Daniel 5 Study Notes: The Writing on the Wall
King Belshazzar drinks from the cups taken from God’s temple at a great feast, and a hand appears and writes on the palace wall. Daniel turns down the king’s rewards, rebukes his pride, and explains the message as God’s judgment. Belshazzar is killed that night, and Darius the Mede takes the kingdom.
General
What happened to Belshazzar after Daniel had been honored (Daniel 5:30-31)?
Answer: He was killed that same night, and the kingdom went to Darius the Mede
Belshazzar had Daniel dressed in purple, given the gold chain, and proclaimed third in rank in the realm (5:29). But God’s sentence came quickly. On that same night Belshazzar, the Chaldean (Babylonian) king, was killed, and the kingdom passed to Darius the Mede, who was sixty-two years old (5:30-31). Unlike his father, who was humbled and later restored, Belshazzar had no time left. Proverbs warns that one who stays stubborn after many warnings will suddenly be broken beyond repair (Proverbs 29:1), and Jesus’ parable of a rich man whose life was required of him that very night offers a comparison (Luke 12:20). God Most High governs every human kingdom and hands it to whomever He chooses (4:17).
- Daniel 5:30-31 (BSB)“That very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was slain, and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.”The judgment Daniel announced falls at once: Belshazzar dies, and the kingdom passes to Darius the Mede.
- Proverbs 29:1 (BSB)“A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.”One who stays stubborn after much warning is suddenly broken beyond repair.
- Luke 12:20 (BSB)“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’”In Jesus’ parable, God tells a self-satisfied man that his life will be demanded that very night.
- Daniel 4:17 (BSB)“This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’”God Most High governs every earthly kingdom and assigns it as He wills.
Theological
How does the chapter close after Belshazzar honored Daniel (Daniel 5:30-31)?
Answer: He was killed that same night, and the kingdom went to Darius the Mede
Belshazzar kept his word to Daniel, clothing him in purple and proclaiming him third ruler (5:29), but the honor came on the last night of his reign. That same night the Chaldean king was killed, and the kingdom passed to Darius the Mede, then sixty-two years old (5:30-31), exactly as the interpretation had declared. Where Nebuchadnezzar was humbled and then restored, Belshazzar, who had the warning and despised it, receives swift and final judgment. Proverbs describes the man who hardens his neck after repeated reproof and is suddenly broken without remedy (Proverbs 29:1), and Jesus’ parable of the rich fool offers a comparable sudden summons (Luke 12:20). Kingdoms pass from one ruler to another by the Most High’s decree (4:17).
- Daniel 5:30-31 (BSB)“That very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was slain, and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.”The judgment Daniel announced falls at once: Belshazzar dies, and the kingdom passes to Darius the Mede.
- Proverbs 29:1 (BSB)“A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.”One who stays stubborn after much warning is suddenly broken beyond repair.
- Luke 12:20 (BSB)“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’”In Jesus’ parable, God tells a self-satisfied man that his life will be demanded that very night.
- Daniel 4:17 (BSB)“This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’”God Most High governs every earthly kingdom and assigns it as He wills.
General
During his great feast, what did King Belshazzar send for so that he and his guests could use them as drinking cups (Daniel 5:2-3)?
Answer: Gold and silver cups his father had carried off from God’s temple
King Belshazzar gave a huge banquet attended by a thousand leading men of his court (5:1). Once the wine had taken hold of him, he sent for the cups of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar had carried off from God’s house at Jerusalem, and then the whole royal party, including the women of his household, drank from them (5:2-3). These were the holy articles from God’s house that had been carried to Babylon when the Lord handed Judah’s king over to Nebuchadnezzar (1:2). Worse, while drinking from them the guests praised gods made of metal, wood and stone (5:4). Using things set apart for the LORD to honor idols was an open insult to Him, and Daniel later names it as part of the king’s guilt (5:23). The LORD will not share His praise with idols (Isaiah 42:8), which have eyes and ears but no sight or hearing (Psalm 115:4-7).
- Daniel 5:2-4 (BSB)“Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king drank from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.”At his great banquet Belshazzar has the vessels from the Jerusalem temple brought in, and the guests drink from them while praising idols.
- Daniel 1:2 (BSB)“And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.”These were the articles from God’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had carried to Babylon when the Lord gave Judah’s king into his hand.
