| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Daniel Chapter
Five
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 5
This
chapter gives an account of a feast made by King Belshazzar
attended with
drunkenness
idolatry
and profanation of the vessels taken out of the temple
at Jerusalem
Daniel 5:1
and of
the displeasure of God
signified by a handwriting on the wall
which terrified
the king
and caused him to send in haste for the astrologers
&c. to read
and interpret it
but they could not
Daniel 5:5
in this
distress
which appeared in the countenances of him and his nobles
the queen
mother advises him to send for Daniel
of whom she gives a great encomium
Daniel 5:9
upon
which he was brought in to the king
and promised a great reward to read and
interpret the writing; the reward he slighted
but promised to read and
interpret the writing
Daniel 5:13 and
after putting him in mind of what had befallen his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar
and charging him with pride
idolatry
and profanation of the vessels of the
Lord
Daniel 5:18 reads
and interprets the writing to him Daniel 5:24
when
he had honour done him
and was preferred in the government
Daniel 5:29 and the
chapter is concluded with an account of the immediate accomplishment of ancient
prophecies
and of this handwriting
in the slaying of the king of Babylon
in
the dissolution of the Babylonish monarchy
and the possession of it by Darius
the Mede
Daniel 5:30.
Daniel 5:1 Belshazzar
the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords
and drank wine in the
presence of the thousand.
YLT 1Belshazzar the king hath
made a great feast to a thousand of his great men
and before the thousand he
is drinking wine;
Belshazzar the king made a great feast
.... This king
was not the immediate successor of Nebuchadnezzar
but Evilmerodach
Jeremiah 52:31
who
according to Ptolemy's canon
reigned two years; then followed
Neriglissar
his sister's husband
by whom he was slain
and who usurped the
throne
and reigned four years; he died in the beginning of his fourth year
and left a son called Laborosoarchod
who reigned but nine months
which are
placed by Ptolemy to his father's reign
and therefore he himself is not
mentioned in the canon; and then followed this king
who by Ptolemy is called
Nabonadius; by Berosus
NabonnedusF20Apud Joseph. contr. Apion. l.
1. by AbydenusF21Apud Euseb. Evangel. l. 9. c. 41. p. 457.
Nabannidochus; by HerodotusF23Clio
sive l. 1. c. 188.
Labynitus;
and by JosephusF24Antiqu. l. 10. c. 11. sect. 2.
Naboandelus
who
according to him
is the same with Belshazzar; whom some confound with the son
of Neriglissar; others take him to be the same with Evilmerodach
because he
here immediately follows Nebuchadnezzar
and is called his son
Daniel 5:11
and
others that he was a younger brother
so Jarchi and Theodoret; but the truth
is
that he was the son of Evilmerodach
and grandson of Nebuchadnezzar
which
agrees with the prophecy in Jeremiah 27:7
for
though Nebuchadnezzar is called his father
and he his son
Daniel 5:2 this is
said after the manner of the eastern nations
who used to call ancestors
fathers
and their more remote posterity sons. He had his name Belshazzar from
the idol Bel
and may be rendered
"Bel's treasurer": though
according to Saadiah
the word signifies "a searcher of treasures"
of his ancestors
or of the house of God. Hillerus translates it
"Bel
hath hidden". This king
made a great feast; or "bread"F25לחם "panem"
Montanus
Piscator. All food is
called bread
Jarchi in Lev. xxi. 17.
which is put for all provisions; it was
great
both on account of plenty of food
variety of dishes
and number of
guests
and those of the highest rank and quality. On what account this feast
was made is not easy to say; whether out of contempt of Cyrus and his army
by
whom he was now besieged
and to show that he thought himself quite safe and
secure in a city so well walled and fortified
and having in it such vast
quantities of provision; or whether it was on account of a victory he had
obtained that morning over the Medes and Persians
as Josephus Ben GorionF26Hist.
Hebr. l. 1. c. 5. p. 24. relates; and therefore in the evening treated his
thousand lords
who had been engaged in battle with him
and behaved well:
though it seems to have been an anniversary feast; since
according to Xenophon
and Herodotus
Cyrus knew of it before hand; either on account of the king's
birthday
or in honour to his gods
particularly Shach
which was called the
Sachaenan feast; See Gill on Jeremiah 25:26
Jeremiah 51:41
which seems most likely
since these were praised at this time
and the vessels
of the temple of God at Jerusalem profaned
Daniel 5:2
this
feast was prophesied of by Isaiah
Isaiah 21:5 and by
Jeremiah
Jeremiah 51:39
it
had its name from Shach
one of their deities
of which See Gill on Daniel 1:4
Daniel 1:7 the same
with Belus or the sun. The feasts kept in honour of it were much like the
Saturnalia of the Romans
or the Purim of the Jews; and were kept eleven days
together
in which everyone did as he pleased
no order and decorum being observed;
and
for five of those days especially
there was no difference between master
and servant
yea
the latter had the government of the former; and they spent
day and night in dancing and drinking
and in all excess of riot and revellingF1Athenaei
Deipnosophist. l. 14. c. 10. ex Beroso & Ctesia. ; and in such like manner
the Babylonians were indulging themselves
when their city was taken by Cyrus
as the above writers assertF2Xenophon. Cyropaedia
l. 7. c. 23.
Herodot. Clio
sive l. 1. c. 191. ; and from the knowledge Cyrus had of it
it
appears to be a stated feast
and very probably on the above account. According
to StraboF3Geograph. l. 11. p. 352
353.
there was a feast of this
name among the Persians
which was celebrated in honour of the goddess Anais
Diana
or the moon; and at whose altar they placed together Amanus and
Anandratus
Persian demons; and appointed a solemn convention once a year
called Saca. Some say the occasion of it was this; that Cyrus making an
expedition against the Sacse
a people in Scythia
pretended a flight
and left
his tents full of all provisions
and especially wine
which they finding
filled themselves with it; when he returning upon them
finding some overcome
with wine and stupefied
others overwhelmed with sleep
and others dancing and
behaving in a bacchanalian way
they fell into his hands
and almost all of
them perished; and taking this victory to be from the gods
he consecrated that
day to the god of his country
and called it Sacaea; and wherever there was a
temple of this deity
there was appointed a bacchanalian feast
in which men
and women appeared night and day in a Scythian habit
drinking together
and
behaving to one another in a jocose and lascivious manner; but this could not
be the feast now observed at Babylon
though it is very probable it was
something of the like nature
and observed in much the same manner. And was
made "to a thousand of his lords"; his nobles
the peers of his
realm
governors of provinces
&c.; such a number of guests Ptolemy king of
Egypt feasted at one time of Pompey's army
as Pliny from Varro relatesF4Nat.
