Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 5:17
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.
17. Daniel rejects the proffered honours: he will read the writing; but he will do so quite irrespectively of any promises made to him by the heathen king.
before the king ] cf. on Dan 2:8.
rewards ] See the note on Dan 2:6.
yet ] nevertheless (R.V.) brings out the force of the adverb used more distinctly (cf. Dan 4:15; Dan 4:23 [R.V.]).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself – That is, I do not desire them; I do not act from a hope of reward. Daniel means undoubtedly to intimate that what he would do would be done from a higher motive than a desire of office or honor. The answer is one that is eminently dignified. Yet he says he would read the writing, implying that he was ready to do anything that would be gratifying to the monarch. It may seem somewhat strange that Daniel, who here disclaimed all desire of office or reward, should so soon Dan 5:29 have submitted to be clothed in this manner, and to receive the insignia of office. But, it may be remarked, that when the offer was proposed to him he stated his wishes, and declared that he did not desire to be honored in that way; when he had performed the duty, however, of making known the writing, he could scarcely feel at liberty to resist a command of the king to be clothed in that manner, and to be regarded as an officer in the kingdom. His intention, in the verse before us, was modestly to decline the honors proposed, and to intimate that he was not influenced by a desire of such honors in what he would do; yet to the kings command afterward that he should be clothed in robes of office, he could not with propriety make resistance. There is no evidence that he took these honors voluntarily, or that he would not have continued to decline them if he could have done it with propriety.
And give thy rewards to another – Margin, or fee, as in Dan 2:6. Gesenius supposes that the word used here ( nebizbah) is of Persian origin. It means a gift, and, if of Persian origin, is derived from a verb, meaning to lead with gifts and praises, as a prince does an ambassador. The sense here seems to be, that Daniel was not disposed to interfere with the will of the monarch if he chose to confer gifts and rewards on others, or to question the propriety of his doing so; but that, so far as he was concerned, he had no desire of them for himself, and could not be influenced by them in what he was about to do.
Yet I will read the writing … – Expressing no doubt that he could do it without difficulty. Probably the language of the writing was familiar to him, and he at once saw that there was no difficulty, in the circumstances, in determining its meaning.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Dan 5:17
And made known to him the interpretation.
The True Interpreter of Life
I. THAT IN NO NATION IS THERE A TOTAL ABSENCE OF DIVINE RULERSHIP. The people of Israel assumed that their God was their own private property. They knew God by the name of Jehovah. He was superior to other national gods, but He had Israel specially in charge, and Israel had Jehovah specially in possession. The Israelites were the first to realise intelligently the great truth of one God for all men. The prophets of Israel were occupied in enlarging the views of the people, so as to get them to grasp the fact that this Jehovah was the one God, and ruled over all men. If you search the Book of Daniel you find this mans mind under the influence of truth far in advance of that of any of his own nation or of the nation of Babylon. Hence when there is panic in the banqueting-hall because out of the sleeve of darkness the fingers of a mans hand are put forth to write on the palace walls the words of doom, it is Daniel who is called out of the retirement of his old age to read and interpret. Babylonian wise men had universal fame for their philosophy and astrology, yet they could not read the writing. When he begins to speak the greatness of the man is felt as the eloquent words roll from his tongue. It is another kind of speech from that to which Belshazzar is accustomed to listen. Not for one single moment does he acknowledge one God for the Israelites and another for the Babylonians. O thou king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty. The source of all power is in the Most High God, and the source of all faculty. The past is associated with the present. To learn from the past is the wisdom of the present. Daniel, the seer, distinctly proclaims the fact of God in history. The history of Babylon reveals Gods working as really as, if not as clearly, the history of Israel. There is not one law for Israel and another for Babylon. The same law works uniformly. Moral decline brings the same result to Israel and Babylon. Men were of opinion that the Most High God ruled in Israel, but not in Babylon. Not such an opinion did Daniel hold. And we ourselves are even behind Daniel in our culture if we do not hold that in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of God. Everywhere Gods laws are working. God gave Nebuchadnezzar his power. God deposed his son Belshazzar. God gave Babylon to Darius the Mode. In no nation is there a total absence of Divine rulership–that is the first basis idea of this narrative.
II. THAT APPEARANCES ARE DECEITFUL, and that when men seem to be most prosperous they are often least so. The Babylonians relied on that which was external to themselves and their own character for safety–upon their magnificent commerce, upon their river Euphrates, the great river which, as it had been the pride of Babylon, now proved its destruction. Wealth, luxury, revelling had taken the heart and soul out of men, as they always do, and the men of Babylon became as women–they were hewn down like the flocks of lambs, of sheep, of goats at the shambles. If men would only read history, if they would only take to heart the lessons which God has writ on so many pages of the worlds past life, instead of our being confident when we see everywhere signs of luxury and wealth, haughtiness of head and proud unsociableness, we should then begin to tremble for the character of the people, for the vigour of the young men and the purity of the maidens. The history of Babylon is not exceptional. It is the history of every city and nation that by its luxury and selfishness has become enfeebled and disgraced. Pride cometh before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
III. THAT THE INTERPRETER OF GODS DEALINGS WITH NATIONS MUST OF NECESSITY BE A SPIRITUAL MAN. Only Daniel could read that writing on the wall–only he, the faithful man, who from his youth to his old age had served his God in simple confidence could be the interpreter. There he stands before Belshazzar and his thousand nobles, nobly independent of all rewards. Too late was Daniel called. All he could do was to read the undecipherable and irreversible verdict. He belonged to a past age and a past dynasty. Yet he was the most scholarly man there, the wisest man, the most needed man. But he had been retired. The merchant and philosopher could not save the city. These two forces represented by the merchant and philosopher needed a third force. Commerce is good and necessary, learning is good and necessary; but they represent but two parts of that trinity which mans nature is. Daniel, the spiritual man, represents the third part. We need not set one of these over against the other. Bring them into co-operative unity, and the strength of each will come into the other. The history of Daniel is designed to teach us that the spiritual man is the only competent interpreter of the life of nations as of the life of individuals That light which is more than the light of trained intelligence is needed always. The man who steadfastly serves God in simple, childlike faith gets into his soul a light, a seeing power, which can come in no other way. He that is spiritual discerneth all things, yet he himself is discerned of no man. The spiritual man can see farther into reasons and causes than other men can. The merchant of Babylon would say, Providing Babylon be prosperous from the merchants point of view, that is everything! Providing we have good percentages on oar investments, says oar modern merchant, that is prosperity! What more do we want? Providing we have educational institutions, also, says the educator, we shall be perfect; plenty of trade and education–then is a people prosperous. But what will you do with Daniel and that which he represents? There was plenty of trade in Babylon, plenty of learning, plenty of everything to which the words costly and magnificent can be applied–the only thing that was lacking was that which Daniel stood for. All that the people lacked was the unweighable and immeasurable virtues of purity, honesty, truthfulness, integrity, love to God and love to man–that was all. The merchants of Babylon did not trouble themselves very much about those things, and the educated classes thought that so long as the sciences of the day were taught it was all right with Babylon. Sooner or later every Babylonian type of life sees the writing of judgment on the wall. Sooner or later every family brought up in luxury and selfishness, with no spiritual instruction, sees the writing on the wall. The Babylonian type of life is everywhere. It is that type which seeks after the external–wealth and luxury and ease–regardless of spiritual character. It has no light in it by which to interpret itself. It needs a Daniel to interpret it, but never sends for him till it has tried all other sources of information, and only then at the suggestion of someone who knows Daniel, and pleads to have him sent for.
