Later, King BelshazzarBelshazzar was the son of Nabonidus, the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Although not the primary ruler, Belshazzar was co-regent and managed the kingdom in his father's absence. Historically, this aligns with the accounts of Nabonidus spending extended periods away from Babylon. The name "Belshazzar" means "Bel, protect the king," reflecting the Babylonian practice of invoking their gods for protection. This event occurs after the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, indicating a period of decline for Babylon.
held a great feast
Feasts in ancient Babylon were significant social and political events, often used to display wealth, power, and divine favor. This particular feast is notable for its size and opulence, suggesting an attempt to boost morale or demonstrate confidence despite the impending threat from the Medo-Persian army. Such feasts were also occasions for religious rituals and idol worship, which is significant in the context of the chapter's later events.
for a thousand of his nobles
The presence of a thousand nobles indicates the scale and importance of the event. Babylonian society was hierarchical, with nobles holding significant power and influence. This gathering of the elite underscores the political nature of the feast, possibly serving as a council of war or a demonstration of unity and strength. The number "thousand" may also symbolize completeness or totality, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of the gathering.
and he drank wine with them
Drinking wine was a common practice in ancient Near Eastern feasts, often associated with celebration and revelry. In this context, it also suggests a lack of awareness or concern for the looming danger, highlighting Belshazzar's arrogance and complacency. The act of drinking wine with the nobles signifies fellowship and shared purpose, but it also sets the stage for the sacrilegious act of using the sacred vessels from the Jerusalem temple, which follows in the narrative. This act of drinking can be contrasted with the biblical warnings against drunkenness and the call for sobriety, especially in times of crisis.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
King BelshazzarThe ruler of Babylon at the time of this event. He is known for his arrogance and disregard for the God of Israel, which ultimately leads to his downfall.
2.
BabylonThe capital city of the Babylonian Empire, known for its grandeur and as a center of power and idolatry. It serves as the backdrop for the events in
Daniel 5.
3.
The Great FeastA lavish banquet hosted by King Belshazzar for a thousand of his nobles. This event is marked by indulgence and excess, highlighting the king's pride and sense of security.
4.
The NoblesHigh-ranking officials and dignitaries of Babylon who were invited to the feast. Their presence underscores the importance of the event and the king's desire to display his wealth and power.
5.
WineSymbolic of indulgence and excess, the consumption of wine at the feast represents the moral and spiritual decay of Belshazzar's reign.
Teaching Points
The Danger of PrideBelshazzar's feast is a vivid illustration of how pride can lead to a false sense of security and ultimately to one's downfall. Christians are called to humility, recognizing that all power and authority come from God.
The Illusion of SecurityDespite the grandeur of the feast, Babylon was on the brink of collapse. This serves as a reminder that worldly security is fleeting, and true security is found in God alone.
The Consequences of Disregarding GodBelshazzar's actions show a blatant disregard for the God of Israel. This teaches us the importance of honoring God in all aspects of life and the consequences of failing to do so.
The Role of AccountabilityThe presence of the nobles at the feast highlights the importance of surrounding oneself with godly counsel. Belshazzar's downfall was partly due to the lack of accountability and wise counsel.
The Call to Sobriety and WatchfulnessThe indulgence in wine at the feast serves as a warning against excess and the need for sobriety and watchfulness in the Christian life.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Daniel 5:1?
2.How does Belshazzar's feast in Daniel 5:1 demonstrate pride and arrogance?
3.What lessons can we learn from Belshazzar's actions in Daniel 5:1?
4.How does Daniel 5:1 connect to Proverbs 16:18 about pride's consequences?
5.How can we avoid the pitfalls of pride seen in Daniel 5:1?
6.What does Daniel 5:1 teach about the importance of humility before God?
7.What historical evidence supports the existence of King Belshazzar mentioned in Daniel 5:1?
8.How does Daniel 5:1 challenge the belief in divine judgment and accountability?
9.What is the significance of the feast in Daniel 5:1 in biblical theology?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Daniel 5?
11.Why does the Book of Daniel misidentify Belshazzar as a king when he was only a prince?
12.Why is Daniel unknown to Belshazzar (Daniel 5:7–13) despite his prominent role under Nebuchadnezzar described in earlier chapters?
13.What happened to Belshazzar during the feast?
14.Why does the Book of Daniel describe events from the 6th century BCE inaccurately, suggesting it was written later?What Does Daniel 5:1 Mean
Later• The word signals that the scene unfolds after the humbling of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:34–37).
• Time has advanced to the reign of Belshazzar, the last Babylonian king noted in Scripture (Daniel 7:1).