Hist. l. 33. c. 10. ; but Alexander far exceeded
who at a wedding had nine
(some say ten) thousand at his tables
and gave to everyone a cup of gold
to
offer wine in honour of the godsF5Plutarch. in Vit. Alexand. ; and
Pliny reportsF6Ut supra. (Nat. Hist. l. 33. c. 10.) of one Pythius
Bythinus
who entertained the whole army of Xerxes with a feast
even seven
hundred and eighty eight thousand men.
And drank wine before the thousand; not that he strove with
them who should drink most
or drank to everyone of them separately
and so a
thousand cups
as Jacchiades suggests; but he drank in the presence of them
to
show his condescension and familiarity; this being
as Aben Ezra observes
contrary to the custom of kings
especially of the eastern nations
who were
seldom seen in public. This feast was kept in a large house or hall
as
JosephusF7Antiqu. l. 10. c. 11. sect. 2. says
afterwards called the
banqueting house
Daniel 5:10.
Daniel 5:2 2 While
he tasted the wine
Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver
vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had
been in Jerusalem
that the king and his lords
his wives
and his
concubines might drink from them.
YLT 2Belshazzar hath said --
while tasting the wine -- to bring in the vessels of gold and of silver that
Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple that [is] in Jerusalem
that drink with them may the king
and his great men
his wives
and his
concubines.
Belshazzar
while he tasted the wine
.... As he was
drinking his cups
and delighted with the taste of the wine
and got merry with
it: or
"by the advice of the wine"F8בטעם
חמרא "vino dictante"
Tigurine version.
as Aben Ezra and Jarchi interpret it
by a personification; as if that dictated
to him
and put him upon doing what follows; and which often puts both foolish
and wicked things into the heads of men
and upon doing them: then he
commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels
which his father
Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; what these
vessels were
and the number of them
we learn from the delivery of them
afterwards to the prince of Judah by Cyrus
Ezra 1:9
these
were put into the temple of Bel by Nebuchadnezzar
Daniel 1:2 and from
thence they were now ordered to be brought to the king's palace
and to the
apartment where he and his nobles were drinking:
that the king
and his princes
his wives
and his concubines
might drink therein; Saadiah says
this day the seventy years' captivity ended; and
so
in contempt of the promise and prophecy of it
he ordered the vessels to be
brought out and drank in
to show that in vain the Jews expected redemption
from it.
Daniel 5:3 3 Then
they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house
of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords
his
wives
and his concubines drank from them.
YLT 3Then they have brought in
the vessels of gold that had been taken out of the temple of the house of God
that [is] in Jerusalem
and drunk with them have the king and his great men
his wives and his concubines;
Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the
temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem
.... That is
the servants to whom the orders were given fetched them from the temple of Bel
and brought them to the king's house; and though only mention is made of golden
vessels
yet no doubt the silver ones were also brought
according to the
king's command:
and the king
and his princes
his wives
and his concubines
drank in them; by which they were profaned
being dedicated to holy uses
but
now put to common use
and that by such impious persons; and who did it
not on
account of the value and antiquity of these vessels
and in admiration of them
and to the honour of their festival; but in contempt of them
and in a profane
and scurrilous way
as follows:
Daniel 5:4 4 They
drank wine
and praised the gods of gold and silver
bronze and iron
wood and
stone.
YLT 4they have drunk wine
and
have praised the gods of gold
and of silver
of brass
of iron
of wood
and
of stone.
They drunk wine
.... That is
out of the vessels of the
temple at Jerusalem
and perhaps till they were drunk:
and praised the gods of gold
and of silver
of brass
of iron
of
wood
and of stone; for they had gods of all these materials; See Gill on Daniel 1:2
and
these they praised by offering sacrifices unto them; or rather by singing
songs
and drinking healths
and by ascribing all their victories over the
nations of the world to them; as that by their means they had got such large
dominions
and such great wealth and treasures
and particularly these vessels
of gold and silver; and so insulted and triumphed over the God of Israel
and
defied the prophecies and promises of the deliverance of them that went under
his name.
Daniel 5:5 5 In
the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the
lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the
part of the hand that wrote.
YLT 5In that hour come forth
have fingers of a man's hand
and they are writing over-against the
candlestick
on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king is
seeing the extremity of the hand that is writing;
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand
&c. From
heaven
as Jarchi; or they came forth as if they came out of the wall: this was
done by the power of God
though it might be by the intervention or means of an
angel; so Josephus Ben GorionF9Hist. l. 1. c. 5. p. 24. says
that
an angel came and wrote what follows; and Saadiah says it was Gabriel
called a
man
Daniel 11:21
but
this is conjecture; however
at the very time the king and his nobles were
feasting and revelling
praising their idols
and reproaching the God of
Israel
this wonderful phenomenon appeared:
and wrote over against the candlestick
upon the plaster of the
wall of the king's palace; this candlestick was either upon the table
as Saadiah; or affixed to the wall
or hung as a chandelier in the midst of the
hall; or
be it where it will
right over against it this hand appeared
and
wrote
that
by the light of it
it might be clearly and distinctly seen:
though GussetiusF11Ebr. Comment. p. 424. thinks
not a candlestick
but a "buffet"
is meant; where stood the drinking cups and vessels
and which he takes to be more agreeable to the signification of the word; and
moreover observes
that it is not likely this feast should be made in the
night
or at least it is not certain it was
or that it was yet night when this
affair happened: however
this writing was upon the plaster of the wall
made
of lime
and was white; and if the writing was with red colour
as Ben Gorion
says
it was the more visible:
and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote; the back part
of the hand; had he only seen a writing
but no hand writing it
he might have
thought it was done by some present; but seeing a hand
and only part of one
or however not any other members of the body of a man
nor a man himself
it
struck him with surprise
and he concluded at once there was something
extraordinary in it; whether any other saw the hand besides himself is not
certain; however
he saw it for whom it was particularly designed.
Daniel 5:6 6 Then
the king’s countenance changed
and his thoughts troubled him
so that the
joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.