IV. THAT THE SPIRITUAL MAN IS THE INTERPRETER OF LIFE IN ALL ITS FORMS, AND NO OTHER MAN IS. Belshazzar cannot interpret his own life or the life about him; only Daniel can do it. The hour had come when Belshazzar had nothing to give to any mortal on earth. He knew not that that was his last night on earth. How could it be? Look at this magnificent banqueting-bell, these thousands of lords, these beauties of Babylon glittering like fire-flies in summer evenings. No signs of poverty, no signs of bankruptcy–glory, glory everywhere. But see, see–what is that? that hand? writing on the wall? The music stops. Astrologer, read! Wise man, read! None can read! None!–till Daniel is sought and found. Oh, the suspense till Daniel comes! And when he comes, he comes only to read the burial service over a dying king and a dying dynasty. The thought I would leave with you, then, is this: that the spiritual man is the seeing man–the man who has his eyes open–he is the interpreter of life. Enoch in his day; Abraham in his day; Noah in his day; Moses in his day; Elijah in his day; Daniel in his day–these men see most, know most, because they are spiritual men. Every man is eventually what he trains himself to be. Every man has eyes for that on which he has been looking long and intently. Most of us are blind in some direction. The blindest man of all is he who has no use for Daniel and his seeing power. But it is one of the most melancholy things in the world that while usually the executive part of a man grows sharper and most effective as he advances in life, those things which make his manhood, his noble traits, average worse as he grows older. Without the Gospel received into the heart, and cherished there, persons ripen poorly, badly, and are seldom as generous, seldom as honourable, seldom as sensitive, seldom as fine in their perceptions as they were when they were boys and girls. There are men and women who become so occupied with the externals of life that if Daniel came near them he would be a calamity, an enigma, or, as men say flippantly, a crank. A man can take one or two interests in life, and so give himself up to them that all the greater truths of life are entirely unheeded by him. Of the spiritual influences permeating society, of what God is doing by His providence, of what Gods Spirit is doing in the hearts of men–of the very greatest facts in this world of ours they have not even a suspicion. To a spiritual man the Bible is the most living of all living books; to those of whom I speak it is the dullest and deadest. The elaborate art with which even some fathers and mothers plan to try to grow their children on the earth level, instead of letting them aspire under the impulse of the inward life of God pushing within them, is one of the most painful things that a spiritualised mind has to witness in these times on which our lot is cast. I have seen how in gardens certain flowering plants are taken and pinned down to the ground–never allowed to climb one inch above it–made to grow on theground level. Other flowering plants are allowed to climb and climb; only give them the faintest support, and climb they will sunward, ever away from the earth, ever towards the sun. I suppose that to pin down certain flowers–verbenas and others–to the earth is right enough; but it can never be right to train children that way. Let them climb sunward., lift themselves up above the ground, sweetly and naturally, like Gods morning glories, as they are. There was Belshazzar, a most elaborately gilded and decorated sarcophagus, with a soul within in which the worms of envy, lust, pride were crawling over each other. Daniel saw it. The lords and ladies did not. They thought that Belshazzar was not only a living man, but a king of men. But when he was weighed he was light. He had no soul in him. And there are hundreds of such men, whose whole time is spent in trying to get rid of the consciousness of a soul. To these our Lords words are addressed, to these that unanswered question of His ever comes, What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and, in the gaining, lose his own soul? (Reuen Thomas, D.D.)
The Faithful Interpreter of the Word of God
The mightiest of the sons of men are not exempt from the terrors of guilt; neither can their power secure them from the avenging hand of justice. What did the majesty of a king now avail when his countenance was changed with fear? What comfort did he receive from his outward happiness when his thoughts troubled him? Those that are set apart for the work of the ministry should interpret and explain the will of God in its genuine sense, how disagreeable soever to the lusts of men; and should never betray their trust through a cowardly fear, or partial favour, by slackening the bonds of duty, or palliating the heinousness of sin, or concealing the danger that arises from it.