• The prophet records this moment as part of God’s ongoing timeline that moves from Babylon’s zenith toward its fall (Isaiah 13:19;Jeremiah 51:11).
King Belshazzar• Scripture presents Belshazzar as the ruling monarch in Babylon at this point (Daniel 5:30), though history shows he shared power with his father Nabonidus.
• His position places him under the same divine accountability that earlier confronted Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:25–27).
• The mention of his name ties the coming judgment specifically to him, fulfilling God’s word that He “changes times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them” (Daniel 2:21).
held a great feast• The scale points to royal extravagance and self-confidence even while Persian forces threatened the city (Isaiah 22:12-14).
• Like Ahasuerus’ banquet inEsther 1:3-4, the feast flaunts wealth and power before human eyes yet ignores the sovereignty of heaven.
• Such revelry echoes the posture Jesus warns against—“Eat, drink, and be merry” while disregarding impending judgment (Luke 12:19-20).
for a thousand of his nobles• Inviting a thousand officials showcases political theater: displaying stability, rewarding loyalty, and projecting invincibility (1 Kings 8:65).
• The number underscores the breadth of Babylon’s elite and the collective accountability they share (Jeremiah 51:57).
• Gathering the entire leadership in one hall sets the stage for God to address the nation’s pride in a single stroke.
and he drank wine with them• The king’s public drinking signals unrestrained indulgence (Proverbs 20:1).
• His example shapes the atmosphere: when the ruler revels, the court follows (Ephesians 5:18).
• The act foreshadows the sacrilege that follows—using vessels from the temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 5:2-3)—turning a royal toast into open defiance of the Most High (Galatians 6:7).
summaryDaniel 5:1 captures a snapshot of royal arrogance: Belshazzar, confident in his power, stages a lavish feast for Babylon’s elite and joins them in excess. Each phrase layers evidence of pride, moral blindness, and collective complicity, setting the scene for God’s swift intervention that will prove His sovereign rule over kings and kingdoms.
V.
(1)Belshazzar.--On this king seeExcursus C. As he was the son of Nabonidus, a space of about thirty years must have elapsed since the event recorded in the last chapter. The Babylonian empire survived the death of Nebuchadnezzar only twenty-five years.
A thousand.--There is nothing unreasonable in the number of the guests; in fact, the LXX. have doubled the number. (SeeEsther 1:3-4.)
Before the thousand.--The king appears to have had a special table reserved for himself apart from the guests. For this custom comp.Jeremiah 52:33.
Verses 1-31. - BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST. In regard to this chapter the peculiar state of the Septuagint text has to be noted. At the beginning of the chapter there are three verses which seem to be either variant versions of the Septuagint text, or versions of a text which was different from that from which the Septuagint has been drawn. Throughout the chapter, further, there are traces of doublets. Most of these variations occur in the Syriac of Paulus Tellensis.
Verse 1. -
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank winebefore the thousand. As we have just indicated, there are two versions in the Septuagint of several verses in this chapter, and the verse before us is one of these. The first of these is "Baltasar the king made a great feast on the day of the dedication of his palace, and invited from his lords two thousand men." The other reading, which appears to have formed the text, is, "Baltasar the king made a great feast for his companions." The first version seems to have read the dual instead of the singular - a proof of the state of the language, for the dual has practically disappeared in the Targums. The second version has evidently read
הברין instead of
רברבין. Theodotion reads, "Baltasar the king made a great feast to thousands of his lords, and drank wine before the thousands." The Peshitta agrees with the Massoretic text. The numeral is thus omitted in the text of the Septuagint,inserted in the dual in the margin, and appears in Theodotion in the plural. As the shortest text is also the oldest, and omits the numeral, we feel inclined to do so also, the more so as the numeral may have resulted from
אַעּלּפ (
aluph) being put as the interpretation of
רברב (
rabrab). The clause in the marginal version, "on the day of the dedication of his palace," or, as it is rendered by Paulus Telleusis, "in the day of the dedication of the house of his kingdom," is worthy of notice. From the fact that early in his reign every Ninevite king seems to have begun a palace, this statement has a great deal of verisimilitude. The clause in the Massoretic text, "and drank wine before the thousand," is meaningless, unless as a rhetorical amplification. From the fact that only the first clause appears in the text of the Septuagint, the authenticity of the rest of the verse is rendered doubtful; the more so that
קובלא () means "a feast" in Eastern Aramaic, though not in Western. It is a possible solution of the presence of the clause that
קבל, excluded from the text and its place supplied by
לחם, was placed in the margin.
