Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 5:22
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
22 23. But Belshazzar, in spite of the warning afforded by Nebuchadnezzar’s fate, has sinned still more deeply, and by wanton sacrilege has deliberately defied the God of heaven.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart … – As thou shouldst have done in remembrance of these events. The idea is, that we ought to derive valuable lessons from what has taken place in past times; that, from the events which have occurred in history, we should learn what God approves and what he disapproves; that we should avoid the course which has subjected others to his displeasure, and which has brought his judgments upon them. The course, however, which Belshazzar pursued has been that of kings and princes commonly in the world, and indeed of mankind at large. How little do men profit by the record of the calamities which have come upon others for their crimes! How little are the intemperate of one generation admonished by the calamities which have come upon those of another; how little are the devotees of pleasure; how little are those in places of power!
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Dan 5:22-23
Hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this.
The Prophets Indictment
It included three counts.
1. The teaching of God had been disregarded. The sovereignty of Nebuchadnezzar had been from God. That dependence had been forgotten, and so pride had been chastened by insanity.
2. God had been insulted. A poor worm had dared to exalt itself against him. In the midst of a scene of which many a heathen would have been ashamed, the consecrated vessels of His house had been used to drink to other gods, which see not, nor hear, nor know.
3. The glory of God had not been sought. It was not in Belshazzars power, indeed, to add anything to the essential glory of God, but it was for him to reflect that glory. He could add nothing to Gods ineffable brightness, but he could catch light from Heaven, and diffuse it. He could be such a man, and live such a life, that others might have their ideas of God exalted, and be constrained to confess that He whose name is Jehovah is the Most High over all the earth. (H. T. RobJohns, B.A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 22. Hast not humbled thine heart] These judgments and mercies have had no good effect upon thee.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Sins against knowledge, experience, and example have the highest aggravation. Thy father was punished for his pride most dreadfully, and thou knewest it, and behold thou art worse than he. God punisheth others for example and warning to us, that we may hear and fear, and do no more wickedly; but thou, O king Belshazzar, art more wicked than thy father; he was restored, but thou art utterly destroyed. And now he goes on to tell for what.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22. Thou hast erred not throughignorance, but through deliberate contempt of God, notwithstandingthat thou hadst before thine eyes the striking warning given in thygrandfather’s case.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And thou his son, O Belshazzar,…. His grandson;
[See comments on Da 5:1]:
hast not humbled thine heart; so as to acknowledge the most high God, and his dependence on him; to own him as his Sovereign, by whom he held his crown and kingdom, and to whom he was accountable; but, on the contrary, lifted up his heart in pride and haughtiness against him:
though thou knewest all this; either by the relation of others, his father and mother, and others; or being an eyewitness of it himself; wherefore his sin was the more aggravated, since he had had an example before him of pride being humbled in a very awful manner, and yet took no warning by it.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Daniel here shews why he, related what we have hitherto heard concerning King Nebuchadnezzar ’ s punishment; for Belshazzar ought to have been so affected by that domestic example, as to submit himself to God. We may believe, indeed, that his father Evil-Merodach had forgotten his punishments, since he would not have conducted himself so petulantly against God, nor trampled on true and sincere piety; for God spared the wretched tyrant who restrained himself within the bounds of moderation. But as to his grandfather Belshazzar, he was altogether intolerable; hence God stretched forth his hand. The Prophet now teaches this. Thou art his son, says he. This circumstance urges upon him with greater force the duty of not seeking an example in foreign nations, since he acknowledged himself to have sufficient at home of what was both necessary and useful. He enlarges upon his crime in another way, by saying, Yet thou didst know this Men are accustomed to shield themselves under their ignorance with the view of extenuating the guilt of their crimes, but those who sin knowingly and willfully are without the slightest excuse. The Prophet therefore convinces the king of manifest obstinacy; as if he had said, You have provoked God’s anger on purpose; since he ought to have been aware of the horrible judgment awaiting all the proud, when he had such a remarkable and singular proof of it in his grandfather, which he ought to have kept constantly before his eyes. It follows, —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(22) Though thou knewest.The whole history of Nebuchadnezzar was known to Belshazzar. He had not, however, learned the moral lesson conveyed by it. He was therefore doubly guilty in the sight of God, because his blasphemy was wilful.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“And you his descendant, O Belshazzar, you have not humbled your heart; though you knew all this. But you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven, and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you, and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine in them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor know. And the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified.”
With brave and powerful words Daniel stood before the distressed monarch with words that at any other time would have ensured his own death, and pointed out that he had done things even worse than those done by Nebuchadnezzar.
He was without excuse. He knew what had happened to his grandfather. And yet he had not learned his lesson. Instead of being humble before the God of heaven he had deliberately blasphemed His name, he had arrogantly and deliberately appropriated what was His in order to insult Him, and had not only allowed his inebriated courtiers, wives and concubines to drink wine from them, but had used them for the worship of mindless, blind, deaf images made of earthly metals by man.