YLT 6then the king's countenance
hath changed
and his thoughts do trouble him
and the joints of his loins are
loosed
and his knees are smiting one against another.
Then the kings countenance changed
.... Or
"his
brightness"F12זיוהי "splendores
ejus"
Montanus
Vatablus
Michaelis. ; his ruddy countenance
his florid
looks
his gay airs; all his jollity and mirth
that appeared in his face
were
changed into paleness
sadness
and confusion:
and his thoughts troubled him; what should be the
meaning of this; perhaps he might immediately fear it presaged ruin and
destruction to him; the sins of his former life might at once come into his
thoughts
and those particularly he had now been guilty of; his luxury and
intemperance
his idolatry and profanation of the vessels of the sanctuary
which his conscience might accuse him of
and give him great distress and
trouble:
so that the joints of his loins were loosed; or
"the
girdles of his loins"F13קטרי חרצה "cingula lumborum ejus"
Pagninus
Junius
& Tremellius
Cocceius. ; which were loosed or broke
through the agitation
he was in; or he was all over in a sweat
so that he was obliged to loose his
girdle; or
as persons in great fear and consternation
he was seized with a
pain in his back; it opened as it were; nor could he hold his urine; as Grotius
and others; see Isaiah 45:1
where
this seems to be prophesied of:
and his knees smote one against another; as is the
case of persons in a great tremor
or under a panic. "Et subito genua
intremuere timore".--Ovid.
Daniel 5:7 7 The
king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers
the Chaldeans
and the
soothsayers. The king spoke
saying to the wise men of Babylon
“Whoever
reads this writing
and tells me its interpretation
shall be clothed with
purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the
third ruler in the kingdom.”
YLT 7Call doth the king
mightily
to bring up the enchanters
the Chaldeans
and the soothsayers.
Answered hath the king
and said to the wise men of Babylon
that
`Any man who
doth read this writing
and its interpretation doth shew me
purple he putteth
on
and a bracelet of gold [is] on his neck
and third in the kingdom he doth
rule.'
The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers
the Chaldeans
and the soothsayers
.... Or
"with strength"F14בחיל "cum virtute"
Vatablus; "in
virtute"
Montanus; "fortiter"
Cocceius; "cum
robore"
Michaelis. ; with a strong voice
as loud as he could; which is
expressive of the fright he was in
and of his eagerness and impatience of
information; laying aside all decency
and forgetting his royal majesty
like a
man out of his senses
quite distracted
as it were: of the
"astrologers"
&c. See Gill on Daniel 1:20
Daniel 2:2
this
was the usual course the kings of Babylon took
when they had matters of
difficulty upon them
as appears from Daniel 2:2 and
though they found it oftentimes fruitless and vain
yet still they pursued it;
so besotted and addicted were they to this kind of superstition:
and the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon; who were
presently brought in from the several parts of the city where they dwelt
and
probably many of them might be at court at that time; and being introduced into
the hall where the king and his nobles were
he addressed them in the following
manner;
whosoever shall read this writing
and show me the interpretation
thereof: pointing to the writing upon the wall
which continued; and
which neither the king nor any about him could read or interpret
and therefore
both are required to be done:
he shall be clothed with scarlet
and have a chain of gold about
his neck; or "with purple"F15ארגונא
"purpura"
Vatablus
Pagninus; Montanus; Grotius
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator
Cocceius
Michaelis. ; the colour wore by persons of rank
and figure; and the chain of gold was an emblem of honour and dignity
and more
to be regarded for that than for the value of the gold of which it was made:
and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom; not rule over
the third part of the kingdom
as Aben Ezra; but be the third man in the
kingdom; next to the king and the queen mother
or to the king and the heir apparent;
or one of the third principal rulers; or one of the three presidents of the
kingdom
as Daniel afterwards was.
Daniel 5:8 8 Now
all the king’s wise men came
but they could not read the writing
or
make known to the king its interpretation.
YLT 8Then coming up are all the
wise men of the king
and they are not able to read the writing
and the
interpretation to make known to the king;
Then came in all the king's wise men
.... The whole
college of them
the persons before described; over whom
in Nebuchadnezzar's
time
Daniel was the chief of the governors
Daniel 2:48
these
came in readily
in hope of getting both riches and honour:
but they could not read the writing
nor make known to the king
the interpretation thereof; for if they could not do the former
it
must be impossible to do the latter; of the reason of which
various are the
conjecturesF16Vid. Jac. de Clerice Dissertat. de Epulo Belshazzar
in Thesaur. Theolog. Philol. vol. 1. p. 885. : as that
though these words were
written in Chaldee
yet in characters
as the Samaritan or Phoenician
they did
not understand; or were written without points
and so they knew not which were
the proper ones to put to them; or they were written according to the position
of the letters of the alphabet
called "athbash"
of which See Gill
on Jeremiah 25:26
or
the words were placed so as to be read backward
or else downward
and not
straightforward; or they were all in one word; or only the initial letters of
words; but the true reason was
that it was so ordained by the Lord
that they
should not be able to read and interpret them; this being reserved for another
man
Daniel
that he might have the honour
and God the glory.
Daniel 5:9 9 Then
King Belshazzar was greatly troubled
his countenance was changed
and his
lords were astonished.
YLT 9then the king Belshazzar is
greatly troubled
and his countenance is changing in him
and his great men are
perplexed.
Then was King Belshazzar greatly troubled
.... A second
time
and perhaps more than before; since he had conceived some hope that his
wise men would have informed him what this writing was
and the meaning of it;
but finding that they were nonplussed by it
it gave him still greater
uneasiness:
and his countenance was changed in him; again; very
likely
upon the coming in of the wise men
he had a little recovered himself
and became more composed and serene; which appeared in his countenance; but
upon this disappointment
his countenance changed again
and he turned pale
and looked ghastly:
and his lords were astonished; were in the utmost
consternation and confusion
when they understood that the writing could
neither be read nor interpreted; neither the dignity of their station
nor
their numbers
nor their liquor
could keep up their spirits; so that the king
had not one with him
to speak a comfortable word to him
or give him any
advice in this his time of distress; they were all in the same condition with
himself.
Daniel 5:10 10 The
queen
because of the words of the king and his lords
came to the banquet
hall. The queen spoke
saying
“O king
live forever! Do not let your thoughts
trouble you
nor let your countenance change.
YLT 10The queen
on account of
the words of the king and his great men
to the banquet-house hath come up.
