Daniel 5.13-Belshazzar Agrees With The Queen's Suggestion And Summons Daniel But Then Belittles Him
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday December 12, 2012
Daniel: Daniel 5:13-Belshazzar Agrees With The Queen’s Suggestion And Summons Daniel But Then Belittles Him
Lesson # 154
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 5:1.
Daniel 5:1 King Belshazzar threw an enormous banquet for a thousand of his nobles. He even drank wine excessively directly in front of the thousand. 2 Belshazzar issued an order while under the influence of the wine causing the gold and silver articles to be brought in which Nebuchadnezzar, his great-grandfather caused to be confiscated from the temple, which was in Jerusalem, in order that the king, his nobles as well as his wives and in addition his concubines could drink with them. 3 Therefore, the gold and silver articles were brought in, which were confiscated from the temple, which was God’s house, which was in Jerusalem so that the king, his nobles as well as his wives and in addition his concubines could drink with them. 4 They drank wine while they praised gods composed of gold as well as silver, bronze, iron, wood and in addition stone. 5 During this time, the fingers of a human hand appeared while writing on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, directly in front of the lampstand so that the king observed the palm of the hand which was writing. 6 Then the king, his countenance was changed for him. Also, his thoughts caused him to be terrified so that his hip joints gave way resulting in his knees knocking together, one against the other. 7 The king authoritatively shouted out an order for the purpose of causing the necromancers, astrologers as well as diviners to be brought in. He declared to the city of Babylon’s wise men, “Any person who can read aloud as well as can make known its interpretation to me will be clothed with a purple robe as well as a golden chain around his neck. Indeed, they will rule as third in the kingdom.” 8 Therefore, each and every one of the king’s wise men came in but they were totally unable to read or cause the interpretation to be made known to the king. 9 Thus causing the king to be extremely terrified so that his countenance was changed on him as well as causing his nobles to be perplexed. 10 The queen entered the banquet hall because of the king’s words as well as his nobles. The queen responded and said, “O king, live forever! Please, by no means let your thoughts cause you to be terrified so that they by no means cause your countenance to be changed! 11 There is a man in your kingdom who possesses God’s Holy Spirit in him so that during the days of your great-grandfather, illumination, discernment as well as wisdom in accordance with God’s wisdom were observed in him. Indeed, King Nebuchadnezzar, your great-grandfather, your great-grandfather the king, promoted him to be commander over the occult priests, necromancers, astrologers and diviners 12 because in him, in Daniel whom the king assigned him the name Belteshazzar, was found an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, discernment interpreting dreams, explaining riddles as well as solving difficult problems. Please summon Daniel right now in order to cause the interpretation to be known.” (My translation)
Daniel 5:13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?” (NASB95)
“Then Daniel was brought in before the king” presents to the reader the result of Belshazzar accepting his mother the queen’s advice to bring Daniel to the banquet hall in order that he could read and interpret the mysterious inscription recorded in Daniel 5:12.
Daniel 5:13 Consequently, Daniel was ordered to enter the king’s presence. The king asked a question and said to Daniel, “Are you Daniel, who is one of the deported people from Judah whom my great-grandfather the king ordered to be brought from Judah?” (My translation)
In Daniel 5:13, we have Belshazzar ordering Daniel to be brought to the banquet hall in order to read and interpret the mysterious inscription as a result of accepting his mother, the queen’s advice.
The king poses a question to Daniel which is condescending and belittles Daniel, namely he asks if Daniel was one of the Jewish exiles which his great-grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon from Judah in 605 B.C.
This question is further evidence that Belshazzar knew Daniel.
He was not unaware or ignorant of Daniel’s abilities because Daniel’s statement to the king in verse 22 indicates that he was fully aware of Daniel’s relationship with Nebuchadnezzar.
He had forgotten Daniel because he had no need for Daniel in his kingdom.
No dreams had been given to Belshazzar unlike his great-grandfather Nebuchadnezzar.
Now that Belshazzar has a crisis, he needs Daniel to solve his problem of the inscription.