I. IT IS OUR DUTY TO READ THE WRITING, AND MAKE KNOWN THE INTERPRETATION THEREOF. It is indeed every mans duty to acquaint himself with the will of God, and impart his knowledge to his servants, his children, his brother, and his friend. And he should never suffer them to continue in ignorance of sin, but impartially give them instructions, exhortations, or reproofs, as their condition requires. But it is most especially the duty of those that serve at the altar (Mal 2:7). The necessities of life engage too great a part of mankind in a servile employment, and they are withdrawn by so many avocations from the study of Gods law, that it is necessary there should be an order of men who should make it their peculiar care to learn the original language of the Holy Scriptures and the uncorrupted sense of the earliest ages, to examine the tenure by which we hold our Christian charter, and to consider the various objections that have from time to time been made against it. And besides and beyond all this, they may justly expect the especial guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. But how much soever the enemies of our faith or the enemies of our holy order may vilify and depreciate He authority of the ministers, of God, yet they themselves do more effectually injure it unless they discharge their commission in its utmost extent and resolutely declare the whole truth of God. They are bound by the strictest obligations to cleave to it. Great would be the presumption of any minister that should neglect the commands of his earthly prince, and act at his own discretion. Nor are they only unjust to God, but barbarous and unnatural to the souls of men; for the unlearned and ignorant put their entire confidence in them, and depend upon their direction in the way to life and happiness. It must, therefore, be an instance of the most inhuman cruelty to deceive their just hopes and abuse their earnest expectations. To poison the fountains where the flocks are to refresh themselves at noon; and direct the traveller at the approach of night to a fatal precipice, or a treacherous quicksand: these are such brutish practices as nature abhors. It is a strange abuse of Christian moderation, and a false and pernicious show of charity, to indulge the humours of vicious men; to soften religion into a compliance with them, and model it after their own frame. It is lawful, indeed, in indifferent matters to yield a little for the sake of peace, and to become all things to all men; but the articles of our faith and the principal duties of life are not indifferent matters; we may contend earnestly for these without losing our Christian temper. Did Ahab escape the arrow, that was shot at a venture, because the false prophets bid him go and prosper? If Daniel had pleased Belshazzar with an unfaithful account of the writing; if he had persuaded him to continue his impious feast, and eat, drink, and be merry, would the hand that wrote have forborne to punish him? Would not the writing have explained itself before the morning? How widely soever the articles of our religion may be made to differ from their original sense; how broad soever the path to Heaven may be represented; though the obligations to virtue may be described as unnecessary, as indifferent, or even as nothing; though the penalties of vice may seemingly be taken away, and eternal punishments be changed into temporal; to abate the fears, or gratify the desires of the wicked; yet the articles are still the same, and the way to Heaven as narrow; the obligations to virtue cannot be dissolved; the penalties of vice cannot be removed.
II. IT IS THE NOBLEST ACT OF FRIENDSHIP AND CHARITY TO READ THE WRITING, AND MAKE KNOWN THE INTERPRETATION THEREOF. When Hilkiah the Priest had found a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses, the good Josiah immediately sent to enquire after it, that he might distinctly know the breaches of the covenant, and the heavy curses that hung over Jerusalem; and as soon as the tender heart of the king was affected with a sense of the common guilt and danger, his compassion to his sinful wretched people would not suffer him to rest till he had read in the ears of all the men of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem, all the words of the book of the covenant. The affectionate Jesus has placed his ministers as watchmen to observe the dangers of His flock, and sound the alarm when the enemy is stealing upon it. The children of men are liable to be misled, and swerve from the right way, amidst the various and uncertain paths of life; their imperfect understandings give but a feeble glimmering twilight to guide them, and are easily covered with darkness. False appearances deceive them. And those unhappy souls that are engaged in a course of sin do no longer judge for themselves, but receive the flattering reports of their enemies that compass them about. It is indeed a difficult office, but the more difficult, so much greater is the friendship, so much the nobler the charity. What a glorious office is it to turn a sinner from the error of his way and save a soul from death! And this faithful discharge of their duty will:
III. OBTAIN RESPECT, EVEN FROM THOSE UNHAPPY MEN THAT HATE THE INTERPRETATION. Ahab hated Elijah because he told him the truth, but he also stood in awe of him. And Herod feared St. John because he acquainted him with his guilt; and though his bold rebukes interfered with the sin of his bosom, yet he often heard his plain and disinterested preaching; and such was the influence of his unshaken honesty that he did many things, and heard him gladly. And though our open, ingenuous behaviour may provoke wicked men to injure, us for a time, yet it:
IV. WILL AT LENGTH MAKE THEM RELENT AND BE SORRY FOR IT. Constancy and fidelity have a mighty force in obtaining the love of mankind; and this may be illustrated by the ease of Daniel.
V. I proceed TO SHOW THAT THE CASE OF WICKED MEN IS, THEN, MOST DEPLORABLE WHEN THEY ARE DEPRIVED OF THOSE FAITHFUL MONITORS THAT DARE TELL THEM THE TRUTH. They are then left to themselves, and abandoned and consigned over to the most pernicious counsels. They see no tokens of goodness, there is not one prophet move to awaken them out of the sleep of sin. Let not the plausible show of tenderness and moderation incline us to conceal the heinousness and danger of sin, or draw a favourable representation of the case of wicked men. Let us not endeavour to gain their favour for a time by pretending to put off the evil day, and screening them from the thoughts of a miserable eternity. (T. Newlin, M.A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 17. Let thy gifts be to thyself] They could be of little use to any, as the city was in a few hours to be taken and pillaged.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Did not Daniel receive gifts and honour, from Nebuchadnezzar, on the like occasion?
Answ. He was then young, and the captivity was to be long, and he by his place could be helpful to his poor brethren; but now the time of the captivity was near expired, and Babylon in distress by invasion and siege, and that night king, city, and kingdom lost; and there the time was different, and the case also. Moreover Daniel would not receive a reward for so sad a message.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. Not inconsistent with Da5:29. For here he declares his interpretation of the words is notfrom the desire of reward. The honors in Da5:29 were doubtless urged on him, without his wish, insuch a way that he could not with propriety refuse them. Had herefused them after announcing the doom of the kingdom, he might havebeen suspected of cowardice or treason.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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” s; 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.
s “tua tibi dona et munera habeto: aut in alios conferto”: Castalio.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
THE WRITING INTERPRETED Verses 17-31:
Verse 17 discloses that Daniel made a waiver of any desire or requirement of gifts or reward or fee for interpreting the writing on the wall that had shocked king Belshazzar. He told the king that he might keep his offered gifts and dole out his reward or fee elsewhere, as Elisha had done, 2Ki 5:16. However, he did assert that he would read the writing, (his heavenly father’s handwriting, so familiar to him.) And he assured him that he would gladly interpret the meaning of the writing.