- Daniel 5:23 (BSB)“Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.”Daniel names the misuse of the vessels from God’s house, joined to idol praise, as part of the king’s offense.
- Isaiah 42:8 (BSB)“I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.”The LORD will hand His glory to no one else and His praise to no idol.
- Psalm 115:4-7 (BSB)“Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats.”Idols of silver and gold have eyes and ears but can neither see nor hear, as Daniel later says of Belshazzar’s gods.
Theological
What did Belshazzar call for to drink from during his banquet (Daniel 5:2-4)?
Answer: Gold and silver cups his father had carried off from God’s temple
Drunk with wine at a banquet for a thousand nobles (5:1), Belshazzar called for the sacred gold and silver articles Nebuchadnezzar had removed from the Jerusalem temple, and the royal company drank from them (5:2-3). These consecrated articles had come to Babylon when the Lord gave Jehoiakim into Nebuchadnezzar’s hand (1:2), so their presence in Babylon was itself the fruit of God’s judgment on Judah, not a sign of Babylon’s gods prevailing. Belshazzar compounds sacrilege with idolatry: the vessels of the LORD’s house become cups for praising gods of metal, wood and stone (5:4). Daniel’s indictment singles out exactly this profanation (5:23). The LORD guards His glory and will not give His praise to idols (Isaiah 42:8), lifeless works of human hands (Psalm 115:4-7).
- Daniel 5:2-4 (BSB)“Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king drank from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.”At his great banquet Belshazzar has the vessels from the Jerusalem temple brought in, and the guests drink from them while praising idols.
- Daniel 1:2 (BSB)“And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.”These were the articles from God’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had carried to Babylon when the Lord gave Judah’s king into his hand.
- Daniel 5:23 (BSB)“Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.”Daniel names the misuse of the vessels from God’s house, joined to idol praise, as part of the king’s offense.
- Isaiah 42:8 (BSB)“I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.”The LORD will hand His glory to no one else and His praise to no idol.
- Psalm 115:4-7 (BSB)“Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats.”Idols of silver and gold have eyes and ears but can neither see nor hear, as Daniel later says of Belshazzar’s gods.
General
How did Daniel answer when Belshazzar promised him purple clothing, a gold chain, and high rank for explaining the writing (Daniel 5:16-17)?
Answer: He told the king to keep his gifts but agreed to read and explain it
Belshazzar repeated his offer to Daniel: purple clothing, a gold chain for his neck, and the place of third in rank over the kingdom if he could read and explain the writing (5:16). Daniel told the king he could keep his gifts and hand his rewards to another, yet he would still read the writing and tell its meaning (5:17). Daniel does not give his reason, but his answer shows that the message did not depend on the king’s payment. Abram had once turned down a foreign king’s reward so no one could claim a pagan ruler had made him rich (Genesis 14:22-23), and Elisha refused Naaman’s gift (2 Kings 5:16). Daniel had said years earlier that the mystery was revealed to him not because of any special wisdom of his own (2:30). After the interpretation, the king had Daniel honored anyway (5:29).
- Daniel 5:16-17 (BSB)“But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” In response, Daniel said to the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him.”Belshazzar offers purple clothing, a gold chain and high rank; Daniel waves the rewards aside and agrees to interpret.
- Daniel 5:29 (BSB)“Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”After the interpretation, Belshazzar has Daniel honored anyway.
- Genesis 14:22-23 (BSB)“But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will not accept even a thread, or a strap of a sandal, or anything that belongs to you, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’”Abram likewise refused a foreign king’s reward so no one could say a pagan ruler had made him rich.
- 2 Kings 5:16 (BSB)“But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.” And although Naaman urged him to accept it, he refused.”Elisha refused Naaman’s gift even when Naaman pressed him to take it.
- Daniel 2:30 (BSB)“And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.”Daniel had earlier insisted that the mystery was revealed to him not because of any wisdom of his own.
Theological
What was Daniel’s response to the rewards Belshazzar offered for interpreting the inscription (Daniel 5:16-17)?
Answer: He told the king to keep his gifts but agreed to read and explain it
Offered royal purple, a gold chain and the rank of third ruler (5:16), Daniel declined the inducements outright, telling the king to keep his gifts or give them to another, while still undertaking to read and interpret the writing (5:17). He gives no reason, but his answer leaves God’s message unbought and its bearer unbeholden to the one who must hear it. Abram likewise refused the king of Sodom’s spoil (Genesis 14:22-23), and Elisha would take nothing from Naaman (2 Kings 5:16). Daniel had long disclaimed any wisdom of his own as the source of revelation (2:30). Belshazzar honored him regardless once the interpretation was given (5:29).