Answered hath the queen
and said
`O king
to the ages live; let not thy
thoughts trouble thee
nor thy countenance be changed:
Now the queen
by reason of the words of the king and his lords
came into the banquet house
.... Not the wife of Belshazzar
as Porphyry
would have it; but rather the queen mother
as Jacchiades
the widow of
Evilmerodach his father
whose name was Nitocris; and is spoken of
by
HerodotusF17Clio
sive l. 1. c. 185
188.
as a very prudent woman;
and as this seems to be by her words and conduct: though JosephusF18Antiqu.
l. 10. c. 11. sect. 2. says it was his grandmother
she who had been the wife
of Nebuchadnezzar; and of this opinion were some mentioned by Aben Ezra; whose
name was Amyitis; and it appears
by what she says afterwards
that she was
well acquainted with affairs in his time; and
being an ancient woman
might be
the reason why she was not among the ladies at the feast in the banqueting
house; but came into it
without being sent for
on hearing the consternation
and distress the king and his lords were in
and the moanful despairing words
they expressed on this occasion:
and the queen spake and said
O king
live for ever; the usual
salutation given to the kings of Babylon
and other eastern monarchs; see Daniel 2:4
let not thy thoughts trouble thee
nor let thy countenance be
changed; at this affair
as if it could never be understood
and the true
meaning of it be given; but be of good: cheer
and put on a good countenance;
there is hope yet that it may be cleared up to satisfaction.
Daniel 5:11 11 There
is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in
the days of your father
light and understanding and wisdom
like the wisdom of
the gods
were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father
the king—made him chief of the magicians
astrologers
Chaldeans
and
soothsayers.
YLT 11there 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 -- as the wisdom of the gods --
was found in him; and king Nebuchadnezzar thy father
chief of the scribes
enchanters
Chaldeans
soothsayers
established him -- thy father
O king –
There is a man in thy kingdom
.... She does not say in
his court; very probably
after the death of Nebuchadnezzar
perhaps in one of
the former reigns
he was removed from his offices; for
had he been in one
very likely the queen would have described him by it; and this seems to receive
confirmation by the question Belshazzar put to him upon his coming into his
presence
art thou that Daniel
&c.; and only says
that he had heard of him
Daniel 5:13
in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; something
divine
something more than human; she uses the very words of Nebuchadnezzar;
which seems to confirm that opinion
that she was his widow
Daniel 4:8
and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom
like the wisdom of the gods
was found in him; "light" in the
knowledge of things obscure; understanding in the interpretation of dreams; and
"wisdom" in things both human and divine
like that of an angel of
God
as Jacchiades interprets "Elohim": of this instances were given
in the days of his grandfather
for so Nebuchadnezzar was; nor is it unusual
for a grandfather to be called a father
and even a more remote ancestor; which
instances were
telling him his dream when he had forgot it
as well as the
interpretation of it; and explaining his dream or vision of the tree cut down
to its stump; of which see Daniel chapters two and four:
whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father
the king
I say
thy
father
made master of the magicians
astrologers
Chaldeans
and soothsayers
Daniel 2:48 she
seems tacitly to upbraid him with his neglect of such a man
or with turning
him out of his office
when so great a prince as his grandfather was took so
much notice of him
and so highly advanced him.
Daniel 5:12 12 Inasmuch
as an excellent spirit
knowledge
understanding
interpreting dreams
solving
riddles
and explaining enigmas[a] were found
in this Daniel
whom the king named Belteshazzar
now let Daniel be called
and
he will give the interpretation.”
YLT 12because that an excellent
spirit
and knowledge
and understanding
interpreting of dreams
and showing
of enigmas
and loosing of knots was found in him
in Daniel
whose name the
king made Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called
and the interpretation he
doth show.'
Forasmuch as an excellent spirit
.... A superior spirit to
all the wise men in Babylon for natural knowledge and political wisdom; and he
had yet a more excellent spirit which she knew nothing of
and was no judge of;
a spirit of real grace
and true piety and devotion:
and knowledge
and understanding
interpreting of dreams; of which
interpreting two of Nebuchadnezzar's was a proof:
and showing hard sentences: or explaining enigmas
and riddles
or proverbial
parabolical
and figurative phrases and
expressions:
and dissolving of doubts: or untying knots
solving problems
and answering knotty
intricate
and difficult questions:
were found in the same Daniel
whom the king named Belteshazzar; the prince of
his eunuchs gave him that name
perhaps by the king's order; however
it was
confirmed by him; he called him by it
and says it was according to the name of
his god; see Daniel 1:7
now let Daniel be called
and he will show the interpretation; this she was
confident of
from the knowledge she had of the above facts.
Daniel 5:13 13 Then
Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke
and said to Daniel
“Are
you that Daniel who is one of the captives[b] from
Judah
whom my father the king brought from Judah?
YLT 13Then Daniel hath been
caused to come up before the king; answered hath the king
and said to Daniel
`Thou art that Daniel who [art] of the sons of the Removed of Judah
whom the
king my father brought in out of Judah?
Then was Daniel brought in before the king
.... Proper
officers being sent to seek and find him; and having fetched him from his house
or apartment where he lived
which seems to have been in the city of Babylon
though not very probably at court as formerly
he was introduced in form into
the king's presence;
and the king spake and said unto Daniel
art thou that Daniel
which art of the children of the captivity of Judah
whom the king my father
brought out of Jewry? by which it appears he did not know him
at least had forgot
him; not having admitted him to any familiarity with him
as his grandfather
had done; and though the queen had given such great commendations of him
yet
the king does not treat him with that respect as might have been expected
and
as Nebuchadnezzar did
Daniel 4:9
but
seems to reproach him with his servile condition
being a captive whom his
grandfather had brought out of Judea
as it were triumphing over him and his
people; which shows the haughtiness of his heart
and that it was not brought
down by this consternation and fright he was thrown into.
Daniel 5:14 14 I
have heard of you
that the Spirit of God is in you
and that
light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.
YLT 14And I have heard of thee
that the spirit of the gods [is] in thee
and light
and understanding
and
excellent wisdom have been found in thee.
I have even heard of thee
.... Very probably he had
heard often of him
though he did not think fit to honour him
and use him with
that familiarity his grandfather had; or however he had now just heard of him
by the queen
whose encomiums of him he recites in her own words:
that the spirit of the gods is in thee
and that light and
understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee; which are the
express words of his mother
Daniel 5:11.