The implication is that these gods were thus in contrast to the Lord of heaven, He Who was the living God, Who was the source of men’s breath, He Who heard and saw all things. And He with His all seeing eye and all hearing ear had seen and heard what Belshazzar had done. His crime was greater far than Nebuchadnezzar’s. And yet what folly. It had all been against the One Who held his life in His hands, the One Who had given him breath and could just as easily take it away, and he had done it in order to worship those who could do neither. What then could he expect this message to mean?
We must see these words as intended to make him repent, even at this late moment, otherwise why torment him with them? Perhaps he had a special feeling for this wayward son of his great friend. And they were also meant for his lords, and for the wives and concubines. All would soon stare death in the eyes, and all needed to seek the mercy of the God of heaven. Although they did not know it, for many of them this was to be their last chance.
And this also all applies to us who read these words, who constantly forget that we are faced with the living God, and that the things of this world and the things we often worship are as nothing. For us too one day there will be the writing on the wall, and for some, sooner than we might think.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
DISCOURSE: 1127
IMPENITENCE REPROVED
Dan 5:22. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this.
AMONGST the endowments of a pious minister, two of the most important are, disinterestedness and fidelity. A man who is looking to his own gain, or is afraid to declare the whole counsel of God, is unworthy of the sacred office: nor can he hope to be either profitable to man, or accepted of God. The example of the Prophet Daniel is worthy of universal imitation. He, having been sent for by king Belshazzar to interpret a writing which God had caused to be inscribed upon the walls of the room where the impious monarch was feasting, declined with scorn all the proffered rewards; and reproved, to his very face, the sovereign, whom no other person in the empire would have dared to offend: Thy gifts be to thyself, says he; and give thy rewards to another. God has here written thy doom, because of thine impiety. He has borne with thee long, and given thee singular advantages for repentance, if thou hadst had a heart to improve them: he has made known to thee all his dispensations towards thy father, Nebuchadnezzar: but thou, his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this.
The reproof here given to Belshazzar is not a whit less applicable to ourselves. Permit me, then, to stand to you in the place of Daniel, and to shew you,
I.
What advantages we have enjoyed for the humiliation of our souls
It was certainly a great advantage to Belshazzar, that he had seen Gods dealings with his father, (his grandfather,) both in the judgments inflicted on him, and in the mercies vouchsafed unto him. God had in these dispensations clearly marked his indignation against sin, and his readiness to shew mercy to returning penitents. The judgment inflicted on Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest monarch in the universe, was the depriving him of his reason; and causing him, for the space of seven years, to resemble a beast, and to be treated as a beast; being turned out to eat grass like an ox, and to be exposed, like any common beast, to all the changes and inclemencies of the weather, without shelter, and without a friend to compassionate his forlorn condition. Having, however, by this humiliating dispensation, effected his gracious purpose towards him, God restored him to soundness of mind again, and to the exercise of his regal functions; yea, and brought him, also, to the possession of real piety, and ultimately to the enjoyment of a far nobler kingdom.
And has he not given to us the same advantage? Yes, and one far greater: for he has made known to us,
1.
His indignation against sin; not in one instance only, but in all ages
[We may go back to the very first introduction of sin into the world; and there we shall see the indignation of God against it, written in the most tremendous colours. Not only was our first parent banished from Paradise; but a sentence of death was pronounced against him; and the whole earth, and all his posterity, were cursed for his sake. Hell, indeed, had been previously created, as a receptacle for the fallen angels: but it was henceforth to be peopled with millions of the human race, who, having received from Adam a corrupt nature, would follow his bad example, and perish in their sins.
As we descend further in the history of the world, we see again the displeasure of God against sin, as manifested at the Deluge; by which judgment every creature upon the face of the whole earth perished, except the few which were admitted into Noahs ark.
Nor was his abhorrence of sin less strongly marked by the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha, and all the cities of the plain, by fire from heaven. In this terrible judgment were involved the infant and the suckling, no less than the most daring offender in the land. Surely, after contemplating such events as these, we cannot doubt but that sin must, in the Divine mind, be an object of the deepest abhorrence.
But we need not go back to distant ages. We need only look around us, and within us, and we shall behold the same awful truth exhibited to our view on every side. Whence is it that storms and tempests desolate the earth, and plagues of every kind are inflicted on the human race? Whence is it that pains, and sorrows, and death assault, not the aged sinner only, but the new-born innocent? Whence is it that there is not a man upon earth, the godly alone excepted, that possesses peace in his soul, in the prospect of death and judgment? How comes it that all are like the troubled sea, which cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt? There may, it is true, be found, in sad abundance, men as thoughtless as the beasts: but, of any thing like solid peace, in the contemplation of eternity, there is not to be found one atom upon the face of the globe, except in those whose iniquities have been purged in the blood of our Incarnate God. We need only consult our own experience, and we must bear testimony to this distressing fact. And what does all this declare? It declares that sin, in whomsoever it exists, is an object of Gods abhorrence, and has already stamped upon it the most unquestionable tokens of his displeasure.]
