Daniel 5.21-Daniel Reminds Belshazzar That Nebuchadnezzar Suffered Boanthropy Until He Acknowledged That The Most High Was Sovereign
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday January 16, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 5:21-Daniel Reminds Belshazzar That Nebuchadnezzar Suffered Boanthropy Until He Acknowledged That The Most High Was Sovereign
Lesson # 162
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. 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. 17 Then Daniel responded and said, “Please, keep your gifts for yourself or please give your rewards for another. However, I will read aloud to the king as well as cause the interpretation to be made known to him. 18 As for you, O king, the Most High God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, your great-grandfather a kingdom, yes a great kingdom as well as honor, yes, great honor. 19 Indeed, because of this greatness, which He gave to him, each and every person belonging to the nations, ethnicities as well as language groups was in state of trembling, yes in a state of fear from being in the presence of him. He was characterized as putting to death whomever he desired whereas he was characterized as sparing whomever he desired. He was also characterized as promoting whomever he desired while on the other hand he was characterized as demoting whomever he desired. 20 However, when his mind was in a state of arrogance, specifically, his attitude was obstinate so that he was proud, he was ordered to be removed from his royal throne so that honor was taken away from him.” (My translation)
Daniel 5:21 “He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.” (NASB95)
Not translated is the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), which is epexegetical meaning that it is introducing several statements, which explain in detail to Belshazzar what Daniel meant when he said at the end of Daniel 5:20 that Nebuchadnezzar was ordered to be removed from his throne so that honor was taken away from him.
It is introducing several statements which present a five-fold description of what Daniel meant when he said to Belshazzar that the Most High ordered Nebuchadnezzar removed from his throne so that honor was taken away from him.
So the Most High ordered Nebuchadnezzar removed from his royal throne so that honor was taken away from him.
“Specifically,” he was driven away from human society, his mind was transformed to that of an animal, he lived with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like cattle and his body was drenched with the dew from heaven.
“And his heart was made like that of beasts” advances upon the previous statement that Nebuchadnezzar was driven away from mankind as a result of God ordering the execution of the command to depose the king from power.
It is an addition to the previous statement that the king was driven away from mankind and is out of the ordinary or unexpected.
It expresses the shock that Nebuchadnezzar, a world-ruler would have a mind of an animal.
It denotes that this is out of the ordinary or not what is normal for a human being to have a mind of an animal.
“His heart” is composed of the masculine singular construct form of the noun leḇǎḇ (לְבַב) (leb-ab´), “heart” which is modified by the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “his.”
The noun leḇǎḇ means “mind” referring to that aspect of the human soul where a person’s mental activity takes place.
“Was made” is the third person masculine plural puʿʿal (Hebrew: pual) passive perfect form of the verb šewā(h) (שְׁוָה) (shev-aw´), which means “to be turned into, to be reduced to, to be transformed into something,” i.e. changed from one state to another.
Here it refers to the Most High “transforming” Nebuchadnezzar’s mind into the mind of an animal.
“Like that of beasts” is composed of the preposition ʿim (עִם) (eem), “like” and its object is the feminine singular construct form of the noun ḥê∙wā(h) (חֵיוָה) (khay-vaw´), “beasts.”
The noun ḥê∙wā(h) is in the singular and means “wild animal” in contrast to domesticated animals.
The word is the object of the preposition ʿim, which is a marker of disadvantage indicating that it was to Nebuchadnezzar’s disadvantage that God transformed his mind into that of a wild animal.
In other words, it denotes that God was against Nebuchadnezzar in transforming his mind into the mind of a wild animal.
From the perspective of God’s holiness, this preposition is a marker of disadvantage but from the perspective of His attribute of love it was for the benefit of the king in that it humbled him.
“And his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys” presents the result of the Most High transforming the mind of Nebuchadnezzar into the mind of a wild animal.
We have the figure of “asyndeton” meaning that there is no connective word between the statement to follow that Nebuchadnezzar was given grass to eat like cattle and the previous statement that his dwelling place was among the wild donkeys.
This emphasizes with the reader how profound and terrible the punishment Nebuchadnezzar received from God for his disobedience in that he even at grass like cattle.
It expresses the shock that Nebuchadnezzar would eat grass like cattle.
“He was given grass to eat like cattle” indicates that Nebuchadnezzar suffered from boanthropy.
“And his body was drenched with the dew of heaven” indicates that Nebuchadnezzar was continually exposed to the elements as an animal.
“Until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind” indicates that Nebuchadnezzar was deposed from power for seven years until he acknowledged that the Most High is sovereign over him and implies the reluctance of Nebuchadnezzar to concede this.
“The Most High God” means that Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that the God of Israel was superior to the gods he and other pagans worshipped.
It indicates that Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged after being deposed from power for seven years that the God of Israel was the only one true God.
“And that He sets over it whomever He wishes” presents the result of the Most High being sovereign over the realm of mankind.
Daniel 5:21 “Specifically, he was driven away from members of the human race. For his benefit, his mind was even transformed into the mind of a wild animal so that his dwelling place was among the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like cattle. Furthermore, his body was continually drenched with the dew from heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God was the sovereign authority over mankind’s realm so that He can establish over it whomever He desires.” (My translation)
In this verse, Daniel explains in detail what he means by his statement to Belshazzar at the end of verse 20 that the Most High ordered Nebuchadnezzar removed from his royal throne so that honor was taken away from him.
Here in verse 21, Daniel presents to Belshazzar a five-fold description of Nebuchadnezzar as a result of the Most High deposing him from power for seven years.
First of all, Nebuchadnezzar was driven away from the society of human beings.
Secondly, his mind was even transformed into the mind of a wild animal.
Thirdly, this resulted in his dwelling place being among the wild donkeys.
The fourth description Daniel gives the king is that Nebuchadnezzar was fed grass like cattle.
Lastly, Nebuchadnezzar was continually drenched with the dew from heaven as a result of being exposed to the elements like a wild animal.
Daniel reminds Belshazzar that Nebuchadnezzar experienced all these things until he acknowledged that the Most High was the sovereign authority over the realm of mankind and that He can establish over it whomever He desires.
He reminds Belshazzar of all this because he wants to emphasize with the king that the Most High God whom he insulted by drinking from the articles of His temple in Jerusalem, demonstrated Himself to be sovereign over a greater king than himself, namely, his great-grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar.
If God could humble a king greater than himself, He can certainly humble Belshazzar who is a co-regent with his father Nabonidus.
In Daniel 5:22, Daniel emphasizes with Belshazzar that he knew in detail all about this with his great-grandfather, yet, he never humbles himself but becomes arrogant and proud.
Verse 22 indicates that the royal family knew of Nebuchadnezzar’s seven year punishment but the Babylonian people and the world did not know of these events until Nebuchadnezzar informed them in a decree which constitutes Daniel chapter four.
The fact that Belshazzar knew of these events indicates quite clearly that this story was passed down through the years in his family.
However, Belshazzar never learned the lesson.
So Daniel reviewed the experience of Nebuchadnezzar for Belshazzar in order to rebuke him for his pride and arrogance which he manifested by committing sacrilege in drinking from the articles from Solomon’s temple.
He also committed idolatry as manifested by his praising the gods composed of gold, silver, bronze, wood and stone.
Just as Nebuchadnezzar learned the hard way that God was sovereign over him so Belshazzar will learn the hard way.
However, the former was not put to death by God whereas the latter will be put to death.
The former was a believer when he was deposed from power by God and thus was suffering divine discipline whereas there is no evidence in Daniel chapter five or anywhere else in Daniel or the bible which would indicate that Belshazzar ever trusted in Yahweh.