So here in Daniel 5:13, Belshazzar does not begin his questioning of Daniel to confirm his identity with the information his mother supplied for him about Daniel which is recorded in Daniel 5:11-12.
Rather, he begins his questioning by first asking Daniel if he was one of the exiles from Judah, who his great-grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon.
His question makes clear he knew Daniel because it was not information his mother, the queen supplied for him about Daniel.
Thus, why would Belshazzar ask Daniel if he was one of the Jewish exiles and instead confirm Daniel’s identity by asking questions which correspond with the queen’s identification of Daniel?
There can be no other reason than to belittle Daniel since there is no need to remind Daniel that he is a captive of the Babylonians.
The information the queen provided Belshazzar would have been sufficient from which he could ask Daniel to confirm his identity.
In fact, the queen’s information was flattering of Daniel and was very complimentary.
None of her descriptions of Daniel were derogatory or contemptuous in any way.
However, her son, the king begins his questioning of Daniel by in effect insulting him.
He is condescending with Daniel and belittles him by asking this question.
It was not called for.
It is ludicrous on the part of the king to insult Daniel since he has called him to the banquet to solve an extraordinarily difficult problem of reading and interpreting the mysterious inscription for him.
It would make much better sense to treat Daniel with great respect as his mother did.
So when Belshazzar asks Daniel if he was one of the Jewish exiles brought to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, he is attempting to put Daniel in his place in the sense he is reminding Daniel that the Babylonians conquered the Jews.
The king’s bravado is ridiculous.
The king is saying in effect to Daniel that his people, the Babylonians are superior to his people.
However, none of his people can solve the mystery of the inscription.
So the king’s national pride is vain and empty.
Interestingly, the question is rhetorical because he does not give Daniel a chance to answer it but instead goes immediately to asking Daniel questions which are based upon the information the queen provided him with regards to Daniel’s abilities and character.
So Belshazzar first asks if Daniel is one of the Jewish exiles before going on to more complimentary questions because from his perspective, he is putting Daniel in his place.
The king’s thinking, “you Daniel might be able to read and interpret this crazy inscription, but you still are only a captive?”
Belshazzar also might have had an inferiority complex or felt threatened by Daniel because Daniel’s Babylonian name “Belteshazzar” is very similar to the name “Belshazzar.”
The proper noun bēl∙ṭešǎ(ʾ)ṣ∙ṣǎr, “Belteshazzar” is derived from the Akkadian Balaṭ-su-uṣur, might be shortened Nabu-balaṭsu-uṣur, which means “Nebo, protect his life!” or it simply could be balaṭsu-uṣur, which means “may he protect the life of the king,” which could be formed from Bel, the epithet meaning “lord” referring to the chief god of the Babylonians, Marduk.
Most scholars associate bēl∙ṭešǎ(ʾ)ṣ∙ṣǎr with the latter which would be appropriate for a servant of a king.
The name Belshazzar is an Akkadian name which means “Bel protect the king.”
Remember the name “Bel” is a reference to the Babylonian god Marduk.
So we can see that they are very similar in meaning with both speaking of protecting the life of the king.
It is possible that maybe Belshazzar was named after the right hand man of his great-grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar.
Belshazzar knew that Daniel was the second in command under Nebuchadnezzar since he was the commander of the wise men and more than likely protected Nebuchadnezzar while he was deposed from power for seven years.
So Belshazzar’s question in Daniel 5:13 might possibly express his resentment towards Daniel.
That being said, Belshazzar does use the name Daniel, which honored the God of Israel and does not address Daniel according to his Babylonian name which would honor the Babylonian gods.
Undoubtedly, the king uses the name Daniel because he desperately needs Daniel at this time.
However, he can’t help throwing in a dig by asking him if he is a Jewish exile.
He could have used the name Daniel and then confirm Daniel’s identity by asking questions based upon the information about Daniel from his mother, the queen, which would serve only to compliment Daniel.
So when Belshazzar is asking Daniel if he is one of the Jewish exiles, he is expressing his great pride and reminding Daniel that he and the Babylonian people conquered his people, the Jews.