- Daniel 5:16-17 (BSB)“But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” In response, Daniel said to the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him.”Belshazzar offers purple clothing, a gold chain and high rank; Daniel waves the rewards aside and agrees to interpret.
- Daniel 5:29 (BSB)“Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”After the interpretation, Belshazzar has Daniel honored anyway.
- Genesis 14:22-23 (BSB)“But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will not accept even a thread, or a strap of a sandal, or anything that belongs to you, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’”Abram likewise refused a foreign king’s reward so no one could say a pagan ruler had made him rich.
- 2 Kings 5:16 (BSB)“But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.” And although Naaman urged him to accept it, he refused.”Elisha refused Naaman’s gift even when Naaman pressed him to take it.
- Daniel 2:30 (BSB)“And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.”Daniel had earlier insisted that the mystery was revealed to him not because of any wisdom of his own.
General
What charge did Daniel bring against Belshazzar before reading the inscription (Daniel 5:22-23)?
Answer: He knew how God humbled his father, yet stayed proud himself
Daniel first reminded Belshazzar of Nebuchadnezzar’s story. God Most High had given that king great power, yet when his heart grew arrogant and proud, God took his throne from him and drove him away to live like an animal until he confessed God’s rule over every human kingdom (5:18-21). Then Daniel said that Belshazzar knew all this and still had not humbled himself. Instead he had set himself in defiance of the Lord of heaven, drinking from the vessels of God’s house while praising lifeless idols, and failing to honor the One in whose hand lay his life-breath and every path he took (5:22-23). Nebuchadnezzar had confessed that God can humble the proud (4:37). Jesus taught that a servant who understands what his master wants and ignores it faces heavier punishment (Luke 12:47-48). God gives every person life and breath (Acts 17:24-25), and He opposes the proud (James 4:6).
- Daniel 5:20-21 (BSB)“But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him. He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.”Daniel recalls how pride brought Nebuchadnezzar down until he acknowledged the Most High’s rule over kingdoms.
- Daniel 5:22-23 (BSB)“But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.”Daniel charges Belshazzar with knowing all this and still setting himself up in defiance of God in heaven.
- Daniel 4:37 (BSB)“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”Nebuchadnezzar’s own confession, which Belshazzar knew about, was that God can bring down those who walk in pride.
- Luke 12:47-48 (BSB)“That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows. But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.”Jesus teaches that the servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it is punished more severely.
- Acts 17:24-25 (BSB)“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.”Paul teaches that the Creator needs nothing from people, since He Himself gives them life, breath and all else.
- James 4:6 (BSB)“But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””God resists arrogant people and shows favor to the lowly.
Theological
On what ground did Daniel indict Belshazzar (Daniel 5:22-23)?
Answer: He knew how God humbled his father, yet stayed proud himself
Daniel rehearses Nebuchadnezzar’s history as a lesson in God’s sovereignty: the Most High granted him dominion, then deposed him when his heart was lifted up in pride, reducing him to a beast’s existence until he confessed the Most High’s rule over all human kingdoms and His right to give them to whomever He chooses (5:18-21). Belshazzar’s guilt is aggravated by knowledge. He knew all of this yet did not humble his heart, but lifted himself up in defiance of the Lord of heaven, profaning the vessels of God’s house in the worship of senseless idols and refusing to honor the One who held his breath and every step of his life in His hand (5:22-23). His father’s confession that God humbles the proud (4:37) stood as a warning he ignored. Greater light brings greater accountability (Luke 12:47-48), every creature depends on God for life and breath (Acts 17:24-25), and God resists the proud (James 4:6).
- Daniel 5:20-21 (BSB)“But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him. He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.”Daniel recalls how pride brought Nebuchadnezzar down until he acknowledged the Most High’s rule over kingdoms.
- Daniel 5:22-23 (BSB)“But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.”Daniel charges Belshazzar with knowing all this and still setting himself up in defiance of God in heaven.
- Daniel 4:37 (BSB)“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”Nebuchadnezzar’s own confession, which Belshazzar knew about, was that God can bring down those who walk in pride.
