoughts were alarming him.” 175:6tn Aram “his loins went slack.” 185:7tn Aram “in strength.” 195:7tn Aram “cause to enter.” 205:7tn Aram “answered and said.” 215:7sn Purple was a color associated with royalty in the ancient world. 225:7tn The term translated “golden collar” here probably refers to something more substantial than merely a gold chain (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT) or necklace (cf. NASB). 235:8tc Read וּפִשְׁרֵהּ (ufishreh) with the Qere rather than וּפִשְׁרָא (ufishra’) of the Kethib. 245:9tn Aram “his visage altered upon him.” So also in v. 10. 255:10tn Aram “words of the king.” 265:10tn Aram “the queen” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). In the following discourse this woman is able to recall things about Daniel that go back to the days of Nebuchadnezzar, things that Belshazzar does not seem to recollect. It is likely that she was the wife not of Belshazzar but of Nabonidus or perhaps even Nebuchadnezzar. In that case, “queen” here means “queen mother” (cf. NCV “the king’s mother”). 275:10tn Aram “The queen.” The translation has used the pronoun “she” instead because repetition of the noun here would be redundant in terms of English style. 285:11tn Aram “[there were] discovered to be in him.” 295:11tn Aram “wisdom like the wisdom.” This would be redundant in terms of English style. 305:11tc Theodotion lacks the phrase “and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods.” 315:11tc The MT includes a redundant reference to “your father the king” at the end of v. 11. None of the attempts to explain this phrase as original are very convincing. The present translation deletes the phrase, following Theodotion and the Syriac. 325:12tc The translation reads מִפְשַׁר (mifshar) rather than the MT מְפַשַּׁר (mÿfashar) and later in the verse reads וּמִשְׁרֵא (mishre’) rather than the MT וּמְשָׁרֵא (mÿshare’). The Masoretes have understood these Aramaic forms to be participles, but they are more likely to be vocalized as infinitives. As such, they have an epexegetical function in the syntax of their clause. 335:12tn Aram “to loose knots.” 345:12tn Aram “let [Daniel] be summoned.” 355:14tn Aram “there has been found in you.” 365:15tn The Aramaic text does not have “and.” The term “astrologers” is either an appositive for “wise men” (cf. KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV, NRSV), or the construction is to be understood as asyndetic (so the translation above). 375:16tn The Aramaic text has also the words “about you.” 385:16tn Or perhaps “one of three rulers,” in the sense of becoming part of a triumvir. So also v. 29. 395:17tn Or “the.” 405:18tn Or “royal greatness and majestic honor,” if the four terms are understood as a double hendiadys. 415:19tn Aram “were trembling and fearing.” This can be treated as a hendiadys, “were trembling with fear.” 425:19tn Aram “let live.” This Aramaic form is the aphel participle of חַיָה(khayah, “to live”). Theodotion and the Vulgate mistakenly take the form to be from מְחָא (mÿkha’, “to smite”). 435:20tn Aram “heart.” 445:20sn The point of describing Nebuchadnezzar as arrogant is that he had usurped divine prerogatives, and because of his immense arrogance God had dealt decisively with him. 455:21tn Aram “heart.” 465:21tn Aram “his dwelling.” 475:22tn Or “descendant”; or “successor.” 485:22tn Aram “your heart.” 495:23tn Aram “which.” 505:23tn Aram “in whose hand [are].” 515:25tc The Greek version of Theodotion lacks the repetition of מְנֵא (mÿne’, cf. NAB). 525:25tc The Aramaic word is plural. Theodotion has the singular (cf. NAB “PERES”). 535:26tn Or “word” or “event.” See HALOT 1915 s.v. מִלָּה. 545:26tn The Aramaic term מְנֵא (mÿne’) is a noun referring to a measure of weight. The linkage here to the verb “to number” (Aram. מְנָה, mÿnah) is a case of paronomasia rather than strict etymology. So also with תְּקֵל (tÿqel) and פַרְסִין (farsin). In the latter case there is an obvious wordplay with the name “Persian.” 555:28sn Peres (פְּרֵס) is the singular form of פַרְסִין (pharsin) in v. 25. 565:29tn Aram “Belshazzar spoke.” 575:30tn Aram “king of the Chaldeans.” 585:30sn The year was 539 B.C. At this time Daniel would have been approximately eighty-one years old. The relevant extra-biblical records describing the fall of Babylon include portions of Herodotus, Xenophon, Berossus (cited in Josephus), the Cyrus Cylinder, and the Babylonian Chronicle. 595:31sn Beginning with 5:31, the verse numbers through 6:28 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Aramaic text (BHS), with 5:31 ET = 6:1 AT, 6:1 ET = 6:2 AT, 6:2 ET = 6:3 AT, 6:3 ET = 6:4 AT, etc., through 6:28 ET = 6:29 AT. Beginning with 7:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Aramaic text are again the same.