51 Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles , and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand . 2 When Belshazzar tasted the wine , he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem , so that the king and his nobles , his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple , the house of God which was in Jerusalem ; and the king and his nobles , his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver , of bronze , iron , wood and stone . 5 Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace , and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing . 6 Then the king's face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together . 7 The king called aloud to bring in the conjurers , the Chaldeans and the diviners . The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon , "Any man who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck , and have authority as third ruler in the kingdom ." 8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king . 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed , his face grew even paler , and his nobles were perplexed .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Daniel 5:1-9
Commentary on Daniel 5:1-9
(Read Daniel 5:1-9)
Belshazzar bade defiance to the judgments of God. Most historians consider that Cyrus then besieged Babylon. Security and sensuality are sad proofs of approaching ruin. That mirth is sinful indeed, which profanes sacred things; and what are many of the songs used at modern feasts better than the praises sung by the heathens to their gods! See how God struck terror upon Belshazzar and his lords. God's written word is enough to put the proudest, boldest sinner in a fright. What we see of God, the part of the hand that writes in the book of the creatures, and in the book of the Scriptures, should fill us with awful thoughts concerning that part which we do not see. If this be the finger of God, what is his arm when made bare? And what is He? The king's guilty conscience told him that he had no reason to expect any good news from heaven. God can, in a moment, make the heart of the stoutest sinner to tremble; and there needs no more than to let loose his own thoughts upon him; they will give him trouble enough. No bodily pain can equal the inward agony which sometimes seizes the sinner in the midst of mirth, carnal pleasures, and worldly pomp. Sometimes terrors cause a man to flee to Christ for pardon and peace; but many cry out for fear of wrath, who are not humbled for their sins, and who seek relief by lying vanities. The ignorance and uncertainty concerning the Holy Scriptures, shown by many who call themselves wise, only tend to drive sinners to despair, as the ignorance of these wise men did.