Daniel Chapter 5

What is the meaning of Daniel 5?

Introduction to Daniel 5

Daniel 5 presents one of the most dramatic scenes in biblical literature – the infamous “writing on the wall” episode that occurred during Belshazzar’s feast. This pivotal chapter marks the fall of the Babylonian Empire to the Medes and Persians, demonstrating God’s sovereign control over world powers and His ability to humble those who exalt themselves against Him. The supernatural handwriting that appeared during Belshazzar’s blasphemous feast serves as a powerful reminder that God actively intervenes in human history and holds all rulers accountable to His divine standards.

Context of Daniel 5

Within the book of Daniel, chapter 5 serves as a crucial transition point between the Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires. This chapter follows the accounts of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and subsequent humbling in chapter 4, and precedes Daniel’s deliverance from the lions’ den under Persian rule in chapter 6. The placement is significant as it demonstrates how God orchestrates the rise and fall of empires to accomplish His purposes.

The larger biblical context reveals this chapter as a fulfillment of numerous prophecies, particularly those found in Isaiah 21:1-10 and Jeremiah 51:57-58. These prophetic words had foretold Babylon’s fall and the manner in which it would occur. Furthermore, this chapter connects to the broader biblical theme of God’s sovereignty over nations, which appears throughout Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

This historical account also provides crucial background for understanding later biblical prophecies, particularly those in Daniel 7-12, which detail future empire transitions and their significance in God’s redemptive plan. The fall of Babylon becomes a prophetic type, referenced multiple times in Revelation as a symbol of God’s final judgment on world systems that oppose Him.

Ancient Key Word Study

• פַּרְשֵׁגֶן (parshegen) – “Copy/Duplicate”: This rare Aramaic word, appearing in verse 5, emphasizes the supernatural nature of the writing. Unlike human-produced texts, this was an original divine inscription, highlighting its authority and immediacy.
• בְּלְשַׁאצַּר (Belshazzar) – Name meaning “Bel protect the king”: The irony in his name becomes apparent as the false god Bel fails to protect him from יהוה’s judgment. This demonstrates the futility of trusting in idols rather than the true God.
• נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר (Nebuchadnezzar) – Referenced repeatedly as “your father”: While technically Belshazzar’s grandfather, the Aramaic term אַב (av) encompasses broader ancestral relationships, emphasizing the hereditary nature of both authority and responsibility.
• מְנֵא (MENE) – “Numbered”: This term carries the weight of divine audit and finality. The repetition (MENE, MENE) in the original text emphasizes the certainty and completeness of God’s judgment.
• תְּקֵל (TEKEL) – “Weighed”: Derived from the root relating to shekel weights, this term implies careful evaluation against a divine standard, highlighting God’s role as the ultimate judge.
• פַּרְסִין (PERES) – “Divided”: A brilliant wordplay on “Persians” (פָּרָס), this term prophetically announced both the division of the kingdom and its recipients.
• קְטַל (qetal) – “Slain”: The finality of this word in verse 30 emphasizes the swift and complete nature of divine judgment, demonstrating that God’s words never return void.
• חֲמָר (chamar) – “Wine”: This term specifically denotes fermented wine, emphasizing the deliberate nature of Belshazzar’s sacrilege in using temple vessels for intoxication.
• כְּתָב (ketav) – “Writing”: This term emphasizes the permanence and authority of divine communication, connecting to other instances of divine writing in Scripture (like the Ten Commandments).

Compare & Contrast

• Verse 1: The phrase “made a great feast” (עֲבַד לְחֶם רַב) could have used the more common סְעֻדָּה (banquet), but the chosen phrase emphasizes the excessive, prideful nature of the event. The word לְחֶם literally means “bread” but is used here in its broader sense of “feast,” highlighting the basic necessity perverted into an occasion for blasphemy.
• Verse 5: The description “fingers of a man’s hand” (פַּס־יְדָה דִי אֱנָשׁ) deliberately emphasizes the partial visibility of the divine manifestation. This parallels God’s interaction with Moses, where he could only see God’s “back parts,” suggesting that even in judgment, God tempers His full glory.
• Verse 7: The offered reward of “third ruler” reflects historical accuracy, as Belshazzar was himself second ruler under his father Nabonidus, demonstrating the text’s historical precision.
• Verse 11: The description of Daniel as one with “light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods” uses specific Babylonian philosophical terminology while subverting it to showcase the superiority of יהוה’s wisdom.
• Verse 17: Daniel’s rejection of rewards (לְמַתְּנָתָךְ לָךְ לֶהֶוְיָן) uses a formal court refusal formula, showing both his diplomatic skill and his spiritual integrity.
• Verse 23: The phrase “lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven” employs royal terminology usually reserved for declarations of sovereignty, highlighting Belshazzar’s attempted usurpation of divine authority.
• Verse 30: The stark simplicity of “that night” (בֵּהּ בְּלֵילְיָא) emphasizes the swift fulfillment of divine judgment, contrasting with the elaborate description of the feast.