Verse 18 notes that Daniel reminded Belshazzar that the most high God (the living Jehovah) had given Nebuchadnezzar his father a kingdom with majesty, glory, and honor, as recounted Dan 2:34; Dan 2:38. He reminded him that his father did not build that kingdom for himself, of his own ingenuity, Dan 4:17; Dan 4:22-25.
Verse 19 reminds Belshazzar that Nebuchadnezzar, in exercising the might and majesty and glory of power that the Lord gave him, caused all nations and people and languages to tremble and fear his cruel hand. He had ruthlessly slain whom he chose, and kept alive those he was pleased to have as captives. He had elevated to rule under him those he pleased, and dethroned those he pleased, as an absolute monarch, Jer 25:9; Jer 27:7; Dan 3:4.
Verse 20 recounts that when his heart was exalted in pride he was deposed from his throne and his glory was taken from him, to cause him humiliation as recounted, Dan 4:30; Exo 9:17; Exo 18:11; Job 15:25-27; Job 40:1; Job 40:12; Pro 16:5; Pro 16:18; Isa 14:12-17; Luk 1:51-52; Luk 18:14; Exo 18:11.
Verse 21 reminded Belshazzar that his father Nebuchadnezzar was driven (by violent insanity), from social fellowship among human beings and his heart or emotional affections were made to be like beasts, Dan 4:32. He thought he was an animal; and he dwelt in the open fields with wild asses where he was fed with grass or herbs like oxen. In this experience of mental derangement his body was wet with the dew from heaven. He remained in this state until in a moment of recovered temporary sanity, like the prodigal, he “came to himself,” and recognized that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and it was He who repeatedly appointed whom he pleased over the governments of men, Luk 15:17; Dan 4:17.
Verse 22 chides, reprimands, or scolds Belshazzar that though he had known this chastening experience of his father, he had still arrogantly refused to humble himself. He had just led in deriding the most high God before the lords and rulers of all his provinces by drinking wine from the golden and silver vessels taken from the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, v. 1-4; 2Ch 33:23; 2Ch 36:13; Psa 9:12; Psa 10:12; 1Pe 5:5-6.
Verse 23 charges Belshazzar with deliberate insolence and contempt toward the living God of heaven, in the deed of display and arrogance of drinking wine before his lords and their wives and concubines, out of the golden and silver vessels taken from the house of the Lord. They toasted the gods of gold; silver, brass, iron, wood and stone, dead gods that see not, hear not, and understand not, in derision toward the living God in whom they lived, moved, and existed. He gave no glory for anything to the true God; Hab 2:18-19; Heb 4:13; Isa 46:6-7; Jer 10:23.
Verse 24 states that then, at that point of Daniel’s address to king Belshazzar, the “part” of the hand, the writing fingers on the plaster wall, sent from God, was taken away, removed, or disappeared, v. 5. And the following was boldly written over the candlestick in that banquet hall, v. 5.
Verse 25 states that this is (exists as) an identical copy of the written statement “mene,” meaning numbered; “Tekel” denoted weighed; and “upharsin,” meaning dividers.
Verse 26 adds that “mene” meant that God had numbered or limited his kingdom days of reign, or cut short and finished it, resolved to terminate it forthwith, Jer 25:12.
Verse 27 further affirms that “tekel” meant that Belshazzar was personally weighed in character, in God’s balances, and found to be far too underweight to reign further in Babylon, 1Sa 2:3; Job 31:6; Psa 62:9; Jer 6:30.
Verse 28 concludes that “peres” as “upharsin”, v. 25, means “dividers” or “divided” meaning Belshazzar’s kingdom would be soon divided between or among the Medes and the Persians, as also foretold Isa 21:2; Ezr 1:1; Dan 9:1; Dan 6:28.
Verse 29 relates that then Belshazzar mandated that Daniel be clothed with scarlet, a royal robe, and have a chain of gold put around his neck. He then made a proclamation, caused it to be known through all his kingdom, that Daniel should be recognized then and thereafter as the third in order of power in the kingdom of Babylon, the thing he had promised, v. 13-16. He had held a similar rank under Nebuchadnezzar, Dan 2:48.
Verse 30 records that “in that night”, with sudden judgment, “was Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans slain, “as further confirmed Jer 51:31; Jer 51:39; Jer 51:57. History relates that Cyrus, king of Persia, diverted the water of the Euphrates river around the city, during that extended drunken international feast of Belshazzar, and marched his army by the dry land of the river inside the city, as the king and his consorts were carousing at the annual feast of the gods. See Isa 21:5; Isa 44:27. As to the slaying of Belshazzar see Isa 14:18-20.
