Light in Babylon: A Commentary on Daniel (Chapter 5)

Written by Peter Rodriguez

The Book of Daniel – Chapter 5

Available in other languages: Português

1: בלשאצר מלכא עבד לחם רב לרברבנוהי אלף ולקבל אלפא חמרא שתה Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his great men, and before the thousand he was drinking the wine.

Belshazzar: This was the son of Nabonidus, who in turn was the son of Nebuchadnezzar.

For over two thousand years, Belshazzar’s existence was unknown outside the Book of Daniel. There was no archaeological evidence or references in extrabiblical sources—until the mid-19th century, when an ancient Babylonian clay cylinder was discovered. On this cylinder, the father of Belshazzar mentioned his son by name: “As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, save me from sinning against your great godhead and grant me as a present a life long of days, and as for Belshazzar, the eldest son—my offspring—instill reverence for your great godhead in his heart and may he not commit any cultic mistake, may he be sated with a life of plenitude.” (Nabonidus Cylinder from Ur, published by the Dutch historian Jona Lendering on Livius; emphasis added)

Daniel knew of Belshazzar’s existence, something unknown to later writers, simply because he lived during the sixth century BC and wrote his book during that period.

Belshazzar the king: Belshazzar ruled as king alongside his father, Nabonidus.

“Dr. Theophilus G. Pinches has recently published some extracts from two tablets from Erech which are in the possession of an Englishman, Mr. Harding Smith, which throw some additional light on these points. It was customary for Babylonians in confirming a contract to swear by the name of the reigning king, and one of these tablets contains a contract, dated in the 12th year of Nabuna’id [Nabonidus], in which a man bound himself by the oath of Nabuna’id [Nabonidus], King of Babylon, and of Belshazzar, the king’s son.” (George A. Barton, Archæology and the Bible; emphasis added)

The fact that he swore an oath in the name of both Nabonidus and Belshazzar shows that they were both reigning kings.

The Verse Account of Nabonidus is another recent archaeological finding that makes a reference to Belshazzar, this time showing him as a reigning king (just as Daniel shows in his book): “[…] when the third year was about to begin — he entrusted the army to his oldest son, his first born, the troops in the country he ordered under his command. He let everything go, entrusted the kingship to him [to his firstborn son, who was Belshazzar according to the Nabonidus Cylinder that we saw], and, himself, he started out for a long journey. The military forces of Akkad marching with him, he turned to Tayma deep in the west.” (Verse Account of Nabonidus, published by the Dutch historian Jona Lendering on Livius; emphasis added)

No writer or historian after the sixth century knew of Belshazzar the son of Nabonidus, and they all assumed that Nabonidus was the last king of Babylon.

It is only through these firsthand historical sources from the 6th century B.C. (the Book of Daniel and the recently discovered Babylonian records) that we can know about Belshazzar’s existence and that he was king of Babylon.

2: בלשאצר אמר בטעם חמרא להיתיה למאני דהבא וכספא די הנפק נבוכדנצר אבוהי מן היכלא די בירושלם וישתון בהון מלכא ורברבנוהי שגלתה ולחנתה Belshazzar said, at the taste of the wine, to bring in the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem, that might drink with them the king, and his great men, his wives, and his concubines.

Nebuchadnezzar his father: However, the historical records we saw shows that Belshazzar was son of Nabonidus.

And the prophecy said that the nations would serve the Babylonian empire until the son of Nebuchadnezzar’s son. But here, the last king of the Babylonian empire is called the son of Nebuchadnezzar.

Remember what was discussed in the introduction to this series: not every term in Scripture should be translated literally, as doing so can result in meanings far removed from what the biblical author intended. This is one such example. Daniel wrote in Semitic languages, about 2,500 years ago, in the cultural context of the Middle East of that time. Naturally, the way Daniel and his contemporaries expressed ideas is not entirely the same as ours.

We limit the word “son” to mean a literal son, but the book of Daniel was not written in 21st century English.