Daniel 5:15 15 Now
the wise men
the astrologers
have been brought in before me
that they
should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation
but they
could not give the interpretation of the thing.
YLT 15`And now
caused to come up
before me have been the wise men
the enchanters
that this writing they may
read
and its interpretation to cause me to know: and they are not able to shew
the interpretation of the thing:
And now the wise men; the astrologers
have been brought in before
me
.... For it seems they came not of themselves
or upon hearing
his loud cry; but were sent for by him
and came by his orders
and were
introduced into his presence by the proper officers:
that they should read this writing
and make known unto me the
interpretation thereof; pointing to the writing upon the wall:
but they could not show the interpretation of the thing; nor even read
it; though it may be some of them might attempt to read it
and did read it in
their way
as well as they could
or at least pretended to read; yet could make
no manner of sense of it
which was the thing the king was intent upon.
Daniel 5:16 16 And
I have heard of you
that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. Now
if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation
you shall
be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck
and
shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
YLT 16and I -- I have heard of
thee
that thou art able to give interpretations
and to loose knots: now
lo
-- thou art able to read the writing
and its interpretation to cause me to
know -- purple thou dost put on
and a bracelet of gold [is] on thy neck
and
third in the kingdom thou dost rule.'
And I have heard of thee
.... That is
by the
queen
which he repeats for the sake of observing what she had said of him
and
which gave him encouragement to send for him:
that thou canst make interpretations; of dreams
and of things hard to be understood:
and dissolve doubts; untie knots
solve
difficulties
and answer hard and intricate questions:
now if thou canst read the writing
and make known to me the
interpretation thereof; that which is upon the wall before thee
and which the wise men
of Babylon could not:
thou shalt be clothed with scarlet
and have a chain of gold about
thy neck
and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom; the same
reward he had proposed to the astrologers and soothsayers
Daniel 5:7 but what
was no temptation or motive to Daniel
as appears by what follows:
Daniel 5:17 17 Then
Daniel answered
and said before the king
“Let your gifts be for yourself
and
give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king
and make
known to him the interpretation.
YLT 17Then hath Daniel answered
and said before the king
`Thy gifts be to thyself
and thy fee to another
give; nevertheless
the writing I do read to the king
and the interpretation I
cause him to know;
Then Daniel answered and said before the king
.... With
great freedom
boldness
and intrepidity:
let thy gifts be to thyself; remain with thee; I
neither want them
nor desire them; nor will I receive them on condition of
reading and interpreting the writing:
and give thy rewards to another; which he had promised to
those that could read and interpret the handwriting on the wall; even to be
clothed with scarlet
have a golden chain
and be the third ruler in the
kingdom. It may be rendered
"or give thy rewards to another"F19ונבזביתך לאחרן הב "tua tibi dona et munera habeto: aut in alios
conferto": Castalio. ; either keep them thyself
or give them to
whomsoever thou pleasest: should it be asked
why Daniel refused gifts now
when he received them from Nebuchadnezzar? it may be answered
he was then
young
and wanted them
and could make use of them for the benefit of his
countrymen
but now was old
and needed them not; besides
he knew then that
the captivity would continue long
but that it was now just at an end
and the
monarchy coming into other hands
when these gifts and rewards would be of
little use; as also this king was a very wicked one
worse than his
grandfather
and he did not choose to receive from him; and especially since
the interpretation of the writing would be bad news to him; as well as to let him
know that he did not do these things for fee and reward
but for the glory of
God; and that as he had freely received such knowledge
he freely communicated
it: and therefore adds
yet I will read the writing to the king
and make known to him the
interpretation; in reverence of him as a king
and in subjection to him
and to
satisfy him in this matter; for he refused his gifts
not from pride and
vanity
and a supercilious contempt of the king and his affairs; nor as being
doubtful of success in reading and interpreting the writing; which he well knew
he was able to do
and therefore promises it.
Daniel 5:18 18 O
king
the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty
glory and honor.
YLT 18thou
O king
God Most
High
a kingdom
and greatness
and glory
and honour
gave to Nebuchadnezzar
thy father:
O thou king
.... "Hear"F20So Pagninus
Munster.
O
king; so Aben Ezra supplies it; what he was about to say first
in order to
prepare him for the meaning of the handwriting
and the cause of it; or
"thou knowest"
as Saadiah supplies it; namely
what follows:
the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom: a very large
one
which reached to the ends of the earth: this was not to be ascribed to his
predecessor that left it to him; or to his victorious arms
which increased it;
or to his idol gods
to whom he attributed it; but to the most high God
from
whom promotion alone cometh; and who
being above all gods and kings
sets up
and pulls down
as he pleases; he gave him his large dominions:
and majesty
and glory
and honour; greatness among men;
glory and honour from them
on account of the majesty of his person and
kingdom; the victories he obtained
and the great things he did to make him
famous while he lived
and to perpetuate his memory after death.
Daniel 5:19 19 And
because of the majesty that He gave him
all peoples
nations
and languages
trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished
he executed; whomever he
wished
he kept alive; whomever he wished
he set up; and whomever he wished
he put down.
YLT 19and because of the
greatness that He gave to him
all peoples
nations
and languages were
trembling and fearing before him: whom he willed he was slaying
and whom he
willed he was keeping alive
and whom he willed he was raising up
and whom he
willed he was making low;
And for the majesty that he gave him
.... The
greatness of his power
the largeness of his dominions
and the vast armies he
had at his command:
all people
nations
and languages
trembled and feared before him; not only
those that were subject to him
but those that had only heard of him: who
dreaded his approach unto them
and their falling into his victorious hands
and being made vassals to him:
whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; he ruled in
an arbitrary and despotic manner
and kept the power of life and death in his
own hands; whom he would he put to death
though ever so innocent; and whom he
would he preserved from death
though ever so deserving of it; he had no regard
to justice
but acted according to his own will and pleasure. Jacchiades
renders the last clause
"whom he would he smote": but both the
punctuation of the word
and the antithesis in the text
require the sense our
version gives
and which is confirmed by Aben Ezra and Saadiah:
and whom he would he set up: and whom he would he put down; according to
his pleasure
he raised persons from a low estate to great dignity
and put
them into high posts of honour and profit
as he did Daniel: and others he as
much debased
turned them out of their places
and reduced them to the lowest
degree of disgrace and poverty; and all according to his absolute and
irresistible will
without giving any reason for what he did.