- Luke 12:47-48 (BSB)“That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows. But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.”Jesus teaches that the servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it is punished more severely.
- Acts 17:24-25 (BSB)“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.”Paul teaches that the Creator needs nothing from people, since He Himself gives them life, breath and all else.
- James 4:6 (BSB)“But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””God resists arrogant people and shows favor to the lowly.
General
According to Daniel’s explanation of the writing on the wall, what had God decided about Belshazzar (Daniel 5:25-28)?
Answer: God had ended his reign, found him lacking, and split his kingdom
Daniel read the words written on the wall and then explained each one (5:25). The first meant that God had counted the days of Belshazzar’s rule and ended it. The second meant that the king had been placed on God’s scales and did not measure up. The third meant that his kingdom was divided and given into the hands of the Medes and the Persians (5:26-28). This was God acting as Judge over a proud ruler. Hannah had warned that the LORD weighs every action (1 Samuel 2:3), and the psalmist says God brings one ruler down and lifts up another (Psalm 75:6-7). Daniel himself had praised God as the One who removes kings and sets them up (2:21).
- Daniel 5:25-28 (BSB)“Now this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. And this is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.””Daniel reads the inscription and explains each word as God’s verdict on Belshazzar and his kingdom.
- 1 Samuel 2:3 (BSB)“Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him actions are weighed.”Hannah’s prayer warns the proud that the LORD weighs every action.
- Psalm 75:6-7 (BSB)“For exaltation comes neither from east nor west, nor out of the desert, but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.”Exaltation comes from no earthly direction; God the Judge lowers one and raises up another.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”Daniel had praised God as the One who deposes rulers and installs others.
Theological
What verdict did Daniel’s interpretation of the inscription announce (Daniel 5:25-28)?
Answer: God had ended his reign, found him lacking, and split his kingdom
Daniel reads the inscription (5:25) and gives its threefold sense: God has counted out the king’s reign and terminated it; Belshazzar has been weighed in the divine balance and found wanting; and his kingdom is divided and assigned into the hands of the Medes and the Persians (5:26-28). The verdict is judicial and final, a sentence already passed in heaven. The LORD who weighs every deed (1 Samuel 2:3) is the Judge who abases one ruler and exalts another (Psalm 75:6-7). Daniel had confessed this same sovereignty in his praise after the dream of chapter 2: God deposes kings and raises others up (2:21). Belshazzar’s throne, like Nebuchadnezzar’s, was held only at God’s pleasure.
- Daniel 5:25-28 (BSB)“Now this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. And this is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.””Daniel reads the inscription and explains each word as God’s verdict on Belshazzar and his kingdom.
- 1 Samuel 2:3 (BSB)“Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him actions are weighed.”Hannah’s prayer warns the proud that the LORD weighs every action.
- Psalm 75:6-7 (BSB)“For exaltation comes neither from east nor west, nor out of the desert, but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.”Exaltation comes from no earthly direction; God the Judge lowers one and raises up another.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”Daniel had praised God as the One who deposes rulers and installs others.
General
When the queen came into the banquet hall, what did she remind the king about Daniel (Daniel 5:11-12)?
Answer: King Nebuchadnezzar had set him over the magicians and wise men
Hearing the uproar, the queen came into the banquet hall and urged the king not to be terrified (5:10). She told him there was a man in the kingdom who had shown remarkable insight and wisdom during Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, and Nebuchadnezzar had made him chief over all the magicians and other wise men. This was Daniel, also called Belteshazzar, who could explain dreams and riddles and solve hard problems, and she urged the king to send for him (5:11-12). Her account matches earlier chapters: after Daniel explained the dream of the great statue, Nebuchadnezzar put him in charge of all Babylon’s wise men (2:48), and he called Daniel the head of the magicians (4:8-9). Daniel’s ability to understand dreams and visions was something God had given him (1:17).
- Daniel 5:10-12 (BSB)“Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow pale. There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king, did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon Daniel, therefore, and he will give you the interpretation.””The queen calms the king and reminds him of Daniel, whom Nebuchadnezzar had made chief of the wise men.
- Daniel 2:48 (BSB)“Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.”After Daniel explained the great statue dream, Nebuchadnezzar made him chief administrator over Babylon’s wise men.
- Daniel 4:8-9 (BSB)“But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream: “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my dream, and their interpretation.”Nebuchadnezzar himself had called Daniel head over the magicians and trusted him to explain a dream.