“The Semitic use of the word in question [son] goes far beyond the first degree of descent, and extends the appellation of ‘son’ to the designation ‘grandson,’ and even of the most remote posterity. In Ezra 6:14, the prophet Zechariah is called ‘the son of Iddo;’ in Zechariah 1:1, Zechariah 1:7, the same person is called ‘the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.’ So Isaiah threatens Hezekiah (Isaiah 39:7) that the sons whom he shall beget shall be conducted as exiles to Babylon; in which case, however, four generations intervened before this happened. So in Matthew 1:1, ‘Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.'” (Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the Bible)

3: באדין היתיו מאני דהבא די הנפקו מן היכלא די בית אלהא די בירושלם ואשתיו בהון מלכא ורברבנוהי שגלתה ולחנתה Then they brought in the vessels of gold that were taken out of the temple, which is the house of God, that was in Jerusalem, and drank with them the king and his great men, his wives and his concubines;

4: אשתיו חמרא ושבחו לאלהי דהבא וכספא נחשא פרזלא אעא ואבנא they drank the wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of copper, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

5: בה שעתה נפקו אצבען די יד אנש וכתבן לקבל נברשתא על גירא די כתל היכלא די מלכא ומלכא חזה פס ידה די כתבה At that moment came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and they wrote over-against the candlestick, on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. And the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

6: אדין מלכא זיוהי שנוהי ורעינהי יבהלונה וקטרי חרצה משתרין וארכבתה דא לדא נקשן Then the king’s brightness was changed, and his thoughts alarmed him, and the joints of his hips were loosed, and his knees this to this they knocked together.

7: קרא מלכא בחיל להעלה לאשפיא כשדיא וגזריא ענה מלכא ואמר לחכימי בבל די כל אנש די יקרה כתבה דנה ופשרה יחונני ארגונא ילבש והמונכא די דהבא על צוארה ותלתי במלכותא ישלט The king called with might to bring up the enchanters, Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king answered and said to the wise men of Babylon, that, “Any man who reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with the purple, and have the chain of gold on his neck, and third in the kingdom he shall rule.

8: אדין עללין כל חכימי מלכא ולא כהלין כתבא למקרא ופשרא להודעה למלכא Then came in all the wise men of the king, and they were not able to read the writing, and to make known the interpretation to the king;

9: אדין מלכא בלשאצר שגיא מתבהל וזיוהי שנין עלוהי ורברבנוהי משתבשין then the king Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his brightness changed upon him, and his great men were perplexed.

10: מלכתא לקבל מלי מלכא ורברבנוהי לבית משתיא עללת ענת מלכתא ואמרת מלכא לעלמין חיי אל יבהלוך רעיונך וזיויך אל ישתנו The queen, on account of the words of the king and his great men, came in to the house of the drinking. The queen answered and said, “May the king live forever; let not your thoughts alarm you, and let not your brightness be changed:

11: איתי גבר במלכותך די רוח אלהין קדישין בה וביומי אבוך נהירו ושכלתנו וחכמה כחכמת אלהין השתכחת בה ומלכא נבכדנצר אבוך רב חרטמין אשפין כשדאין גזרין הקימה אבוך מלכא there is a man in your kingdom who a Spirit of Holy Gods is in him; and in the days of your father, light, and understanding, and wisdom, as the wisdom of Gods, were found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar your father, set him up as master of scribes, enchanters, Chaldeans, diviners—your father, O king—

12: כל קבל די רוח יתירה ומנדע ושכלתנו מפשר חלמין ואחוית אחידן ומשרא קטרין השתכחת בה בדניאל די מלכא שם שמה בלטשאצר כען דניאל יתקרי ופשרה יהחוה all of because that an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of enigmas, and loosing of knots, were found in him, in Daniel, whom the king set his name Belteshazzar. Now, let Daniel be called, and the interpretation he will show.”

13: באדין דניאל העל קדם מלכא ענה מלכא ואמר לדניאל אנתה הוא דניאל די מן בני גלותא די יהוד די היתי מלכא אבי מן יהוד Then Daniel was brought before the king; answered the king, and said to Daniel, “You are Daniel who is from sons of the exile from Jehud, whom the king my father brought out from Jehud.

14: ושמעת עליך די רוח אלהין בך ונהירו ושכלתנו וחכמה יתירה השתכחת בך And I have heard of you, that a Spirit of God is in you, and light, and understanding, and surpassing wisdom are found in you.

15: וכען העלו קדמי חכימיא אשפיא די כתבה דנה יקרון ופשרה להודעתני ולא כהלין פשר מלתא להחויה And now the wise men, the enchanters, were brought in before me, that the writing, this one, they should read, and its interpretation make known to me; and they are not able to show a interpretation of the word.

