Daniel 5.16-Belshazzar Recounts To Daniel What He Learned About Him From His Mother The Queen And Informs Him Of Reward If He Can Read And Interpret Inscription
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday January 3, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 5:16-Belshazzar Recounts To Daniel What He Learned About Him From His Mother The Queen And Informs Him Of The Reward If He Read And Interpret Inscription
Lesson # 157
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 5:1.
Daniel 5:1 King Belshazzar threw an enormous banquet for a thousand of his nobles. He even drank wine excessively directly in front of the thousand. 2 Belshazzar issued an order while under the influence of the wine causing the gold and silver articles to be brought in which Nebuchadnezzar, his great-grandfather caused to be confiscated from the temple, which was in Jerusalem, in order that the king, his nobles as well as his wives and in addition his concubines could drink with them. 3 Therefore, the gold and silver articles were brought in, which were confiscated from the temple, which was God’s house, which was in Jerusalem so that the king, his nobles as well as his wives and in addition his concubines could drink with them. 4 They drank wine while they praised gods composed of gold as well as silver, bronze, iron, wood and in addition stone. 5 During this time, the fingers of a human hand appeared while writing on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, directly in front of the lampstand so that the king observed the palm of the hand which was writing. 6 Then the king, his countenance was changed for him. Also, his thoughts caused him to be terrified so that his hip joints gave way resulting in his knees knocking together, one against the other. 7 The king authoritatively shouted out an order for the purpose of causing the necromancers, astrologers as well as diviners to be brought in. He declared to the city of Babylon’s wise men, “Any person who can read aloud as well as can make known its interpretation to me will be clothed with a purple robe as well as a golden chain around his neck. Indeed, they will rule as third in the kingdom.” 8 Therefore, each and every one of the king’s wise men came in but they were totally unable to read or cause the interpretation to be made known to the king. 9 Thus causing the king to be extremely terrified so that his countenance was changed on him as well as causing his nobles to be perplexed. 10 The queen entered the banquet hall because of the king’s words as well as his nobles. The queen responded and said, “O king, live forever! Please, by no means let your thoughts cause you to be terrified so that they by no means cause your countenance to be changed! 11 There is a man in your kingdom who possesses God’s Holy Spirit in him. Specifically, during the days of your great-grandfather, illumination, discernment as well as wisdom in accordance with God’s wisdom were observed in him. Indeed, King Nebuchadnezzar, your great-grandfather, your great-grandfather the king, promoted him to be commander over the occult priests, necromancers, astrologers and diviners 12 because in him, in Daniel whom the king assigned him the name Belteshazzar, was found an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, discernment interpreting dreams, explaining riddles as well as solving difficult problems. Please summon Daniel right now in order to cause the interpretation to be known.” 13 Consequently, Daniel was ordered to enter the king’s presence. The king asked a question and said to Daniel, “Are you Daniel, who is one of the deported people from Judah whom my great-grandfather the king ordered to be brought from Judah? 14 Likewise I heard concerning you that God’s Spirit is in you so that illumination, discernment as well as extraordinary wisdom were observed in you. 15 Now at this time, the wise men, the necromancers were ordered to enter my presence in order that they could read aloud as well as to make known to me its interpretation. However, they were totally unable to cause the message’s interpretation to be made known to me.” (My translation)
Daniel 5:16 “But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its interpretation known to me, you will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.” (NASB95)
“But I personally have heard about you” stands in contrast to the previous statement that the wise men and necromancers were totally unable to read or interpret the inscription.
Therefore, the contrast is between the inability of the wise men and necromancers to read the inscription and make known to him its interpretation and Daniel’s ability to do so which is based upon his past track record with Nebuchadnezzar.
“I personally” is the first person singular personal pronoun ʾǎnā(h) (אֲנָה) (an-aw´), which serves to focus attention on Belshazzar as the subject.
It also serves to contrast the inability of the wise men to read and interpret the inscription with Daniel’s ability to provide interpretations and solve difficult problems which the king heard about through his mother the queen.
“Have heard” is the first person singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb šemǎʿ (שְׁמַע) (shem-ah´), which means “to hear” referring to the sense of hearing and is used of Belshazzar “hearing” his mother the queen describe Daniel as a person who could provide interpretations and solve difficult problems.
“That you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems” presents to the reader what the king heard about Daniel through his mother, the queen.
“Now” is the adverb of time keʿǎn (כְּעַן) (keh-an´), which means “at this time” or “now” since it is a marker of time in reference to other points of time.
The two points of time would first be Daniel reading and interpreting the inscription and the second would be Belshazzar rewarding Daniel for doing so.
Therefore, this word denotes that if Daniel could at that very moment read the inscription for the king and give him its interpretation, he would be rewarded.
“If you are able to read the inscription and make its interpretation known to me” is the protasis of a real condition meaning that this protasis presents a condition that Daniel has the ability to fulfill.
“You will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom” is the apodasis of a real condition.
Daniel 5:16 “But I myself personally heard concerning you that you are able to provide interpretations as well as solve difficult problems. Now, if you are able to read aloud the inscription as well as cause its interpretation to be made known to me, you will be clothed with a purple robe as well as a golden chain around you neck. Indeed, you will rule as third over the kingdom.” (My translation)
So here in Daniel 5:16, we have Belshazzar making the same promise to Daniel as he did to the wise men, namely he would clothe Daniel with a purple robe and a golden chain and would in fact make him third ruler in the kingdom if he could read and interpret the mysterious inscription.
Before making this promise, the king recounts to Daniel what he heard about him from his mother the queen, namely that he was able to provide interpretations as well as solve difficult problems.
The fact that Belshazzar relates to Daniel his mother’s description of him expresses the king’s confidence that Daniel could in fact solve his problem of the mysterious inscription.
He is eagerly anticipating Daniel being able to solve the problem and Daniel does not disappoint him.