2.
His mercy to repenting sinners
[Here also we may go back to the period, when, unsolicited and unsought, God revealed a Saviour to offending man, and promised that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpents head. What a demonstration was this of mercy struggling, as it were, for vent in the Divine bosom; and exulting, I had almost said, in the discovery of an object needing it, and of means whereby it might be exercised towards him! See the myriads to whom this Saviour was revealed in types and shadows, previous to his arrival. See the work of redemption, as carried on, to its completion, throughout the whole process of the Saviours incarnation, life and death, and resurrection and ascension; and his full investiture with all power, to accomplish in us what he had already in his own person prepared for us. See the out-pouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost; whereby thousands, as far from God as ever Nebuchadnezzar was, were brought to God, and made partakers of Gods kingdom and glory. Do not all these things speak to us as loudly as Nebuchadnezzars conversion spoke to his son Belshazzar?
But of this, also, we have strong intimations, in what we see around us, and in what we feel within our own bosoms. We rind, even amongst the most savage barbarians, one general sentimentthat the Being to whom they are responsible will shew mercy to those who, in a becoming manner, implore it at his hands. Amongst ourselves, there is universally prevalent a hope, that, on the repentance of a sinner, God will have mercy on him. But for this thought, the most careless sinner would give himself up to utter despair. In what way mercy shall be exercised towards him, he knows not: but of the readiness of God to shew mercy, he has no doubt. And of this persuasion all of us are conscious: yea, so strongly is it impressed on all our minds, that it is the one source of all the comfort we enjoy.
If, then, we admit, as we must, that Belshazzars advantages were great, much more are those with which we have been favoured.]
But we have reason to be ashamed, when we reflect,
II.
How little improvement we have made of them
What effect Belshazzars knowledge ought to have produced upon him is here plainly declared. It should have led him to humble his soul before God. But it had been unproductive of any good: he had not humbled his heart, though he knew all this. The revels, in which he was indulging at this moment, shewed that he was as much under the influence of pride, dissipation, and impiety, as if no such warning had been ever given him. And what, I would ask, is the state of our hearts before God?
Are we not addicted to the same evils as he?
[There may not be in us the same bold defiance of God as in him; but there is practically the same pride of heart which exalts itself against God, the same surrender of ourselves to the cares and pleasures of life, and the same actual preference of created confidences before Him who is the Creator of heaven and earth. The Psalmists description of the wicked too justly represents our state: The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts: his ways are always grievous: thy judgments are far above, out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them [Note: Psa 10:4-5.]. Here is the same principle of pride as that by which Belshazzar was actuated. Here is God altogether banished from our thoughts, as much as from his; and utter contempt poured upon his authority and on his every word, whether of judgment or of mercy. Look around, and see if this be not the state of all around us. If the luxurious feasting of Belshazzar be unattainable by us, still it is that which is regarded as the very summit of happiness; and which is mimicked by persons, according to their ability, in every rank of life. From what we know of Gods displeasure against such carnal proceedings, it might be supposed that they should long since have been banished from the world: but the world is as full of them as ever, and the heart of sinful man as much addicted to them as ever.]
Have we humbled our hearts, any more than he?
[One might expect, from all that we have read of Gods dealings with the world, that we should all be like the Ninevites, humbling ourselves before God in sackcloth and ashes. But where do we see any thing of humiliation and contrition? Where do we hear persons bewailing their past iniquities, and crying mightily unto God for mercy? Say, is this common? Say, is it not uncommon? Is it not very rare? If you hear of two or three awakened to a sense of their undone condition, you are ready to congratulate the minister and the Church of God on an event so truly wonderful, and so replete with mercy; a sure proof, that the instances are very few, and that the knowledge of the generality is awfully unproductive.]
Is not our sin then, in this point of view, greatly aggravated?
[Daniel spoke of Belshazzars knowledge as an aggravation of his guilt: Thou hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this. And is not our knowledge also a fearful aggravation of our guilt? Our blessed Lord said of the Jews, If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak for their sin [Note: Joh 15:22.]. And, in like manner, I may say to you, that had you been less instructed in the mind of God, you would have had less to answer for, on account of your departures from it. This is placed in a very striking point of view by the Prophet Jeremiah. He speaks of the ten tribes of Israel as having abandoned themselves to idolatry, and as having been discarded of God on account of their wickedness: yet, when the other two tribes saw this, so far from improving it for their own spiritual good, they turned not to the Lord with their whole heart, but feignedly. Upon which, the Lord himself said concerning them, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah [Note: Jer 3:6-11.]: that is, great as Israels guilt is, it is not equal to that of Judah; because Judah has had an advantage not possessed by Israel: Judah has seen the judgments inflicted upon Israel, and yet has gone on impenitent: and therefore his guilt is great in proportion to the advantages which he has neglected to improve. And to the same effect our blessed Lord also has told us, that the servant who knew not his lords will, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes; but the servant who knew his lords will, and yet violated it, shall be beaten with many stripes [Note: Luk 12:47-48.].]