Verse 31 discloses that Darius the Median seized the kingdom at about the age of 62 years, Dan 9:1. Though Cyrus led the army assault that conquered Babylon it was done in the name of Darius. But Dan 6:28 shows that Daniel was aware that Cyrus had led in the capture of the city of Babylon. The Medes were the leading power in her destruction, Isa 13:17; Isa 21:2.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
First of all, Daniel here rejects the proffered gifts. We do not read of his doing so before; he rather seemed to delight in the honors conferred by King Nebuchadnezzar. We may inquire into the reason for this difference. It is not probable that the intention, feeling, or sentiments of the Prophet were different. What then could be his intention in allowing himself to be previously ennobled by Nebuchadnezzar, and by now rejecting the offered dignity? Another question also arises. At the end of this chapter we shall see how he was clothed in purple, and a herald promulgated an edict, by which he became third in the kingdom. The Prophet seems either to have forgotten himself in receiving the purple which he had so magnanimously rejected, or we may ask the reason why he says so, when he did not refuse to be adorned in the royal apparel. With respect to the first question, I have no doubt of his desire to treat the impious and desperate Belshazzar with greater asperity, because in the case of King Nebuchadnezzar there still remained some feelings of honor, and hence he hoped well of him and treated him more mildly. But with regard to King Belshazzar, it was necessary to treat him more harshly, because he had now arrived at his last extremity. This, I have no doubt, was the cause of the difference, since the Prophet proceeded straight forward in his course, but his duty demanded of him to distinguish between different persons, and as there was greater pertinacity and obstinacy in King Belshazzar, he shews how much less he deferred to him than to his grandfather. Besides, the time of his subjection was soon to be finished, and with this end in view he had formerly honored the Chaldean empire.
As to the contrast apparent between his reply and his actions, which we shall hereafter see, this ought not to seem absurd, if the Prophet had from the beginning borne his testimony against the king’s gifts, and that he utterly re-jeered them. Yet he does not strive very vehemently, lest he should be thought to be acting cunningly, for the purpose of escaping danger. In each case he wished to display unconquered greatness of mind; at the beginning he asserted the king’s gifts to be valueless to him, for he knew the end of the kingdom to be at hand, and afterwards he received the purple with other apparel. If he had entirely refused them, it would have been treated as a fault and as a sign of timidity, and would have incurred the suspicion of treason. The Prophet therefore shews how magnificently he despised all the dignities offered him by King Belshazzar, who was already half dead. At the same time he shews himself intrepid against all dangers; for the king’s death was at hand and the city was taken in a few hours — nay, in the very same hour! Daniel therefore did not reject this purple, she wing his resolution not to avoid death if necessary. He would have been safer in his obscurity, had he dwelt among the citizens at large, instead of in the palace; and if he had resided among the captives, he might have been free from all danger. As he did not hesitate to receive the purple, he displays his perfect freedom from all fear. Meanwhile he, doubtless, wished to lay prostrate the king’s foolish arrogance, by which he was puffed up, when he says, Let thy gifts remain with thee, and give thy presents to another! I care not for them. Because he so nobly despises the king’s liberality, there is no doubt of his desire to correct the pride by which he was puffed up, or at least to wound and arouse his mind to feel God’s judgment, of which Daniel will soon become both the herald and the witness. It now follows, —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
c. TRANSGRESSION
TEXT: Dan. 5:17-23
17
Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18
O thou king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty:
19
and because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, 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 raised up, and whom he would he put down.
20
But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21
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; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the Most High God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and that he setteth up over it whomsoever he will.
22
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this,
23
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 from 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:
QUERIES
a.
Why did Daniel refuse the gifts promised by the king?
b.
How much of Gods part in Nebuchadnezzars insanity did Daniel believe Belshazzar knew?
c.
To what extent did Daniel expect Belshazzar to glorify God?
PARAPHRASE
Daniel answered, Keep your gifts yourself, or give them to someone else. Your generosity is appreciated. However, I will tell you the true writing upon the wall and its interpretation regardless of remuneration. Your Majestythe Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar, your ancestral predecessor, the kingdom of Babylon and elevated him to greatness, glory and majesty. This God gave Nebuchadnezzar such greatness that all the nations of the world surrendered in fear to his sovereignty. He killed any who offended or opposed him and offered mercy to everyone who did not offend him. At the decree of Nebuchadnezzar lesser kings rose or fell. But when he allowed pride to make his heart callous so that he dealt with people haughtily, God removed him from his royal throne and his majesty was stripped from him. God caused him to be shut off from association with men and his nature became like that of a wild animal and he actually lived among the wild donkeys; he ate grass like the oxen; he stayed out in the open often enough at night to sometimes have his body covered with the dew of heaven. Eventually he recognized that the Most High God rules in the political affairs of men, nations and kingdoms, and that the Most High God elevates and deposes whomsoever He will over kingdoms and nations. And you, his ancestral successor, O Belshazzaryou knew all this, yet you have reigned in a proud and haughty manner as if you did not know it. You have exalted yourself and defied the God of Heaven, and brought to this profane feast the vessels from Gods temple; and you and your officers and wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while worshipping gods of silver, gold, brass, iron, wood, and stonegods that neither see nor hear, nor know anything at all. You have defied the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!
COMMENT
Dan. 5:17-19 . . . LET THY GIFTS BE TO THYSELF . . . THE MOST HIGH GOD GAVE NEBUCHADNEZZAR THY FATHER THE KINGDOM . . . Some have assumed that Daniel was being insolent in this address to the king, Daniel, in Dan. 5:17, is merely stating that he will gladly read the writing for the king but he desires no remuneration. Reading the hand-writing on the wall is a service rendered both for his God, for Gods people, and for the king. Daniel does not think of reward first in such service. He is not at all like the mercenary wise men of Babylon. They will say what the king wants to hear for the right price. Daniel will tell the truth without reward.
Daniels next step is preparation of the ground-work to reach the haughty heart of Belshazzar. The purpose of the prophet is to convict the proud potentate of his moral failure, in the hope that Belshazzar will repent. Daniel prepares the kings heart by reminding him that his predecessor (Nebuchadnezzar) came to the throne and its subsequent greatness by the sovereign power of the Most High God. It is Daniels God who raises up and puts down (cf. Psa. 115:15-16; Act. 17:26; Eze. 29:18-20; Jer. 25:9; Isa. 10:5 ff). God gave Nebuchadnezzar such greatness that he exercised unhampered, unrestrained power. No one told him what to do. The whole world was under his power.
