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Daniel 5

Daniel 5:1

Belshazzar’s Feast · Daniel 5:1–4
Read Daniel 5

Translations

Modern
Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.
Traditional
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
Literal
Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and before the thousand he was drinking wine.
Latin
Baltassar rex fecit grande convivium optimatibus suis mille: et unusquisque secundum suam bibebat ætatem.

Interlinear

Hebrew
English
Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.

Notes

Daniel 5:1

  • Later: This chapter begins with events that took place in October 539 BC (see study note on Daniel 5:30).

  • The name Belshazzar means “Bel Protects [the King].” Bel was a Babylonian god. Nabonidus, who ruled from 556 to 539 BC, placed his son Belshazzar on the Babylonian throne around 553 BC to rule in his place. Nabonidus then moved to Tema in northwest Arabia, where he stayed for ten years. He returned to Babylon only in a failed attempt to resist the Persians (see Daniel 5:30–31).

Daniel 5:1–30

All earthly kingdoms eventually end. Nebuchadnezzar's dream suggested that Babylon would fall and a new kingdom would rise (Daniel 2:39).

After Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BC, violence and corruption grew in Babylon's palaces. During Belshazzar's feast in 539 BC, they even defiled God's holy vessels. God's judgment came quickly that night (Daniel 5:30), and the next kingdom took over (see 2:32, 39; 5:31).

Daniel 2:1–6:28

This section contains stories and dreams from the experiences of Daniel and his friends in Babylon. Daniel used his special gift to understand dreams and showed great skill in the study of literature and science (Daniel 1:17). Chapter 2 provides a broad overview of history until God's kingdom appears (Daniel 2:44–49). Daniel 3–6 describes the fall of Babylon and the rise of Persia. History is moving toward a clear goal. That goal is the everlasting kingdom of God (Daniel 2:44; 4:2–3, 34; 6:26).

Theme notes and profiles

Babylon Daniel

Events

People

Belshazzar: The last Emperor of Babylon, son of Nabonidus

Glossary

Aramaic Babylon, Babylonia Book of Daniel Book of Jeremiah Chaldea, Chaldeans Feasts and Festivals of Israel Postexilic Period

Topics

Babylon: Governed by Kings Babylon: Inhabitants of Profane and Sacrilegious Belshazzar: King of Babylon Daniel: A Jewish Captive, Also Called Belteshazzar: Interprets Visions Drunkenness: Belshazzar Drunkenness: The Wicked Addicted To Entertainments: Often Great Feasts: Drunkenness At Feasts: Given by Kings Feasts: Men and Women Attend Gluttony: Belshazzar Happiness of the Wicked: Belshazzar King: Belshazzar The Happiness of the Wicked: Belshazzar Wine was Used: At all Feasts and Entertainments Women: Social Status of in Persia