- Daniel 1:17 (BSB)“To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.”Daniel’s insight into dreams and visions was God’s gift to him, not a skill of his own making.
Theological
What did the queen recall about Daniel when she urged Belshazzar to send for him (Daniel 5:11-12)?
Answer: King Nebuchadnezzar had set him over the magicians and wise men
Entering the hall at the king’s outcry, the queen counseled calm (5:10) and pointed Belshazzar to a man already proven in Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, one whom that king had appointed head of all the magicians and wise men because of his extraordinary spirit and his skill in explaining dreams, riddles and hard problems. She named him Daniel, called Belteshazzar, and assured the king he would give the interpretation (5:11-12). Her testimony agrees with the earlier record of Daniel’s promotion over Babylon’s wise men (2:48) and of Nebuchadnezzar addressing him as head of the magicians (4:8-9). Even in a pagan court, the competence that set Daniel apart was God’s gift of understanding in visions and dreams (1:17).
- Daniel 5:10-12 (BSB)“Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow pale. There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king, did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon Daniel, therefore, and he will give you the interpretation.””The queen calms the king and reminds him of Daniel, whom Nebuchadnezzar had made chief of the wise men.
- Daniel 2:48 (BSB)“Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.”After Daniel explained the great statue dream, Nebuchadnezzar made him chief administrator over Babylon’s wise men.
- Daniel 4:8-9 (BSB)“But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream: “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my dream, and their interpretation.”Nebuchadnezzar himself had called Daniel head over the magicians and trusted him to explain a dream.
- Daniel 1:17 (BSB)“To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.”Daniel’s insight into dreams and visions was God’s gift to him, not a skill of his own making.
General
True or False: When the hand wrote on the palace wall, Belshazzar’s wise men read the words aloud but could not agree on what they meant (Daniel 5:7-8).
Answer: False
This is false. While the king stared at a human hand writing on the plaster near the lampstand, he turned pale and shook with fear (5:5-6). He called for his diviners, astrologers and enchanters and promised purple clothing, a gold chain and the rank of third in the kingdom to anyone who could read and explain the writing (5:7). But not one of them could even read it, let alone interpret it (5:8), and the king grew more frightened still (5:9). The same thing had happened in Nebuchadnezzar’s day: his wise men could not explain his dreams (4:7), and Daniel had told him that no human wise man could solve such a mystery, but that the God of heaven makes such secrets known (2:27-28). The LORD makes the knowledge of worldly experts foolish (Isaiah 44:25).
- Daniel 5:7-8 (BSB)“The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.”The king promises rich rewards, but all his wise men fail to read or explain the writing.
- Daniel 2:27-28 (BSB)“Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:”Daniel had told Nebuchadnezzar that no human wise man could explain such a mystery, but that God in heaven reveals it.
- Daniel 4:7 (BSB)“When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.”Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men had likewise failed to explain his second dream.
- Isaiah 44:25 (BSB)“who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,”The LORD frustrates diviners and turns the knowledge of the worldly wise into nonsense.
Theological
True or False: Belshazzar’s wise men managed to read the inscription but disagreed about its interpretation (Daniel 5:7-8).
Answer: False
This is false. Terrified by the hand writing on the wall (5:5-6), Belshazzar summoned Babylon’s diviners, astrologers and enchanters, offering purple, a gold chain and the third place in the kingdom to whoever could read and explain it (5:7). None could so much as read the words, much less interpret them (5:8), and the king’s alarm only deepened (5:9). Once again Babylon’s whole apparatus of divination fails before the revelation of God, as it had with Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (4:7). Daniel had already declared that no human wisdom can unlock such a mystery and that the God of heaven alone reveals it (2:27-28). The LORD confounds diviners and turns the learning of the wise into nonsense (Isaiah 44:25).
- Daniel 5:7-8 (BSB)“The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.”The king promises rich rewards, but all his wise men fail to read or explain the writing.
- Daniel 2:27-28 (BSB)“Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:”Daniel had told Nebuchadnezzar that no human wise man could explain such a mystery, but that God in heaven reveals it.
- Daniel 4:7 (BSB)“When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.”Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men had likewise failed to explain his second dream.
- Isaiah 44:25 (BSB)“who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,”The LORD frustrates diviners and turns the knowledge of the worldly wise into nonsense.