Dan. 5:20-21 BUT . . . HIS HEART WAS LIFTED UP . . . With such power and glory as Nebuchadnezzar had one would think he was justified in being proud. But when he lifted up his heart and did not give glory to the Most High God, divine correction was needed and instigated, (see chapter 4 for comments on Nebuchadnezzars chastening). Now the point is thishow much more does the proud and haughty Belshazzar deserve the chastening of the Most High God for he has hardly turned his hand in order to be in the position he holds. He has not even the slightest reason to boasthe has come to the throne by circumstances of birth and not by effort.
Dan. 5:22-23 . . . THOU KNEWEST ALL THIS . . . BUT HAST LIFTED UP THYSELF AGAINST THE LORD OF HEAVEN . . . There is no questioning the theology of these verses. Even pagan kings are held morally responsible by God. All men are accountable to learn moral and religious lessons from history. By means of events in nature and history God reveals His existence and His character (in a limited way, of course) (cf. Act. 14:15-18; Act. 17:22-31; Rom. 1:18-23; Psa. 19:1 ff., etc.) and all men everywhere are expected to learn what God approves and what He disapproves. If there is one lesson the prophets teach it is the sovereignty of God in politics, private and public morals, over all men, saint and sinner, pagan and patriarch alike. And if there is one thing history teaches it is that, generally speaking, kings and potentates (and mankind at large) have followed the course of Belshazzararrogance, materialism, pride and indifference to the lessons of history! History teaches that civilization commits spiritual, moral, and intellectual suicide when it makes for itself and worships impotent, false gods. Yet men of every generation insist on remaining blind to this lesson from history. Every generation makes and worships its own gods and each generation destroys itself spiritually, morally and intellectually all over again. Barnes says: Nothing is more absolute than the power which God holds over the breath of men, yet there is nothing which is less recognized than that power, and nothing which men are less disposed to acknowledge than their dependence on him for it.
QUIZ
1.
Was Daniel insolent in his answer to the king in Dan. 5:17?
2.
How does Daniel prepare the kings mind for the moral lesson he wants to teach?
3.
What is the point of relating Nebuchadnezzars downfall?
4.
Was Belshazzar not responsible since he was not a Jew?
5.
How many people usually learn moral lessons from history?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(17) Let thy gifts be to thyself.Daniel refused the kings offer of reward at first, but afterwards accepted it. In this way he showed his determination to speak the truth without any respect to fee, gift, or reward. (Comp. the conduct of Elisha, 2Ki. 5:16; 2Ki. 8:9.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17-23. According to our text (the Greek is shorter) Daniel refuses to recognize his equality with the Babylonian Magi by accepting the presents which had previously been promised to them (Dan 5:7), though afterward he accepts them (Dan 5:29). His speech is abrupt (as Dan 3:16) and sharp, with an intimation that Belshazzar himself needs gifts rather than he, and there may be a touch of irony in the opening words which offer to Belshazzar his coveted position as the son of Nebuchadnezzar, followed by a strong emphasis upon the fact that if that great king of the world, who had all power over all nations, was humbled by Jehovah, his little “son,” who reigned only over one palace, which was even now surrounded by a conquering army (see note Dan 5:1-4 and Introduction, III, 4), need not expect a less punishment when he sacrilegiously lifts himself up against the Lord of heaven.
With the wild asses This expression is not found in Dan 4:32-33, but by a slight change the text may read “with the herds.” (CompareDan 5:3-4; Psalms 119; Psalms 116; Psalms 117; Jer 10:23.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him its interpretation.”
Daniel politely states that he wishes for no reward. He is not here to benefit from what he is about to do. This probably impressed the king with the idea that such a man would speak only the truth. Besides such refusals were often seen as polite acceptances among orientals. But the reader is aware all the time that the promise is anyway an empty one, for by the morrow there will be no kingdom.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Interpretation and the Fulfilment
v. 17. Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards, v. 18. O thou king, v. 19. and for the majesty that He gave him, v. 20. But, v. 21. and he was driven from the sons of men, v. 22. And thou, his son, v. 23. but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven, v. 24. Then was the part of the hand, v. 25. And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin, v. 26. This is the interpretation of the thing, v. 27. Tekel: Thou art weighed in the balances, v. 28. Peres: Thy kingdom is divided, v. 29. Then commanded Belshazzar, v. 30. In that night was Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, slain, v. 31. And Darius, the Median, took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Dan 5:17. Let thy gifts be to thyself This is a compliment. He afterwards accepts what he here declines through civility. He means to say, that he was ready to do whatever the king commanded, without any respect to a recompense. See Calmet.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Who but must admire the faithfulness and honesty of Daniel. And who but must bless the Lord for making him so! It was now many a year since Daniel was first brought before the king on such an occasion; but with growing he had not lost his confidence. The fear of the Lord will drive away the fear of man; as the fire of the sun will put out the fire of the chimney!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Dan 5:17 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.
Ver. 17. Let thy gifts be to thyself. ] Honours, pleasures, riches,
“ Haec tria pro trino numine mmadus habet. ”
But as Moses, by the force of his faith, overcame them all, Heb 11:24-27 so did Daniel here, throwing off the offers of them, and answering the king’s proud speech with a grave invective, which he beginneth somewhat abruptly, not without indignation, as having to deal with a wicked and desperate man, rejected of God. Ministers must carry in them a retired majesty, saith one, toward the persons of wicked men. 2Ki 3:14
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Daniel
MENE, TEKEL, PERES
Dan 5:17 – Dan 5:31
Belshazzar is now conceded to have been a historical personage, the son of the last monarch of Babylon, and the other name in the narrative which has been treated as erroneous-namely, Darius-has not been found to be mentioned elsewhere, but is not thereby proved to be a blunder. For why should it not be possible for Scripture to preserve a name that secular history has not yet been ascertained to record, and why must it always be assumed that, if Scripture and cuneiform or other documents differ, it is Scripture that must go to the wall?