16: ואנה שמעת עליך די תוכל פשרין למפשר וקטרין למשרא כען הן תוכל כתבא למקרא ופשרה להודעתני ארגונא תלבש והמונכא די דהבא על צוארך ותלתא במלכותא תשלט And I have heard of you, that you are able to interpret interpretations, and to untie knots. Now, if you are able to read the writing, and its interpretation make known to me, you will be clothed with the purple, and have the chain of gold on your neck, and third in the kingdom you will rule.

17: באדין ענה דניאל ואמר קדם מלכא מתנתך לך להוין ונבזביתך לאחרן הב ברם כתבא אקרא למלכא ופשרא אהודענה Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king, and make the interpretation known to him.

18: אנתה מלכא אלהא עליא מלכותא ורבותא ויקרא והדרה יהב לנבכדנצר אבוך You are the king. The God, the Most High, gave to Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and the greatness, and the glory, and the honour;

19: ומן רבותא די יהב לה כל עממיא אמיא ולשניא הוו זאעין ודחלין מן קדמוהי די הוה צבא הוא קטל ודי הוה צבא הוה מחא ודי הוה צבא הוה מרים ודי הוה צבא הוה משפיל and because of the greatness that he gave to him, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages trembled and feared from before him. Whomever he wished, he slew; and whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he raised up; and whomever he wished, he put down.

20: וכדי רם לבבה ורוחה תקפת להזדה הנחת מן כרסא מלכותה ויקרה העדיו מנה And when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was emboldened to act proudly, he was made to come down from the throne of his kingdom, and the glory was removed from him,

21: ומן בני אנשא טריד ולבבה עם חיותא שוי ועם ערדיא מדורה עשבא כתורין יטעמונה ומטל שמיא גשמה יצטבע עד די ידע די שליט אלהא עליא במלכות אנשא ולמן די יצבה יהקים עליה and from sons of the man he was driven, and his heart with the animal was made, and with the wild donkeys was his dwelling; the herb like oxen he was made to eat, and from the dew of heaven was his body wet, until when he knew that the God, the Most High, is Ruler in the kingdom of man, and that he rises over it whomever he desires.

22: ואנתה ברה בלשאצר לא השפלת לבבך כל קבל די כל דנה ידעת And you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this;

23: ועל מרא שמיא התרוממת ולמאניא די ביתה היתיו קדמיך ואנתה ורברבניך שגלתך ולחנתך חמרא שתין בהון ולאלהי כספא ודהבא נחשא פרזלא אעא ואבנא די לא חזין ולא שמעין ולא ידעין שבחת ולאלהא די נשמתך בידה וכל ארחתך לה לא הדרת and against a Lord of heaven you have lifted yourself up; and the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your great men, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine with them; and gods of silver, and of gold, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor know, you have praised; and the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

24: באדין מן קדמוהי שליח פסא די ידא וכתבא דנה רשים Then from before him the part of the hand was sent, and the writing, this one, was engraved;

25: ודנה כתבא די רשים מנא מנא תקל ופרסין and this is the writing that was engraved: NUMERATION, NUMERATION, WEIGHING, AND DIVISIONS.

26: דנה פשר מלתא מנא מנה אלהא מלכותך והשלמה This is the interpretation of the thing: NUMERATION: The God has numbered your kingdom and completed it.

And completed it: Brought it to a conclusion. The time and period appointed by God for the Babylonians to reign over the nations was completed. They will not reign the nations anymore.

27: תקל תקילתה במאזניא והשתכחת חסיר WEIGHING: You have been weighed in the balances and found lacking.

28: פרס פריסת מלכותך ויהיבת למדי ופרס DIVISION: Your kingdom is divided and given to Medes and Persians.

29: באדין אמר בלשאצר והלבישו לדניאל ארגונא והמונכא די דהבא על צוארה והכרזו עלוהי די להוא שליט תלתא במלכותא Then Belshazzar said, and they clothed Daniel with the purple, and the chain of gold was on his neck, and they proclaimed concerning him that he was third ruler in the kingdom.

30: בה בליליא קטיל בלאשצר מלכא כשדיא In it, in the night, Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans, was slain,

31: ודריוש מדיא קבל מלכותא כבר שנין שתין ותרתין and Darius, a Mede, received the kingdom, when a son of sixty and two years.

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