Daniel 5:20 20 But
when his heart was lifted up
and his spirit was hardened in pride
he was
deposed from his kingly throne
and they took his glory from him.
YLT 20and when his heart was
high
and his spirit was strong to act proudly
he hath been caused to come
down from the throne of his kingdom
and his glory they have caused to pass
away from him
But when his heart was lifted up
and his mind hardened it pride
.... When his
heart was elated with his successes and victories
with the enlargement of his
dominions
and with his grandeur and glory he had arrived unto; and his pride
increased yet more
till he was strengthened and hardened in it: or
"to
deal proudly"F21להזדה "ad
superbe agendum"
Junius & Tremellius; "ad superbiendum"
Piscator
Michaelis; "ut superbe ageret"
Cocceius. ; and behave
haughtily to God and man: or
"to do wickedly"
as Jarchi interprets
it; for pride and haughtiness of mind puts men
especially great men
kings and
monarchs
on doing things extremely vile and wicked:
he was deposed from his kingly throne; not by his
nobles and subjects
but by the hand of God
which struck him with madness
and
made him unfit for government; obliged him to quit the throne
and to range
among the beasts of the field
as is afterwards observed:
and they took his glory from him; the watchers
the
angels
or the divine Persons that ordered the tree to be cut down to the
roots
Daniel 4:14
or it
may be rendered impersonally
"and his glory was taken from him"F23ויקריה העדיו מנה
"et gloria ejus ablata est"
V. L.; "honor ejus translatus
fuit"
Michaelis. ; his glory as a man
being deprived of his reason
and
acting like a brute beast; and his glory as a king
which departed from him for
a season
while he was driven from men
from his royal palace and court
and
lived among beasts
and fed as they did
as follows:
Daniel 5:21 21 Then
he was driven from the sons of men
his heart was made like the beasts
and his
dwelling was with the wild donkeys. 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 rules in the kingdom of men
and appoints over it whomever He chooses.
YLT 21and from the sons of men he
is driven
and his heart with the beasts hath been like
and with the wild
asses [is] his dwelling; the herb like oxen they cause him to eat
and by the
dew of the heavens is his body wet
till that he hath known that God Most High
is ruler in the kingdom of men
and whom He willeth He raiseth up over it.
And he was driven from the sons of men
.... From
their company
and from conversation with them; his madness was of that kind
that he chose rather to be with beasts than men; it drove him from men
and
made him more desirous of being with beasts; or it was so intolerable
that his
family
friends
and courtiers
were obliged to remove him from them
from his
palace and court
and from all conversation with men
which he was incapable of
through his frenzy and madness:
and his heart was made like the beasts; to have the
same affections and desires as they have; to crave the same things they did
and like what they liked
and live as they lived: or
"he put his heart
with the beasts"F24ולבבה עם חיותא שוי
"cor ejus cum bestiis posuit"
Vatablus
Calvin; "animum suum
cum bestis posuit"
Cocceius. ; either Nebuchadnezzar himself chose to be
with them
and delighted in a beastly life; or God did it; he put such a heart
into him
or so disposed it
that it became brutish; though to read the words
impersonally
as before
seems best:
and his dwelling was with the wild asses; in a
wilderness or field; or rather in some enclosed place
in one of his parks
where such creatures were kept for hunting; among these he dwelt
as being like
them
having lost the use of his reason
and so was become stupid and sottish
as they:
and they fed him with grass like oxen; as they are
fed
and which he chose above any other food:
and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; being without
clothes
and lying naked in some open place all night:
till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men
and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will: till he came
to his senses
and was brought to see and own the sovereign dominion of the
one
true
and living God
over all the kingdoms of the earth
and that they
are at his dispose; Daniel 4:32.
Daniel 5:22 22 “But
you his son
Belshazzar
have not humbled your heart
although you knew all
this.
YLT 22`And thou
his son
Belshazzar
hast not humbled thy heart
though all this thou hast known;
And thou his son
O Belshazzar
.... His grandson; See
Gill on Daniel 5:1
hast not humbled thine heart; so as to acknowledge the
most high God
and his dependence on him; to own him as his Sovereign
by whom
he held his crown and kingdom
and to whom he was accountable; but
on the
contrary
lifted up his heart in pride and haughtiness against him:
though thou knewest all this; either by the relation
of others
his father and mother
and others; or being an eyewitness of it himself;
wherefore his sin was the more aggravated
since he had had an example before
him of pride being humbled in a very awful manner
and yet took no warning by
it.
Daniel 5:23 23 And
you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the
vessels of His house before you
and you and your lords
your wives and your
concubines
have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver
and gold
bronze and iron
wood and stone
which do not see or hear or know;
and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways
you have not glorified.
YLT 23and against the Lord of the
heavens thou hast lifted up thyself; and the vessels of His house they have
brought in before thee
and thou
and thy great men
thy wives
and thy
concubines
are drinking wine with them
and gods of silver
and of gold
of
brass
of iron
of wood
and of stone
that are not seeing
nor hearing
nor
knowing
thou hast praised: and the God in whose hand [is] thy breath
and all
thy ways
Him thou hast not honoured.
But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven
.... Who made
it
and dwells in it; from whence he beholds all the actions of the children of
men
and will bring them to an account for them; and yet
though so high and
great
such was the insolence of this king
that he dared to lift up himself
against him
as if he was above him
and greater than he; and indeed so it may
be rendered
"above the Lord of heaven"F24על מרי שמיא
"super Dominum coeli"
Montanus; "super Dominum scelorum"
Michaelis. ; which showed his great pride and vanity
his want of knowledge
both of himself
and of the true God. This name of God is the same with
BeelsamenF25Sanchoniatho apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 1. c. 9.
p. 34. ; by which the Phoenicians used to call him:
and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee; that is
his
servants by his orders had brought the vessels of the temple at Jerusalem
which Nebuchadnezzar had took from thence
and set them upon his table for him
and his company to drink out of; which is an instance of the pride of his
heart
and of his daring boldness and impiety; see Daniel 5:2
and thou
and thy lords
thy wives
and thy concubines
have drank
wine in them; even that very day or night: this Daniel had knowledge of by
some means or another; and his intelligence was so good that he could with
great certainty affirm it:
and thou hast praised the gods of silver
and gold
of brass
iron
wood
and stone; see Daniel 5:4
which see not
nor hear
nor know; no more
than the
various metals and materials of which they are made; and therefore it must be
great madness and folly to praise such as gods that are below men
and even
brutes; have neither the sense of animals
nor the knowledge of men; see Psalm 115:4
and the God in whose hand thy breath is; who gave it
to him at first
and as yet continued it in him
and could take it away when he
pleased: and whose are all thy ways; counsels and designs
works and actions;
under whose direction and control they all are; the events
issue
and success
of which all depend upon him; see Jeremiah 10:23
him hast thou not glorified; by owning him as the
only true God; ascribing all he was and had unto him
and giving due worship
adoration
and honour to him; but
on the contrary
setting up his idol gods
above him
and treating him
and everything belonging to him
with ignominy and
contempt.