Daniel 5 Unique Insights

The chapter contains fascinating parallels to ancient Near Eastern coronation rituals. In these ceremonies, a divine weighing of the king’s worthiness would occur symbolically. Here, God performs an actual weighing of Belshazzar’s reign, finding him unworthy. This divine inversion of a familiar royal ritual would have been particularly powerful to the original audience.

The timing of this event coincides with the Jewish festival of Sukkot, according to ancient Jewish traditions. This timing is significant as Sukkot commemorates God’s provision and protection during the wilderness wanderings. The contrast between Israel’s faithful remembrance and Babylon’s blasphemous feast heightens the theological impact of the narrative.

The Midrash Rabbah notes that the vessels Belshazzar desecrated had been specifically designated for use in the future Third Temple. This tradition adds depth to the severity of his transgression, as he was not only profaning past holiness but also attempting to thwart future restoration.

Early rabbinic sources suggest that the mysterious writing appeared in the ancient Hebrew script rather than Aramaic square script, explaining why the Babylonian wise men couldn’t read it despite knowing the alphabet. This detail points to the writing’s connection to the original divine revelation at Sinai, where the Ten Commandments were also written by God’s finger.

Daniel 5 Connections to Yeshua

The judgment scene in Daniel 5 prefigures the Messiah’s role as divine judge. Just as Daniel interpreted the writing that spelled doom for Babylon, Yeshua would later pronounce judgment on the Temple system of His day (Matthew 24:1-2) and will ultimately judge all nations (Matthew 25:31-32).

The chapter’s emphasis on divine sovereignty over human kingdoms points to Yeshua’s ultimate authority as King of Kings. The transfer of power from Babylon to Persia foreshadows how all earthly authority will ultimately be transferred to the Messiah, as prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14 and fulfilled in Yeshua.

Daniel 5 Scriptural Echoes

This chapter resonates deeply with other biblical accounts of divine judgment on pride and sacrilege. The desecration of temple vessels echoes the story of Uzziah’s pride (2 Chronicles 26:16-21), while the sudden fall of Babylon fulfills prophecies from Isaiah 47 and Jeremiah 51.

The writing on the wall finds its New Testament parallel in Colossians 2:14, where God’s writing cancels the record of debt that stood against us. The theme of divine weighing appears throughout Scripture, from 1 Samuel 2:3 to Revelation 20:12.

Daniel 5 Devotional

This chapter calls us to examine our own hearts regarding pride and reverence for holy things. Like Belshazzar, we can become desensitized to God’s holiness, treating sacred things with casualness or contempt. The swift judgment that fell on Babylon reminds us that God is not mocked, and His patience should not be mistaken for indifference.

Consider how you handle the holy things God has entrusted to you – your gifts, your calling, your relationships. Are you stewarding them with reverence or treating them with contempt? Remember that God’s judgment of Belshazzar came not just from his actions that night, but from his failure to learn from the example of Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling.

Did You Know

• The archaeological discovery of the Nabonidus Chronicle confirmed Belshazzar’s co-regency with his father, validating Daniel’s account of being offered the position of “third ruler.”
• The Babylonian chronology places this event on October 12, 539 BCE, coinciding with the Jewish festival of Sukkot.
• Ancient Persian military records describe how they diverted the Euphrates River to enter Babylon through the riverbed, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy about the drying up of Babylon’s waters.
• The specific vessels mentioned were among those cataloged in Ezra 1:7-11, which later returned to Jerusalem.
• The Aramaic word order of the writing on the wall forms a vertical acrostic spelling out “Your days are numbered.”
• Babylonian tablets record that the city fell without a battle, exactly as Daniel describes, contradicting Greek historians but confirming biblical accuracy.
• The queens mentioned in verse 10 refers to the queen mother, whose status in ancient Near Eastern courts often exceeded that of the king’s wives.
• The specific arrangement of the writing suggests it appeared in the form of the Menorah, according to some ancient Jewish sources.
• Belshazzar’s feast occurred in what archaeologists have identified as the Hanging Gardens palace complex.
• The term “Chaldeans” in this chapter refers specifically to a class of priest-scholars, not the ethnic group.