לקבל, however, means "before." If there was also in the margin
אלפא, "thousands," in the emphatic state; as the translation into Hebrew of
רברב (
Genesis 36:17, 15 Onkelos). If, further,
חברין, "companion," appeared as a various reading for
רברבין, that would easily be read
חמר, "wine;" the verb "to drink" would be added to complete the sense. We have thus all the elements to produce the different versions of the story of the feast. The fact that in what we regard as the marginal reading the clause appears quite differently rendered, confirms us in our suspicion that the Massoretic text presents a case of a "doublet." The reading which begins the chapter in the LXX. may be due to regarding
קבל as the verb "to receive." The name Belshazzar has been the occasion of much controversy. It was regarded as one of the proofs of the non-historicity of Daniel that this name occurred at all (as Bertholdt). We were told that the last King of Babylon was Nabunahid, not Belshazzar. The name, however, has turned up in the Mugheir inscription as the son of Nabunahid, and not only so, but in a connection that implies he was associated in the government. From the annals of Nabunahid (2 col.;
vide ' Beitrage zur As-syriologie,' Delitzsch and Haupt, 1891-92, pp. 218-221) we find that from his seventh to his eleventh year, if not from an earlier to a later date, Nabunahid was in retirement in Tema, and "came not to Babil," and the king's son (
Mar Sarri) was with the nobles (
rabuti) snd the army. Even when the king's mother died, the mourning was carried on by the king's sou, Belshazzar. Dr. Hugo Winckler ('Geschichte Babyloniens u. Assuriens,' pp. 315, 316) says Nabunahid remained intentionally far from the capital, and abode continually in Tema, a city otherwise unknown. Not once at the new year's feast, where his personal presence was indispensable, did he come to Babylon. What occasioned it, we know not; but it appears as if he had devoted himself to some kind of solitary life, and would not disturb himself with the business of government. Not once while Cyrus was marching against Babylon did he rouse himself, but allowed things to take their course. The government appears to have been carried on by his son, Bel-shar-utzur, for while Nabunahid lived in Tema in retirement, it is mentioned that his son, with the dignitaries, managed affairs in Babylon, and commanded the army. Also in several inscriptions in the concluding prayer, he is named along with his father, while it is usually the name of the king that is there mentioned. Belshazzar is, then, no mere luxurious despot, like the Nabeandel of Josephus, no incapable youth flushed with the unexpected dignity of government in the city of Babylon, while his father was shut up in Borsippa; he is a bold capable warrior. Tyrannical and imperious he may be, yet faithful to his father, as had Nebuchadnezzar been to Nabopolassar his father. We need not even look at the identifications of Belshazzar with Evil-Merodach, with Labasi-marduk, or with Nabunahid. The name
Bel-shar-utzur means "Bel protects the king," and is rendered in the Greek versions "Baltasar," and in the Vulgate "Baltassar," and identical with the name given to Daniel, as we have remarked elsewhere. In the Peshitta the name here is rendered "Belit-shazar," while Daniel's Babylonian name is "Beletshazzar." We do not know when this feast took place. If we take the Septuagint text here as our guide, it did not take place at the capture of the city by Cyrus. If for five, six, or seven years he was practically king, Belshazzar may have built a palace, and the feast may have been held at its dedication. We knew that the Babylonians were notorious for their banquets - banquets that not infrcquently ended in drunkenness. Although the number of the guests is doubtful from diplomatic reasons, the number itself is not excessive. We read of Alexander the Great having ten thousand guests.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
[Many years later] Kingמַלְכָּ֗א(mal·kā)Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 4430:A kingBelshazzarבֵּלְשַׁאצַּ֣ר(bê·lə·šaṣ·ṣar)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1113:Belshazzar -- a Babylonian kingheldעֲבַד֙(‘ă·ḇaḏ)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5648:To do, make, prepare, keepa greatרַ֔ב(raḇ)Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7229:Abundantfeastלְחֶ֣ם(lə·ḥem)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3900:Bread, grainfor a thousandאֲלַ֑ף(’ă·lap̄)Number - masculine singular
Strong's 506:A thousandof his nobles,לְרַבְרְבָנ֖וֹהִי(lə·raḇ·rə·ḇā·nō·w·hî)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7261:Lord, nobleand he drankשָׁתֵֽה׃(šā·ṯêh)Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8355:To imbibewineחַמְרָ֥א(ḥam·rā)Noun - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 2562:Winewithוְלָקֳבֵ֥ל(wə·lā·qo·ḇêl)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l
Strong's 6903:In front of, before, because of, because thatthem.אַלְפָּ֖א(’al·pā)Number - masculine singular determinate
Strong's 506:A thousand
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OT Prophets: Daniel 5:1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast (Dan. Da Dn) 