Daniel 5:24 24 Then
the fingers[c] of the
hand were sent from Him
and this writing was written.
YLT 24`Then from before Him sent
is the extremity of the hand
and the writing is noted down;
Then was the part of the hand sent from him
.... That is
from God: being thus reproached and blasphemed
at that very instant
and for
that reason
because the vessels of his sanctuary were profaned
and idol gods
were praised
and he despised; he caused part of a hand
the writing fingers of
it
to appear on the wall of the king's palace:
and this writing was written; which was then upon the
wall
and he points to it.
Daniel 5:25 25 “And
this is the inscription that was written: MENE
[d] MENE
TEKEL
[e] UPHARSIN.[f]
YLT 25and this [is] the writing
that is noted down: Numbered
Numbered
Weighed
and Divided.
And this is the writing that was written
.... They are
such and such letters
and so to be read
as follows:
MENE
MENE
TEKEL
UPHARSIN; which are Chaldee words
and may be literally rendered
"he hath numbered
he hath numbered";
that is
God hath certainly
perfectly
and exactly numbered; "he hath
weighed"
God hath weighed thee
Belshazzar; "and they divide the
kingdom"; that is
the Medes and Persians
as appears from the following
interpretation:
Daniel 5:26 26 This
is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your
kingdom
and finished it;
YLT 26This [is] the
interpretation of the thing: Numbered -- God hath numbered thy kingdom
and
hath finished it.
This is the interpretation of the thing
.... Or
"word"F26מלתא
"sermonis"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus; "verborum"
Junius
& Tremellius
Piscator
Broughtonus; "verbi"
Cocceius;
"illius verbi"
Michaelis. ; for they might all seem as one word; or
this is the sense of the whole:
MENE; as for this word
it signifies
God hath numbered thy kingdom
and finished it; God had fixed
the number of years
how long that monarchy should last
which he was now at
the head of
and which was foretold
Jeremiah 25:1
and
also the number of years that he should reign over it; and both these numbers
were now completed; for that very night Belshazzar was slain
and the kingdom
translated to another people: and a dreadful thing it is to be numbered to the
sword
famine
and pestilence
or any sore judgment of God for sin
as
sometimes men are; so more especially to be appointed to everlasting wrath
and
to be numbered among transgressors
among the devils and damned in hell.
Daniel 5:27 27 TEKEL:
You have been weighed in the balances
and found wanting;
YLT 27Weighed -- Thou art weighed
in the balances
and hast been found lacking.
TEKEL
.... As for the meaning of this word
and what it points at
it
is this:
thou art weighed in the balances: of justice and truth
in
the holy righteous law of God; as gold
and jewels
and precious stones
are
weighed in the scales by the goldsmith and jeweller with great exactness
to
know the worth of them:
and art found wanting; found to be adulterated
gold
reprobate silver
bad coin
a false stone; found to be a worthless man
a
wicked prince
wanting the necessary qualifications of wisdom
goodness
mercy
truth
and justice. The Scriptures of truth
the word of God
contained in the
books of the Old and New Testament
are the balances of the sanctuary
in which
persons
principles
and practices
are to be weighed; and sad it is where they
are found light and wanting: men
both of high and low degree
when put here
are lighter than vanity. The Pharisee
or self-righteous person
when weighed
in the balance of God's law
which is holy
just
and good
will be found
wanting of that holiness and righteousness he pretends to
and appear to be an
unholy and an unrighteous man; his righteousness
neither for the matter of it
nor manner of performing it
being agreeable to that law
and so no
righteousness in the sense of it
Deuteronomy 6:25
it being imperfect
and so leaves him to the curse of it
Galatians 3:10
and
not being performed in a pure and spiritual manner that it requires
is
rejected by it; and miserable will be the case of such a man at the day of
judgment
when his works will be found wanting
and not answerable to the
demands of a righteous law
and he without the wedding garment of Christ's
righteousness
and so naked and speechless. The hypocrite
and formal
professor
when weighed in the balance of the Scripture
will be found wanting
the true grace of God; his faith will appear to be feigned
and his hope
groundless
and his love to be in word and in tongue only
and not at all to
answer to the description of true grace given in the word of God; and bad will
it be with such persons at last
when at the bridegroom's coming they will be
destitute of the oil of true and real grace; only have that which is
counterfeit
and the mere lamp of an outward profession
which will then stand
them in no stead
or be of any avail unto them: in the same balances are the
doctrines and principles of men to be weighed; and
such as are according to
them are solid and weighty
and are comparable to gold
silver
and precious
stones; but such as are not are light
and like wood
hay
and stubble
which
the fire of the word will reveal
try
and burn up
not being able to stand
against it; and if these are weighed in the balances
they will be found
wanting of real truth and goodness
and be but as chaff to wheat; and what is
the one to the other? there is no comparison between them; and dreadful will be
the case of false teachers
that make and teach an abomination and a lie; and
of those that are given up to believe them
these will not be able to stand the
trying hour of temptation
and much less the last and final judgment. Sad for
preachers of the word to be found wanting in their ministry
and hearers to be
wanting in their duty; not taking care neither what they hear
nor how they
hear
or whether they put in practice the good they do hear.
Daniel 5:28 28 PERES:
Your kingdom has been divided
and given to the Medes and Persians.”[g]
YLT 28Divided -- Divided is thy
kingdom
and it hath been given to the Medes and Persians.'
