STUDIES IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL.

August 10, 2021

“Belshazzar’s Impious Feast—The Handwriting on the Wall Interpreted by Daniel of the Doom of Babylon and its King. JFB”

“Belshazzar put an affront upon the providence of God and bade defiance to his judgments. His city was now besieged; a powerful enemy was at his gates; his life and kingdom lay at stake. In all this the hand of the Lord had gone out against him, and by it he called him to weeping, and mourning, and girding with sackcloth. God’s voice cried in the city, as Jonah to Nineveh, Yet forty days, or fewer, and Babylon shall be destroyed. He should therefore, like the king of Nineveh, have proclaimed a fast; but, as one resolved to walk contrary to God, he proclaims a feast, and behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine, as if he dared the Almighty to do his worst, Isa. 22:12, 13” M. Henry

  1. Dan. 5:5-9 “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: 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.The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans…”
  2. In the same hour—ch. 4:31, 33. Job 20:5. Ps. 78:30, 31, Lu. 12:19, 20, 1Th. 5:2, 3 ‘that the cause of God’s visitation might be palpable, namely, the profanation of His vessels and His holy name.’ JFB
  3. “…fingers of … hand—ver. 8, 15, 24-28, Ex. 8:19; 31:18, Lk. 11:20, Col. 2:14, Rev. 20:12-15 “God admonishes him, not by a dream…but by “fingers coming forth,” the invisibility of Him…the hand of the Unseen One attesting his doom before the eyes of himself and his guilty fellow revellers.”JFB
  4. “…against the candlestick— upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace—written in cuneiform letters on slabs on the walls…he beholds the mysterious inscription which foretells his fall (compare Pr 16:18; Ac 12:21–23).” JFB
  5. countenance—literally, “brightness,” that is, his bright look. The king’s. ver. 9, Job 15:20–27; 20:19–27. Ps. 73:18–20. Is. 21:2–4. Countenance was changed and his thoughts. ver. 10. See on ch. 4:5, 7:28 so that  Ps. 69:23. Is. 13:7, his joints or, girdles. Is. 5:27, Eze. 7:17; 21:7, Nah. 2:10.
  6. The king cried aloud with might, ch. 4:14, marg. to bring. See on ch. 2:2; 4:6. Ge. 41:8, Is. 44:25, 26; 47:13. be clothed. ver. 16, 29; ch. 2:6. Ge. 41:42–44. Nu. 22:7, 17; 24:11, 1Sam. 17:25. scarlet. or, purple, a chain. Eze. 16:11. the third. ch. 2:48; 6:2, 3, Est. 3:1; 10:2, 3.