Daniel 5.17-Daniel Refuses To Accept Belshazzar's Rewards But Agrees To Read And Interpret The Mysterious Inscription
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday January 8, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 5:17-Daniel Refuses To Accept Belshazzar’s Rewards But Agrees To Read And Interpret The Mysterious Inscription
Lesson # 158
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. Specifically, 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.” 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? 14 Likewise I heard concerning you that God’s Spirit is in you so that illumination, discernment as well as extraordinary wisdom were observed in you. 15 Now at this time, the wise men, the necromancers were ordered to enter my presence in order that they could read aloud as well as to make known to me its interpretation. However, they were totally unable to cause the message’s interpretation to be made known to me. 16 But I myself personally heard concerning you that you are able to provide interpretations as well as solve difficult problems. Now, if you are able to read aloud the inscription as well as cause its interpretation to be made known to me, you will be clothed with a purple robe as well as a golden chain around you neck. Indeed, you will rule as third over the kingdom.” (Author’s translation)
Daniel 5:17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him.” (NASB95)
“Then Daniel answered and said before the king” tells the reader the next event that took place after Belshazzar promised to reward Daniel if he could read and interpret the mysterious inscription.
“Keep” is the third person feminine plural peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active jussive form of the verb ḥǎwā(h) (חֲוָה) (khav-aw´), which means, “to be” in the sense of existing in a particular state and denotes the gifts Belshazzar promised Daniel if he could meet his request existing in the state of being for the king himself.
Idiomatically, this word means “please keep” indicating that Daniel is telling the king “please keep” your gifts for yourself.
The jussive conjugation expresses Daniel’s strong desire and request that Belshazzar’s gifts would be for the king himself.
“Your gifts” is composed of the feminine plural construct form of the noun mǎt∙tenā(h) (מַתְּנָה) (mat-ten-aw´), “gifts” which is modified by the second person masculine singular pronominal suffix -ḵ (־ךְ), “your.”
The noun mǎt∙tenā(h) is in the plural and means “gifts” referring to something of great value that is given to another implying gratitude for a service rendered.
Here it refers to the gifts of great value which will be given out of gratitude by Belshazzar to Daniel if he could read and interpret the mysterious inscription on one of the walls of the banquet hall.
Daniel 5:7 and 16 reveal that these gifts were being clothed with a purple robe as well as a golden chain being placed around Daniel’s neck and these gifts constituted marks of royalty in the ancient world.
“Give” is the second person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active imperative form of the verb yehǎḇ (יְהַב) (yeh-hab´), which means “to give” in the sense of imparting something to someone.
Here it denotes the rewards of being clothed with a purple robe and a golden chain being placed around one’s neck as a symbol of being third ruler in the Babylonian kingdom being “given” to another person.
The imperative mood of the verb is an imperative of request indicating that Daniel is requesting that the rewards Belshazzar promised him be given to another person other than himself.
“Your rewards” is composed of the feminine singular form of the noun neḇiz∙bā(h) (נְבִזְבָּה) (neb-iz-baw´), “rewards” which is modified by the second person masculine singular pronominal suffix -ḵ (־ךְ), “your.”
The noun neḇiz∙bā(h) means “reward” referring to something of great value given to another as a just recompense for proper service.
Again, Daniel 5:7 and 16 reveal that these gifts were being clothed with a purple robe as well as a golden chain being placed around Daniel’s neck.
These gifts would signify that Daniel was the third ruler in the kingdom subordinate to only Nabonidus and Belshazzar.
“However, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him” stands in direct contrast with Daniel’s previous statement to the king that Belshazzar keep his gifts for himself, or give his rewards for another person in his kingdom.
Therefore, the contrast is between Daniel rejecting being the third ruler in Babylon with agreeing to read and interpret the inscription.
Daniel 5:17 Then Daniel responded and said, “Please, keep your gifts for yourself or please give your rewards for another. However, I will read aloud to the king as well as cause the interpretation to be made known to him.” (My translation)
Daniel politely rejects Belshazzar’s offer to clothe him with a purple robe and place a golden chain around his neck which would signify that Daniel was now the third ruler in the Babylonian kingdom.
The prophet tells the king he can either keep them for himself or give them to another.
Against Daniel’s will, Belshazzar rewards him with these things anyway and makes him third ruler in the kingdom when Daniel reads and interprets the inscription for the king.
Daniel agrees to read and interpret the inscription because he knows that it is a prophetic message from the God of Israel to Belshazzar.
He knew that God wanted him to read and interpret the inscription for the king since through this message he could see that God was telling Belshazzar that his kingdom had ended and was being handed over to the Medes and Persians, which would fulfill the prophecy he gave to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 2.
Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that the Medes and the Persians would follow his kingdom as a world-wide empire.
Daniel rejects Belshazzar’s offer of gifts and promotion whereas he accepted these things from Nebuchadnezzar who made him ruler over the wise men of Babylon.
The reason why he accepted rewards and the promotion of being the head of the wise men is that there was no chance of Nebuchadnezzar viewing Daniel’s motivation for interpreting his dream as an opportunity for self-advancement or self-interest.
Nebuchadnezzar never promised Daniel rewards for interpreting his first dream recorded in chapter two.
In fact, Daniel interpreted the dream to save his life and the lives of three friends as well as the wise men.
On the other hand, Daniel does not accept from Belshazzar gifts and the promotion of being the third ruler in the kingdom since he did not want the king to consider his motivation for reading and interpreting the inscription as a lust for power and money or self-advancement.
By rejecting gifts and promotion, Daniel would be telling Belshazzar that he was only doing it to please the God of Israel who is responsible for the inscription and the message for the king that it contained.
There was no chance of Nebuchadnezzar viewing Daniel’s motivation for interpreting his dream as motivated by a lust for power and money or self-advancement since Daniel was simply attempting to save his life, the lives of his three friends as well as the wise men who were also under the sentence of death.
Though Daniel accepted gifts and promotion from Nebuchadnezzar, he did not value these things because he did not love the cosmic system of Satan.
Money and power, approbation from men were not attractive to Daniel since he did not value them as much as his relationship and fellowship with God and obeying God.
He presents here a great example for church age believers to follow.
Money and power were not his motivation for reading and interpreting the inscription but rather he did so in obedience to God’s will.