King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which [was] in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
Complete Jewish Bible:
While tasting the wine, Belshatzar ordered that the gold and silver vessels which his father N'vukhadnetzar had removed from the temple in Yerushalayim be brought; so that the king, his lords, his wives and his concubines could drink from them.
Berean Standard Bible:
Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
American Standard Version:
Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink therefrom.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Belshazzar{H1113}, whiles he tasted{H2942} the wine{H2562}, commanded{H560} to bring{H858} the golden{H1722} and silver{H3702} vessels{H3984} which his father{H2} Nebuchadnezzar{H5020} had taken{H5312} out of{H4481} the temple{H1965} which was in Jerusalem{H3390}; that the king{H4430}, and his princes{H7261}, his wives{H7695}, and his concubines{H3904}, might drink{H8355} therein.
Cross-References (KJV):
Daniel 1:2
- And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
2 Kings 24:13
- And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.
2 Kings 25:15
- And the firepans, and the bowls, [and] such things as [were] of gold, [in] gold, and of silver, [in] silver, the captain of the guard took away.
Ezra 1:7
- Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;
Ezra 1:11
- All the vessels of gold and of silver [were] five thousand and four hundred. All [these] did Sheshbazzar bring up with [them of] the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
Daniel 5:23
- But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
Jeremiah 27:16
- Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
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Commentary for Daniel 5:2
Daniel 5:2 is set during the reign of King Belshazzar, who is traditionally understood to be the son of the famed King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. The historical context is the final days of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which had risen to prominence after the fall of the Assyrian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar had sacked Jerusalem and looted the Temple, bringing its sacred golden and silver vessels back to Babylon as spoils of war.
In this verse, Belshazzar is hosting a grand feast, where he indulges in the wine and, in a moment of hubris or perhaps to demonstrate his power and wealth, orders that the sacred vessels from the Jerusalem Temple be brought to the banquet. These vessels were likely considered holy by the Jews and were meant only for divine service in the Temple. By using them for a secular feast, Belshazzar shows disrespect for the God of Israel and an arrogant disregard for the sanctity of the items, which were symbolic of his father's military conquests and the subjugation of Judah.
The themes present in this verse include the abuse of power, religious sacrilege, and the idea of divine retribution, as the text implies that Belshazzar's actions are an affront to the divine. This event sets the stage for the dramatic intervention of the "writing on the wall" (Daniel 5:5), where a mysterious hand writes a message during the feast that only Daniel can interpret, foretelling the imminent downfall of Belshazzar and the transfer of his kingdom to the Medes and Persians. This moment of decadence and irreverence thus serves as a pivotal point in the biblical narrative, illustrating the transient nature of earthly power and the consequences of pride and impiety.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H1113
There are 7 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר
Transliteration: Bêlshaʼtstsar
Pronunciation: bale-shats-tsar'
Description: lemma בֵּלְשַׁאצּר missing vowel, corrected to בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר; (Aramaic) corresponding to בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר; {Belshatstsar, a Babylonian king}; Belshazzar. - Strong's Number: H2942
There are 25 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: טְעֵם
Transliteration: ṭᵉʻêm
Pronunciation: teh-ame'
Description: (Aramaic) from טְעַם, and equivalent to טַעַם; properly, flavor; figuratively, judgment (both subjective and objective); hence, account (both subjectively and objectively); [phrase] chancellor, [phrase] command, commandment, decree, [phrase] regard, taste, wisdom. - Strong's Number: H2562
There are 6 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חֲמַר
Transliteration: chămar
Pronunciation: kham-ar'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to חֶמֶר; wine; wine. - Strong's Number: H560
There are 257 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֲמַר
Transliteration: ʼămar
Pronunciation: am-ar'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to אָמַר; {to say (used with great latitude)}; command, declare, say, speak, tell. - Strong's Number: H858
There are 112 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָתָה
Transliteration: ʼâthâh
Pronunciation: aw-thaw'
Description: (Aramaic) or אָתָא; (Aramaic), corresponding to אָתָה; {to arrive}; (be-) come, bring. - Strong's Number: H1722
There are 23 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דְּהַב
Transliteration: dᵉhab
Pronunciation: deh-hab'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to זָהָב; gold; gold(-en). - Strong's Number: H3702
There are 13 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כְּסַף
Transliteration: kᵉçaph
Pronunciation: kes-af'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to כֶּסֶף; {silver (from its pale color); by implication, money}; money, silver. - Strong's Number: H3984
There are 7 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מָאן
Transliteration: mâʼn
Pronunciation: mawn
Description: (Aramaic) probably from a root corresponding to אָנָה in the sense of an inclosure by sides; a utensil; vessel. - Strong's Number: H2
There are 12727 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַב
Transliteration: ʼab
Pronunciation: ab
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to אָב; {father}; father. - Strong's Number: H5020
There are 29 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר
Transliteration: Nᵉbûwkadnetstsar
Pronunciation: neb-oo-kad-nets-tsar'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר; {Nebukadnetstsar (or -retstsar, or -retstsor), king of Babylon}; Nebuchadnezzar. - Strong's Number: H5312
There are 9 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נְפַק
Transliteration: nᵉphaq
Pronunciation: nef-ak'
Description: (Aramaic) a primitive root; to issue; causatively, to bring out; come (go, take) forth (out). - Strong's Number: H4481
There are 82 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִן
Transliteration: min
Pronunciation: min
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to מִן; {properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of}; according, after, [phrase] because, [phrase] before, by, for, from, [idiom] him, [idiom] more than, (out) of, part, since, [idiom] these, to, upon, [phrase] when. - Strong's Number: H1965
There are 10 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: הֵיכַל
Transliteration: hêykal
Pronunciation: hay-kal'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to הֵיכָל; {a large public building, such as a palace or temple}; palace, temple. - Strong's Number: H3390
There are 25 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְרוּשָׁלֵם
Transliteration: Yᵉrûwshâlêm
Pronunciation: yer-oo-shaw-lame'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם; {Jerusalem}; {Jerusalem} - Strong's Number: H4430
There are 131 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֶלֶךְ
Transliteration: melek
Pronunciation: meh'-lek
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to מֶלֶךְ; a king; king, royal. - Strong's Number: H7261
There are 8 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רַבְרְבָן
Transliteration: rabrᵉbân
Pronunciation: rab-reb-awn'
Description: (Aramaic) from רַבְרַב; a magnate; lord, prince. - Strong's Number: H7695
There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שֵׁגָל
Transliteration: shêgâl
Pronunciation: shay-gawl'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to שֵׁגָל; a (legitimate) queen; wife. - Strong's Number: H3904
There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לְחֵנָה
Transliteration: lᵉchênâh
Pronunciation: lekh-ay-naw'
Description: (Aramaic) from an unused root of uncertain meaning; a concubine; concubine. - Strong's Number: H8355
There are 5 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שְׁתָה
Transliteration: shᵉthâh
Pronunciation: sheth-aw'
Description: (Aramaic) corresponding to שָׁתָה; {to imbibe (literally or figuratively)}; drink.