Belshazzar the king - Nebuchadnezzar had died in 562 B.C., leaving his son Evil-Merodach [Amel-Marduk] to take over the kingdom 562-560 B.C. He was succeeded by Neriglissar 560-556 B.C., who was succeeded by his son Laborosoarchod who ruled for 9 months. Nabonadius ruled next 556-539 B.C. with the last three years, 541-539 B.C. co-jointly with his son Belshazzar. This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah 27:6-8 where Babylon would rule until his son and his son’s son, as Nabonadius was Nebuchadnezzar’s son and Belshazzar therefore his grandson.
Made a great feast - In 560 B.C., with Neriglissar ruling, war had broken out between the Babylonians and the Medes. Darius, the king of the Medes, summoned his nephew Cyrus, the king of the Persians, to aid him in the war. At the time of Belshazzar, Babylon the city was the only city in the east not under subjection to the Medes and Persians. So Cyrus laid siege to the city of Babylon. But prior to this, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah 51:44-46, a rumour came that Cyrus was coming to lay siege. He had to turn back due to the death of a sacred white horse, but came out again 1 year later 538 B.C.
With Belshazzar knowing all this, but being full of pride, still made a great feast as an act of defiance. For Babylon’s walls were to thick to break through and to high to climb, and with approximately 25 years supply of food, plus an abundance of food growing within the walls, and with the Euphrates running through the centre they had an indefinite supply of food.
A thousand of his lords plus wives and concubines were present at the feast.
Drank wine before the thousand - The word before can also be translated as against. It would not be unusual for Belshazzar to have been in a drinking contest.
While he tasted the wine - With his reason impeded by the intoxicated state he was in from the fermented wine, he commanded to have the golden and silver vessels, that had been taken from the temple of God at Jerusalem, brought to him so they could drink out of them.
His father Nebuchadnezzar - These were the same vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken when he took over Jerusalem.
As seen already, Nebuchadnezzar was Belshazzar’s grandfather. It was customary to call any parental figure by father.
Drank in them - The wives, concubines, king, and princes all drank out of sacred vessels from the house of God.
Praised the gods - They continued in their debased state by praising the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone. In reality, what they were doing was mixing their pagan religion with the true worship of God. We will see the results in the next verse.
Daniel 5:5-6 “In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister 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.”
In the same hour - Hour comes from the Chaldean word sha’ah, which means a moment. In the same moment that they began to use the vessels, which are for the true worship of God, to drink wine out of and praise their gods, the sentence was pronounced. We learn from this that true and false worship do not mix, but endanger a person of closing their probation.
Fingers of a man’s hand - Obviously the hand of God, as the writing was a judgment from God pronounced upon Babylon. This we will see in Vs 24-28.
Wrote - The finger of God wrote upon the plaster of the wall of the kings palace. Belshazzar saw the hand and the writing which was for all to see.
Countenance was changed...joints of his loins loosed... - This had an immediate reaction upon Belshazzar. It struck so much fear into him that it caused his knees to knock together, a vast change from the drunkenness and revelry of the feast.
Looking at the prophecy of Isaiah 21:2-5, we see the same event described by Isaiah. He likens Belshazzar’s experience to a woman that is in labour. The onset is sudden and unexpected, the night of his pleasure was turned into fear.
Daniel 5:7-9 “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 astonished.”
Bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers - Belshazzar cried aloud, or with might [margin], to bring in the wise men. Here was a man whose voice would have bellowed throughout the king’s palace, crying out to bring in the wise men so they could give him an answer as quickly as possible.
King spake - The king told the wise men that, whoever could read him the writing and give the interpretation thereof would be clothed in scarlet, [margin, purple] as purple was a symbol of royalty, and have a gold chain about his neck.
Third ruler in the kingdom - Above all of this they were to be promoted to third ruler in the kingdom. But why third and not second? Nabonadius, Belshazzar’s father, was still ruling at the time, though he was absent. This made Belshazzar the second in charge, thus the next person would naturally be below him in the third position.
But they could not read... – They could not even read the writing, thus they could not give the interpretation though such a great reward was on offer. The false system fails again.
Greatly troubled... - All the hopes and confidence that he had in his wise men vanished, which sunk him into a troubled state. His countenance also showing his despair and disappointment.