PERES
.... The singular of "Pharsin"
Daniel 5:25. The
sense of this word is
thy kingdom is divided: which
though it
consisted of various provinces
united under Belshazzar
now should be broken
and separated from him:
and given to the Medes and Persians; to Darius the Mede
and
to Cyrus the Persian
who was a partner for a while with his uncle Darius in
the government of the empire: there is an elegant play on words in the words
"Peres" and "Persians"; and a grievous thing it is to
sinners
not only to have body and soul divided at death
but to be divided and
separated from God to all eternity; and to hear that sentence
"depart
from me
ye cursed
into everlasting fire
prepared for the devil and his
angels".
Daniel 5:29 29 Then
Belshazzar gave the command
and they clothed Daniel with purple and put
a chain of gold around his neck
and made a proclamation concerning him that he
should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
YLT 29Then hath Belshazzar said
and they have clothed Daniel with purple
and a bracelet of gold [is] on his
neck
and they have proclaimed concerning him that he is the third ruler in the
kingdom.
Then commanded Belshazzar
.... As soon as he had
heard the writing read and interpreted; instead of being full of wrath
as
might have been expected
he orders the reward promised to be given
to show he
had a regard to his word and honour
as a king; and to secure his credit with
his nobles and people; and perhaps he might not understand
by Daniel's
interpretation
that the destruction of him and his kingdom was so near at hand
as it was; or he might put this evil day far from him
and hope it might be
prevented:
and they clothed Daniel with scarlet; the king's
servants by his orders: or
that they should clothe Daniel with scarletF1והלבישו "ut induerent"
Gejerus. ; these were his orders; but
whether executed is not certain; probably not
since the king was slain the
same night; and so the rest of the clauses may be read
and should put a chain of gold about his neck
and should make
proclamation concerning him
that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom; all which was
the reward promised to him that should read and interpret the writing
Daniel 5:7
but
that this was done
the king's death being so sudden
does not appear; and
therefore it is needless to inquire the reasons of Daniel's acceptance after
his refusal.
Daniel 5:30 30 That
very night Belshazzar
king of the Chaldeans
was slain.
YLT 30In that night Belshazzar
king of the Chaldeans is slain
In that night was Belshazzar
the king of the Chaldeans
slain. Not by a
servant of his own
as Jacchiades; or by an eunuch
one of his guards
as
Saadiah and Joseph ben GorionF2Hist. Heb. l. 1. c. 6. p. 26. ; but
by Gadales and Gobryas
who led Cyrus's army up the river Euphrates into the
city of Babylon
its course being turned; the inhabitants of which being
revelling and rioting
and the gates open
these men went up to the king's
palace; the doors of which being opened by the king's orders to know what was
the matter
they rushed in
and finding him standing up with his sword drawn in
his own defence
they fell upon him
and slew him
and all about him
as
XenophonF3Cyropaedia
l. 7. sect. 22
23. relates; and this was the
same night the feast was
and the handwriting was seen
read
and interpreted.
This was after a reign of seventeen years; for so Josephus saysF4Antiqu.
l. 10. c. 11. sect. 4.
that Baltasar or Belshazzar
in whose reign Babylon
was taken
reigned seventeen years; and so many years are assigned to him in
Ptolemy's canon; though the Jewish chronicleF5Seder Olam Rabba
c.
28. p. 81. allows him but three years
very wrongly
no more of his reign being
mentioned in Scripture: see Daniel 7:1. His
death
according to Bishop UsherF6Annales Vet. Test. A. M. 3466.
Mr. WhistonF7Chronological Tables
cent. 10.
and Mr. BedfordF8Scripture
Chronology
p. 711.
was in the year of the world 3466 A.M.
and 538 B.C. Dean
PrideauxF9Connexion
&c. par. 1. p. 120. places it in 539 B.C.
Daniel 5:31 31 And
Darius the Mede received the kingdom
being about sixty-two years old.
YLT 31and Darius the Mede hath
received the kingdom
when a son of sixty and two years.
And Darius the Median took the kingdom
.... This was
Cyaxares the son of Astyages
and uncle of Cyrus; he is called the Median
to
distinguish him from another Darius the Persian
that came after
Ezra 4:5
the same
took the kingdom of Babylon from Cyrus who conquered it; he took it with his
consent
being the senior prince and his uncle. Darius reigned not long
but
two years; and not alone
but Cyrus with him
though he is only mentioned.
XenophonF11Cyropaedia
l. 8. c. 36. says
that Cyrus
after he took
Babylon
set out for Persia
and took Media on his way; and
saluting Cyaxares
or Darius
said that there was a choice house and court for him in Babylon
where he might go and live as in his own:
being about threescore and two years old; and so was
born in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar
the year in which Jechoniah was
carried captive
2 Kings 24:12
thus
God in his counsels and providence took care that a deliverer of his people
should be raised up and provided against the appointed time. Darius was older
than Cyrus
as appears by several passages in Xenophon; in one placeF12lbid.
l. 6. c. 2. Cyaxares or Darius says
"since
I am present
and am "elder" than Cyrus
it is fit that I should
speak first;'
and
in another placeF13lbid. l. 4. c. 21.
Cyrus
writing to him
says
"I
give thee counsel
though I am the younger'
and
by comparing this account of the age of Darius with a passage in Cicero
which
gives the age of Cyrus
we learn how much older than he Darius was; for
out of
the books of Dionysius the Persian
he relatesF14De Divinatione
l.
1.
that Cyrus dreaming he saw the sun at his feet
which he three times
endeavoured to catch and lay hold upon
but in vain
it sliding from him; this
the Magi said
portended that he should reign thirty years
and so he did; for
he lived to be seventy years of age
and began to reign when he was forty; which
if reckoned from his reigning with his uncle
then he must be twenty two years
younger; or if from the time of his being sole monarch
then the difference of
age between them must be twenty four years; though it should be observed that
those that make him to reign thirty years begin his reign from the time of his
being appointed commander-in-chief of the Medes and Persians by CyaxaresF15See
the Universal History
vol. 5. p. 181. and vol. 21. p. 64
65.
which was
twenty three years before he reigned alone
which was but seven yearsF16Xenophon
Cyropaedia
l. 8. c. 45. ; and this account makes but very little difference in
their age; and indeed someF17Nicol. Abrami Pharus Vet. Test. l. 12.
c. 24. p. 338. Pererius in ib
Graeci Patres apud Theodoret. Orat. 6. in
Daniel. have taken them to be one and the same
their descent
age
and
succession in the Babylonian empire
agreeing.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)