Daniel 5.29-Belshazzar Rewards Daniel By Clothing Him In A Purble Robe, Golden Chain And Making Him Third Ruler In The Kingdom
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday January 30, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 5:29-Belshazzar Rewards Daniel By Clothing Him In A Purple Robe, Golden Chain And Making Him Third Ruler In The Kingdom
Lesson # 168
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 the inscription 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 the inscription 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 the inscription 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, namely, 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. 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. 22 However, as for you, his great-grandson, you by no means humbled your heart even though you are well acquainted with all this. 23 Instead, you caused yourself to become arrogant against the Lord ruling the heavens. Specifically, the vessels which are from God’s house were brought into your presence. Consequently, you, yourself along with your nobles, your wives as well as your concubines drank wine excessively with them while you, praised the gods composed of silver as well as gold, bronze, iron, wood and in addition stone, which never see as well as never hear likewise, never communicate. Thus, you never honored the God who holds your life in His hand so that every one of your ways originates from Him. 24 Then, the palm of the hand was sent from Him so that this inscription was written. 25 Now, this is the content of the inscription to follow that was written: MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the message: As for MENĒ’-God has numbered your kingdom’s days so that He has caused it to be brought to an end. 27 As for TEKĒL-you have been weighed on the balances with the result that you have been observed deficient. 28 As for PERĒS-your kingdom has been divided so that it has been given to the Medes and Persians.” (My translation)
Daniel 5:29 Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom. (NASB95)
“Then Belshazzar gave orders” is a result clause since the preposition b- is prefixed to the temporal adverb ʾěḏǎ∙yin in order to function as a marker of result since they introduce a statement which tells the reader the result of the events recorded in Daniel 5:25-28.
Therefore, bē ʾḏǎ·yin indicates to the reader that Belshazzar rewarded Daniel by ordering him to be clothed with a purple robe, gold chain and making him third ruler in the kingdom “as a result of” reading and interpreting the inscription for him.
This expression could be interpreted as a temporal coordinator presenting to the reader the next event that took place after the events recorded in Daniel 5:25-28.
However, Daniel’s emphasis would be more of presenting the result of what happened to him after meeting the king’s request since in Daniel 5:16 Belshazzar promised to reward him for meeting his request and Daniel 5:29 records the king rewarding Daniel as he said he would.
“And they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck” presents to the reader the purpose of Belshazzar issuing an order.
Therefore, this clause indicates that the purpose of Belshazzar issuing an order immediately on the heels of Daniel fulfilling his request to read and interpret the inscription, was to clothe him with a purpose robe, a gold chain.
“And issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom” is advancing upon and intensifying the previous statement that in obedience to Belshazzar’s orders, Daniel was clothed with a purple robe as well as a gold chain around his neck.
That this statement is emphatic is indicated by the fact that purple robes and a gold chain around the neck were marks of royalty in the ancient world.
Daniel 5:29 Consequently, Belshazzar issued an order for the purpose of clothing Daniel with a purple robe as well as a gold chain around his neck. Indeed, they issued a proclamation concerning him that he was the third ruler in the kingdom. (My translation)
Daniel 5:29 records Belshazzar keeping his word to Daniel that he would reward him if he could meet his request to read and interpret the mysterious inscription.
Belshazzar does not kill Daniel even though Daniel’s interpretation shockingly spoke against the king in that it said that his rulership was at an end and that the reign of Babylon as a world-wide empire had come to an end.
Undoubtedly, he inwardly had a strong desire to kill Daniel for this interpretation.
However, he does not do this because more than likely he wanted to save face in front of his guests.
He made a public promise to reward any one including Daniel if they could solve his problem.
If he did not do that after Daniel met his request, he would have lost respect before his nobles and disgraced himself before his nobles, wives and concubines.
So Belshazzar honors Daniel when he should have honored the God Daniel represented.
By Belshazzar issuing a proclamation that Daniel was third ruler in the kingdom, the king was revealing that he did not agree with and believe that Daniel’s interpretation was correct or would come to pass since if he did, he would have made Daniel second or first ruler in the kingdom.
So by rewarding Daniel, he actually is revealing that he thought his kingdom would continue and that he would continue to rule.
The king shows absolutely no sign of repentance before God.
His response demonstrates that he either thought Daniel’s interpretation was ridiculous or wrong or would not come to pass.
If he did trust in Daniel’s interpretation, he would have demonstrated great fear as he did when the hand wrote on the wall and when his wise men could not read or interpret the inscription the hand wrote on the wall.
The fact that he demonstrates no fear in light of Daniel’s interpretation is an indication that he did not trust in the interpretation.
The fact that he makes Daniel third ruler in the kingdom is again evidence of his unbelief.
Nevertheless, he still rewards Daniel to save face before his guests.
Therefore, the king did not simply accept his imminent death and decline of his kingdom.
He stubbornly refuses to trust in this revelation that God has given him through Daniel.