The Skeptics Annotated Bible (669 page)

(5.2)
“Belshazzar … his father Nebuchadnezzar”

3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.

4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

(5.5-6)
The handwriting on the wall
Belshazzar was partying with his princes, wives, and concubines when a detached hand starts writing on the wall. When the king sees it “the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against the other.”

5
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote
over against the candlestick
upon
the plaister of
the wall
of the king’s palace:
and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote
.

(5.5)
“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote … upon … the wall … and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.”

6
Then the king’s countenance was changed,
and his thoughts troubled him,
so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

(5.6)
“Then the king’s countenance was changed … so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.”

7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

(5.8-28) Belshazzar asked his wise men to read and interpret the writing, but none of them could. So his wife tells him to ask Daniel to do it. And Daniel does, after insulting Belshazzar and his “father” Nebuchadnezzar. It’s a message from God (he’s the one who sent the hand down), saying that God hates Belshazzar and will soon take his kingdom away from him and give it to the Medes and Persians.

8 Then came in
all the king’s wise men
: but they
could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

(5.8)
“All the king’s wise men … could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.”

9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

10 Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let 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, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

13
Then was Daniel brought in before the king
. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?

(5.13) “Then was Daniel brought in before the king.”

14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.

15 And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:

16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.

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.

(5.17) “Then Daniel … said … 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 a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:

19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, 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 set up; and whom he would he put down.

20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, 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: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine 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 in 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:

24
Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written
.

(5.24)
“Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.”

25
And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN
.

(5.25) “And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”

26
This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

(5.26) “This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.”

27
TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

(5.27) “TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”

28
PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians
.

(5.28) “PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”

(5.29-30) After Daniel gave Belshazzar the bad news, Belshazzar rewarded him by making him the “third ruler in the kindgdom.” Later that night Belshazzar died. (Did God kill him?)

29
Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom
.

(5.29) “Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

30
In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain
.

(5.30) “In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.”

31 And
Darius the Median took the kingdom
, being about threescore and two years old.

(5.31) “Darius the Median took the kingdom.” Darius the Median is a fictitious character whom the author perhaps confused with Darius I of Persia, who came to the throne in 521 BCE, 17 years after the fall of Babylon. The author of Daniel incorrectly makes him the successor of Belshazzar instead of Cyrus.

6
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;

2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.