10 The queen, on account of the words of the king and his great men, to the banquet-house hath come up. Answered hath the queen, and said, 'O king, to the ages live; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor thy countenance be changed: 11 there is a man in thy kingdom in whom 'is' the spirit of the holy gods: and, in the days of thy father, light, and understanding, and wisdom—as the wisdom of the gods—was found in him; and king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, chief of the scribes, enchanters, Chaldeans, soothsayers, established him—thy father, O king— 12 because that an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of enigmas, and loosing of knots was found in him, in Daniel, whose name the king made Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and the interpretation he doth show.' 13 Then Daniel hath been caused to come up before the king; answered hath the king, and said to Daniel, 'Thou art that Daniel who 'art' of the sons of the Removed of Judah, whom the king my father brought in out of Judah? 14 And I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods 'is' in thee, and light, and understanding, and excellent wisdom have been found in thee. 15 'And now, caused to come up before me have been the wise men, the enchanters, that this writing they may read, and its interpretation to cause me to know: and they are not able to shew the interpretation of the thing: 16 and I—I have heard of thee, that thou art able to give interpretations, and to loose knots: now, lo—thou art able to read the writing, and its interpretation to cause me to know—purple thou dost put on, and a bracelet of gold 'is' on thy neck, and third in the kingdom thou dost rule.' 17 Then hath Daniel answered and said before the king, 'Thy gifts be to thyself, and thy fee to another give; nevertheless, the writing I do read to the king, and the interpretation I cause him to know; 18 thou, O king, God Most High, a kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honour, gave to Nebuchadnezzar thy father: 19 and because of the greatness that He gave to him, all peoples, nations, and languages were trembling and fearing before him: whom he willed he was slaying, and whom he willed he was keeping alive, and whom he willed he was raising up, and whom he willed he was making low; 20 and when his heart was high, and his spirit was strong to act proudly, he hath been caused to come down from the throne of his kingdom, and his glory they have caused to pass away from him, 21 and from the sons of men he is driven, and his heart with the beasts hath been like, and with the wild asses 'is' his dwelling; the herb like oxen they cause him to eat, and by the dew of the heavens is his body wet, till that he hath known that God Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and whom He willeth He raiseth up over it. 22 'And thou, his son, Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though all this thou hast known; 23 and against the Lord of the heavens thou hast lifted up thyself; and the vessels of His house they have brought in before thee, and thou, and thy great men, thy wives, and thy concubines, are drinking wine with them, and gods of silver, and of gold, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, that are not seeing, nor hearing, nor knowing, thou hast praised: and the God in whose hand 'is' thy breath, and all thy ways, Him thou hast not honoured. 24 'Then from before Him sent is the extremity of the hand, and the writing is noted down; 25 and this 'is' the writing that is noted down: Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, and Divided. 26 This 'is' the interpretation of the thing: Numbered—God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it. 27 Weighed—Thou art weighed in the balances, and hast been found lacking. 28 Divided—Divided is thy kingdom, and it hath been given to the Medes and Persians.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Daniel 5:10-28
Commentary on Daniel 5:10-17
(Read Daniel 5:10-17)
Daniel was forgotten at court; he lived privately, and was then ninety years of age. Many consult servants of God on curious questions, or to explain difficult subjects, but without asking the way of salvation, or the path of duty. Daniel slighted the offer of reward. He spoke to Belshazzar as to a condemned criminal. We should despise all the gifts and rewards this world can give, did we see, as we may by faith, its end hastening on; but let us do our duty in the world, and do it all the real service we can.
Commentary on Daniel 5:18-31
(Read Daniel 5:18-31)
Daniel reads Belshazzar's doom. He had not taken warning by the judgments upon Nebuchadnezzar. And he had insulted God. Sinners are pleased with gods that neither see, nor hear, nor know; but they will be judged by One to whom all things are open. Daniel reads the sentence written on the wall. All this may well be applied to the doom of every sinner. At death, the sinner's days are numbered and finished; after death is the judgment, when he will be weighed in the balance, and found wanting; and after judgment the sinner will be cut asunder, and given as a prey to the devil and his angels. While these things were passing in the palace, it is considered that the army of Cyrus entered the city; and when Belshazzar was slain, a general submission followed. Soon will every impenitent sinner find the writing of God's word brought to pass upon him, whether he is weighed in the balance of the law as a self-righteous Pharisee, or in that of the gospel as a painted hypocrite.