We do not deal with the grim picture of the drunken orgy, turned into abject terror as ‘the fingers of a man’s hand’ came forth out of empty air, and in the full blaze of ‘the candlestick’ wrote the illegible signs. There is something blood-curdling in the visibility of but a part of the hand and its busy writing. Whose was the body, and where was it? No wonder if the riotous mirth was frozen into awe, and the wine lost flavour. Nor need we do more than note the craven-hearted flattery addressed to Daniel by the king, who apparently had never heard of him till the queen spoke of him just before. We have to deal with the indictment, the sentence, and the execution.
I. The indictment.
Babylon was the embodiment and type of the godless world-power, and Belshazzar was the incarnation of the spirit which made Babylon. So Daniel’s indictment gathers together the main forms of sin, which cleave to every godless national or individual life. And he begins with that feather-brained frivolity which will learn nothing by example. Nebuchadnezzar’s fate might have taught his successors what came of God-forgetting arrogance, and attributing success to oneself; and his restoration might have been an object-lesson to teach that devout recognition of the Most High as sovereign was the beginning of a king’s prosperity and sanity. But Belshazzar knew all this, and ignored it all. Was he singular in that? Is not the world full of instances of the ruin that attends godlessness, which yet do not check one godless man in his career? The wrecks lie thick on the shore, but their broken sides and gaunt skeletons are not warnings sufficient to keep a thousand other ships from steering right on to the shoals. Of these godless lives it is true, ‘This their way is their folly; yet their posterity approve their sayings,’ and their doings, and say and do them over again. Incapacity to learn by example is a mark of godless lives.
Further, Belshazzar ‘lifted up’ himself ‘against the Lord of heaven,’ and ‘glorified not Him in whose hand was his breath and whose were all his ways.’ The very essence of all sin is that assertion of self as Lord, as sufficient, as the director of one’s path. To make myself my centre, to depend on myself, to enthrone my own will as sovereign, is to fly in the face of nature and fact, and is the mother of all sin. To live to self is to die while we live; to live to God is to live even while we die. Nations and individuals are ever tempted thus to ignore God, and rebelliously to say, ‘Who is Lord over us?’ or presumptuously to think themselves architects of their own fortunes, and sufficient for their own defence. Whoever yields to that temptation has let the ‘prince of the devils’ in, and the inferior evil spirits will follow. Positive acts are not needed; the negative omission to ‘glorify’ the God of our life binds sin on us.
Further, Belshazzar, the type of godlessness, had desecrated the sacrificial vessels by using them for his drunken carouse, and therein had done just what we do when we take the powers of heart and mind and will, which are meant to be filled with affections, thoughts, and purposes, that are ‘an odour of a sweet smell, well-pleasing to God,’ and desecrate them by pouring from them libations before creatures. Is not love profaned when it is lavished on men or women without one reference to God? Is not the intellect desecrated when its force is spent on finite objects of thought, and never a glance towards God? Is not the will prostituted from its high vocation when it is used to drive the wheels of a God-ignoring life?
The coin bears the image and superscription of the true king. It is treason to God to render it to any paltry ‘Cr’ of our own coronation. Belshazzar was an avowed idolater, but many of us are worshipping gods ‘which see not, nor hear, nor know’ as really as he did. We cannot but do so, if we are not worshipping God; for men must have some person or thing which they regard as their supreme good, to which the current of their being sets, which, possessed, makes them blessed; and that is our god, whether we call it so or not.
Further, Belshazzar was carousing while the Medes and Persians were ringing Babylon round, and his hand should have been grasping a sword, not a wine-cup. Drunkenness and lust, which sap manhood, are notoriously stimulated by peril, as many a shipwreck tells when desperate men break open the spirit casks, and go down to their death intoxicated, and as many an epidemic shows when morality is flung aside, and mad vice rules and reels in the streets before it sinks down to die. A nation or a man that has shaken off God will not long keep sobriety or purity.
II. After the stern catalogue of sins comes the tremendous sentence.
Daniel speaks like an embodied conscience, or like an avenging angel, with no word of pity, and no effort to soften or dilute the awful truth. The day for wrapping up grim facts in muffled words was past. Now the only thing to be done was to bare the sword, and let its sharp edge cut. The inscription, as given in Dan 5:25 , is simply ‘Numbered, numbered, weighed and breakings.’ The variation in Dan 5:28 Peres is the singular of the noun used in the plural in Dan 5:25 , with the omission of ‘U,’ which is merely the copulative ‘and.’ The disjointed brevity adds to the force of the words. Apparently, they were not written in a character which ‘the king’s wise men’ could read, and probably were in Aramaic letters as well as language, which would be familiar to Daniel. Of course, a play on the word ‘Peres’ suggests the Persian as the agent of the breaking . Daniel simply supplied the personal application of the oracular writing. He fits the cap on the king’s head. ‘God hath numbered thy kingdom . . . thou art weighed . . . thy kingdom is divided’ broken.
These three fatal words carry in them the summing up of all divine judgment, and will be rung in the ears of all who bring it on themselves. Belshazzar is a type of the end of every godless world-power and of every such individual life. ‘Numbered’-for God allows to each his definite time, and when its sum is complete, down falls the knife that cuts the threads. ‘Weighed’-for ‘after death the judgment,’ and a godless life, when laid in the balance which His hand holds, is ‘altogether lighter than vanity.’ ‘Breakings’-for not only will the godless life be torn away from its possessions with much laceration of heart and spirit, but the man himself will be broken like some earthen vessel coming into sharp collision with an express engine. Belshazzar saw the handwriting on the same night in which it was carried out in act; we see it long before, and we can read it. But some of us are mad enough to sit unconcerned at the table, and go on with the orgy, though the legible letters are gleaming plain on the wall.
III. The execution of the sentence need not occupy us long.
Belshazzar so little realised the facts, that he issued his order to deck out Daniel in the tawdry pomp he had promised him, as if a man with such a message would be delighted with purple robes and gold chains, and made him third ruler of the kingdom which he had just declared was numbered and ended by God. The force of folly could no further go. No wonder that the hardy invaders swept such an Imbecile from his throne without a struggle! His blood was red among the lees of the wine-cups, and the ominous writing could scarcely have faded from the wall when the shouts of the assailants were heard, the palace gates forced, and the half-drunken king, alarmed too late, put to the sword. ‘He that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.’
Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Dan 5:17-24
17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him. 18O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. 19Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled. 20But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. 21He 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. 22Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, 23but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and your ways, you have not glorified. 24Then the hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.
Dan 5:17-21 This is a summary of God’s sovereign dealings with Nebuchadnezzar II recorded in Daniel 4.
Dan 5:17 Daniel forcibly (JUSSIVE and IMPERATIVE), but politely, rejects the king’s offer of gifts, rewards, and position. Daniel can read the prophetic words. He knows the Babylonian kingdom is at an end! Daniel knew Belshazzar would be giving everything to Cyrus’ army very soon.
Dan 5:18 ‘Nebuchadnezzar your father’ The term father can refer to descendants in Hebrew (Semitic) usage. See note at Dan 5:2.
Dan 5:19 ‘all the peoples, nations, and men of every language’ This is a hyperbole used to show the extent of the neo-Babylonian empire under Nebuchadnezzar II (cf. Dan 3:4; Dan 3:7; Dan 4:1; Dan 5:19; Dan 6:25).
Nebuchadnezzar exercised total control over a large part of the ancient Near East. He thought he was in a position of authority until the God of Judah stepped in (cf. Dan 5:20-21)!
Dan 5:20 This verse describes not only Nebuchadnezzar, but all of the Near Eastern potentates whom Daniel served and prophesied about (cf. Dan 2:7-8; Dan 9:24-27; Dan 11:12), including Belshazzar (cf. Dan 5:22-23).
Dan 5:21 the Most High God See Special Topic: Names for Deity
Dan 5:22-23 The NIV Study Bible (p. 1308) notes that Belshazzar is condemned for three things.
1. He acted irreverently toward YHWH, not out of ignorance, but spite (Dan 5:22).
2 He desecrated YHWH’s name by using the holy vessels from the temple in Jerusalem for a drunken party.
3. He praised man-made idols instead of YHWH (Dan 5:23 b).
Dan 5:23 but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven As Nebuchadnezzar was humbled by YHWH (cf. Daniel 4) so too, his descendant, Belshazzar, who had purposely violated the sanctity of YHWH’s temple vessels.
you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand This contrasts the only living, ever-living God with the dead, dumb, and nonexistent idols (see note at Dan 5:4).
the God in whose hand are your life-breath and your ways The only source for life is YHWH (from the Hebrew VERB to be, cf. Exo 3:14). He is the controller of events, kings, and nations. This truth is mentioned in the Prophets (e.g., Jer 10:23), but most often in Wisdom Literature (cf. Job 31:4; Psalms 139; Pro 20:24).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
interpretation. Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read “interpretation thereof”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Dan 5:17
Dan 5:17 ThenH116 DanielH1841 answeredH6032 and saidH560 beforeH6925 the king,H4430 Let thy giftsH4978 beH1934 to thyself, and giveH3052 thy rewardsH5023 to another;H321 yetH1297 I will readH7123 the writingH3792 unto the king,H4430 and make knownH3046 to him the interpretation.H6591
Dan 5:17
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.
Daniel was unimpressed with the promise of the king’s gifts and authority in Babylon. He told the king to keep them. There is an immediate difference apparent here in the demeanor Daniel has towards Belshazzar as opposed to the respect he showed for Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel had ill tidings for Nebuchadnezzar and waited an hour to tell him because of his distress over the message and what it meant for the king. But for Belshazzar, Daniel immediately speaks out and delivers the cold hard facts.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Weighed and Found Wanting
Dan 5:17-31
Daniel was unperturbed and undismayed. Calm and collected, he recognized his Fathers handwriting, and read it, as the instructed may decipher a scroll which is illegible to the ordinary gaze. What to him were the gewgaws of the palace? With the wings of the angel of death overshadowing that awe-struck throng, it was of small importance that Belshazzar promised him the purple robe and chain of gold. It seems sometimes as though those fingers were busy still writing their awful sentence on the walls of national revelry. While a nation is drinking deep at its cups and countenancing uncleanness, the divine assay may be in progress and the verdict going forth: weighed and found wanting. There may be gold and glitter, revelry and mirth, the splendor of state, and the profusion of rich viands; but what of these if the people are ignorant, irreligious, and impure? Then, indeed, dry-rot has set in! The root sin of all is pride. May the Spirit of God, who ever brings with Him light and understanding and excellent wisdom be found in us, as in Daniel.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Let: Daniel, on this occasion, behaved in a very different manner to Belshazzar, than he had formerly done to Nebuchadnezzar. Belshazzar had that very night insulted the God of heaven in the most daring manner; and the venerable prophet, as His delegate, denounced sentence against him. Dan 5:29, Gen 14:23, 2Ki 3:13, 2Ki 5:16, 2Ki 5:26, Act 8:20
rewards: or, fee, Dan 2:6
I will read: Psa 119:46
Reciprocal: Num 22:18 – I cannot 1Ki 14:6 – for I am 2Ki 3:14 – I would not look Psa 15:4 – a vile Dan 1:20 – the magicians Dan 10:1 – and he Mar 6:20 – feared
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 5:17. Let thy gifts he to thyself, etc. This is not to be taken to mean that Daniel thought it would be wrong to accept the gifts, for verse 29 shows he did accept them afterwards. Rewards is rendered fee in the margin which helps to describe the situation. (See comments at chapter 2: 6.) The meaning is that Daniel wanted the king to know he would tell the answer desired without regard for the reward.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
5. Daniel’s rebuke of Belshazzar 5:17-24
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Daniel’s reply to the king was in every sense a sermon, and a powerful one at that. [Note: King, p. 148.] The prophet began by declining the offered gifts. This had the effect, whatever Daniel’s reason for doing so may have been, of helping Belshazzar realize that these gifts did not influence his interpretation of the writing.