“Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.”
Baltassar. He is believed to be the same as Nabonides, the last of the Chaldean kings, grandson to Nabuchodonosor. He is called his son (ver. 2, 11, &c.) according to the style of the Scriptures, because he was a descendant from him. (Challoner; St. Jerome in Isaiah xiii.; Usher, &c.) — Some think that he was brother of Evilmerodac, ver. 11., and Baruch i. 11. But he seems rather to have been his son, Jeremias xxvii. 7. Profane authors place Neriglissor and Laborosoarchod between them. They were not of the royal family, and might be looked upon as usurpers, or reigned in some other place; or they did not meddle with the Jews. (Calmet) — It is wonderful that Josephus should prefer these authors; (Tirinus) yet he abandons the dates given by them. (Jewish Antiquities x. 12. & contra Apion 1.) They represent Nabonides as a simple Babylonian raised to the throne, defeated by Cyrus, and suffered to retire into Carmania; whereas, Baltassar was slain, ver. 29. (Calmet) — The others were of a different lineage, and are mentioned by Eusebius, &c. Evilmerodac certainly preceded him on the throne, and honoured Joachin in the 37th year of his captivity. (Worthington) — Thousand; or, “for his officers over a thousand men.” (Theodotion) — Every. Chaldean, “and drank wine before the thousand,” more than any, for this was deemed a great perfection; or he drank in their presence, but apart. (Calmet) — The Persian monarchs used to sit in a separate apartment, with a veil before the door, so that they could see the guests without being seen. A great chandelier was before them; (Athen. iv. 10.) probably on the outside, otherwise it would have defeated their purpose. Light sufficient would appear for Baltassar to see the hand-writing on his chamber wall, ver. 5. (Haydock) — According to the order of time, this chapter should be placed after the vii. and viii. (Calmet) — But those contain visions. (Haydock)
“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. countenance: Cald. brightnesses was changed: Cald. changed it joints: or, girdles: Cald. bindings, or, knots”
Loosed, so that he quaked for fear, Ezechiel xxix. 7. (Calmet) — He was not so drunk as to be deprived of sense. (Haydock) — This happened in the 17th and last year of his reign, when Daniel was about a hundred years old, (Worthington) though we have no certain account of his age. (Haydock) — He might be eighty-two when he died. (Calmet)
“The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew 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. aloud: Cald. with might scarlet: or, purple”
Purple. This and the chain were reserved for the highest nobility. — Third, or one of the three great officers, chap. vi. 1., and 2 Kings xxiii. 8, 19.
“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.”
Read. It was written in Samaritan characters; or, for want of vowels, could not be read or understood. (Calmet)
“Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:”
The queen. Not the wife, but the mother of the king; (Challoner) Amyit, widow of Nabuchodonosor, and sister of Darius, the Mede; or (Calmet) Nitocris, the mother of Labynithus, (Herod. i.) whom many confound with Baltassar. (Calmet)
“There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; father: or, grandfather”
Father. So a grandfather might be styled, Jeremias xxvii. 7.(Worthington) —Daniel was not perhaps at the head of the wise men. (Calmet) — They were too jealous to mention him; and the intoxicated king and courtiers remembered not his merit, till an aged matron suggested that he should be consulted. He was probably (Haydock) in some office, at Susa, yet happened to be then in Babylon, (Calmet) which was besieged; and thither he might have retired at the approached of Cyrus.
“And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. make interpretations: Cald. interpret, etc”
Difficult. Literally, “things which are tied,” or perplexing. (Haydock) — The Persians still use the like expressions, to imply an intelligent governor. (Chardin.)
“Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. rewards: or, fee”
Another. He does not refuse the offers, but civilly replies that he will give satisfaction without regard to any recompense.
“And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew ; and whom he would he kept alive ; and whom he would he set up ; and whom he would he put down .”
Slew. He was an absolute monarch, and considered his subjects as so many slaves. (Calmet) — Xerxes having called together his nobles, that he might not seem to have resolved on the war with Greece alone, said: “Nevertheless, remember that you have to obey rather than to advise.” (V. Max. 9. 5. 2.)
“And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. his heart: or, he made his heart equal, etc”
Beasts. His disordered imagination made him dwell with them. (Worthington) — It is strange that such an example should have been so soon forgotten, that Daniel is forced to repeat it so explicitly, chap. iv. 13.
“But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:”
Vessels. Only part had been returned to Sedecias: (Chap. i. 2.) but they were taken again, and kept in the palace, or in the temple of Bel. (Haydock) — Breath, or soul, Genesis ii. 7. (Calmet)
“And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”
Phares. These words consist of three letters, mona, thokol, pros, as we add o merely for pronunciation. Being unconnected and almost destitute of vowels, (Haydock) it is not easy even for the learned to read these words, or to ascertain their meaning. Thus d b r being placed in a similar situation, it would be impossible to determine the sense; as it may have ten different meanings, according as it is pronounced, ver. 8. (Calmet) — Mane is twice repeated, to shew the certainty and exactitude of the numbering. (Menochius) — Yet in the sequel each word occurs once and unconnected, as it is here in the Vulgate; not Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin, (Protestants; Haydock) “He hath numbered, numbered, weighed, and the dividers or the Persians” are upon thee, (T.[Tirinus?]) as Dalila said to Samson. Only three words (Haydock) were written. (St. Jerome) — The rest contain the prophet’s explanation. The Chaldean empire had now attained its utmost height. Its king brought ruin upon himself by his wicked life. (Haydock) — He would soon be divided with the sword, and his kingdom shared between the Medes and Persians. (St. Jerome)
“PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
Persians. Those who confound Baltassar with Nabonides, say that Cyrus made himself master of all the empire. How then was it divided? Darius rather took possession of the greatest part while Cyrus had Persia, (Calmet) till his uncle’s death. (Haydock)
“Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
Third, or over a third part. (St. Jerome; ver. 7.; Haydock) The honours were conferred without delay, and they would have been made public in the morning. But death prevented the king; and Daniel did not enjoy them till they were ratified by Darius, to whom he adhered. (Calmet) — The Medes then besieged the city, which they took that night, when most part were drunk. (Worthington) — It was a solemn festival, Isaiah xxi. (St. Jerome) — Cyrus rushed in by the channel of the Euphrates, and two of the king’s guards slew him to revenge themselves. (Xenoph. 7.; Beros.)
“And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. being: Cald. he as the son of, etc about: or, now”
Darius. He is called Cyaxares by the historians, and was the son of Astyages, and uncle to Cyrus (Challoner) as well as to Baltassar, by the mother’s side. He is styled Astyages, (Chap. xiii. 65.) or Artaxerxes. (Septuagint, chap. vi. 1.) He takes the title of king both of the Medes and Persians, chap. vi. 8., &c. (Calmet)