That I may still adhere to the character of my text, let me address you, finally, in a few words,
1.
Of warning
[I would not unduly magnify any advantages which have been enjoyed by you: but I may with truth say, that, according to the ability which God has given me, I have ministered unto you faithfully the Gospel of Christ, not keeping back any one thing that would have been profitable unto you. You therefore have much to answer for. And the words which have been spoken to you, if they be not unto you a savour of life unto life, will be unto you a savour of death unto death. Yes, much as I have desired to save your souls, I shall be a swift witness against you in the day of judgment, if you do not truly turn to God, and devote yourselves unfeignedly to his service. I pray you let not our meeting at the judgment-seat of Christ be so fraught with sorrow to our souls; but now make a suitable improvement of what ye hear, that I may have you as my joy, and crown of rejoicing, in that day.]
2.
Of advice
[Let the dealings of God with mankind be treasured up in your minds. They are designed to teach you what you yourselves may expect at his hands. You may see in his judgments, what the impenitent shall endure; and you may see in his mercies what the penitent shall enjoy. Belshazzar himself may be a lesson to you, if you will not attend to other and more encouraging instructions. He was a powerful monarch; yet his greatness could not screen him from the wrath of an avenging God. That very night was king Belshazzar slain. Had he humbled himself at that moment, who can tell but that he, like his father, might have been spared to be a monument of Gods saving grace to all eternity? Delay not ye, my beloved Brethren, to obey the heavenly calling; lest death arrest you also, and it be too late. To-day, whilst it is called to-day, harden not your hearts; but now that ye know all this, turn to the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and seek for mercy through him, as the propitiation for your sins. To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin [Note: Jam 4:17.]. But, if ye know these things, then happy are ye, and happy shall ye be, if ye do them [Note: Joh 13:17.].]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Dan 5:22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
Ver. 22. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart. ] It was no small aggravation of his sins not to be warned, and now he shall hear of it on both ears. The putting out of the French king’s eyes, which promised before with his eyes to see one of God’s true servants burned, who seeth not to be the stroke of God’s hand? Then his son Francis, not regarding his father’s stripe, would needs yet proceed in burning the same man. And did not the same God give him such a blow on the ear that it cost him his life? a
a Acts and Mon., fol. 1914.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
his son. See note on “father”, Dan 5:2.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Dan 5:22
Dan 5:22 And thouH607 his son,H1247 O Belshazzar,H1113 hast notH3809 humbledH8214 thine heart,H3825 thoughH3606 H6903 H1768 thou knewestH3046 allH3606 this;H1836
Dan 5:22
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
Of great significance here is that Daniel looks Belshazzar in the face and informs him that he knew all this. Belshazzar knew of Nebuchadnezzar’s illness. Belshazzar knew of Nebuchadnezzar’s conversion. Nebuchadnezzar published the whole thing in the form an official document and had it sent out all over the empire. Daniel made this point to emphasize what he was going to say next.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
thou: Dan 5:18, Psa 119:46, Mat 14:4, Act 4:8-13
his son: He was, strictly speaking, “his grandson;” but the term son is frequently used to denote filiation at any distance.
hast: Exo 10:3, 2Ch 33:23, 2Ch 36:12, Isa 26:10, Mat 21:32, Act 5:29-33, 1Pe 5:5, 1Pe 5:6
though: Luk 12:47, Joh 13:17, Jam 4:6, Jam 4:17
Reciprocal: 2Ch 12:6 – humbled 2Ch 22:5 – Ramothgilead 2Ch 30:11 – humbled themselves 2Ch 33:19 – before he Psa 10:4 – will not Psa 94:2 – render Psa 119:21 – rebuked Pro 16:18 – General Isa 13:11 – and I will cause Eze 28:2 – Because Eze 31:14 – the end Dan 7:1 – Belshazzar Mat 5:3 – the poor Luk 16:25 – remember Heb 10:26 – if Rev 16:9 – and they
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 5:22. The general sense of the terms son and father is explained at verse 2. Though thou, knewest alt this. The kings of great empires kept records of their transactions and the people, especially men in high positions, had access to those records, Daniel knew that Belshazzar had seen the account of Nebuchadnezzar’s experience. The example should have taught him a lesson but it seems to have failed.