Daniel 5:2

Translation
King James Version
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.
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KJV (with Strong's)
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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World English Bible Messianic
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 from them.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
And Belshazzar whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring him the golden and siluer vessels, which his father Nebuchad-nezzar had brought from the Temple in Ierusalem, that the King and his princes, his wiues, and his concubines might drinke therein.
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Young's Literal Translation
Belshazzar hath said--while tasting the wine--to bring in the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple that is in Jerusalem, that drink with them may the king, and his great men, his wives, and his concubines.
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See also
Daniel 1:22 Kings 24:132 Kings 25:15Ezra 1:7Ezra 1:11Daniel 5:23Jeremiah 27:16
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Daniel in Babylon
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In the KJVVerse 21,877 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

Daniel 5:2 vividly depicts King Belshazzar's audacious act of sacrilege during a lavish feast, as he commands the sacred golden and silver vessels plundered from the Jerusalem Temple by his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar to be brought forth for profane use. This deliberate desecration, involving the king, his princes, wives, and concubines drinking wine from these holy artifacts, serves as a profound act of defiance against the God of Israel, setting the immediate stage for divine judgment upon the Babylonian Empire and its ruler.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Daniel 5:2 immediately follows the introduction of Belshazzar's great feast in Daniel 5:1, setting the critical scene for the dramatic and swift divine judgment that unfolds. This verse is not a mere descriptive detail but the precise catalyst for the appearance of the mysterious hand writing on the wall in Daniel 5:5. The act of bringing out and profaning the sacred vessels stands in stark contrast to the humbling of Nebuchadnezzar detailed in Daniel 4, highlighting Belshazzar's profound failure to learn from his "father's" experience. Instead of acknowledging the God who demonstrated sovereignty over the mightiest of kings, Belshazzar directly affronts Him, thereby precipitating the empire's downfall and emphasizing the narrative's tension between human arrogance and divine sovereignty.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: Belshazzar was the co-regent of Babylon with his biological father, Nabonidus, who was away from the capital at the time. The reference to Nebuchadnezzar as his "father" is a common ancient Near Eastern custom, referring to an ancestor or predecessor rather than a direct biological father. These golden and silver vessels were not mere treasures but sacred implements from the Temple in Jerusalem, plundered by Nebuchadnezzar when he conquered Judah and destroyed the Temple around 586 BC, as recorded in 2 Kings 25:13-17. While Nebuchadnezzar had placed them in the temple of his own god, Marduk, perhaps as a sign of his god's perceived supremacy, Belshazzar's act went significantly further. To use these vessels for a drunken, idolatrous feast was an act of extreme sacrilege, a direct insult and challenge to the God of Israel, whom the Babylonians had ostensibly "conquered." This act would have been understood culturally as a profound statement of contempt and a deliberate provocation of the deity associated with the conquered people, signaling a complete disregard for divine holiness.
  • Key Themes: The central theme emerging from Daniel 5:2 is Sacrilege and Defiance. Belshazzar's command is a deliberate act of profaning what is holy, directly challenging the God of Israel by misusing His consecrated vessels for pagan revelry. This action underscores the theme of Pride and Arrogance, as Belshazzar, despite the historical precedent of Nebuchadnezzar's humbling (see Daniel 4:37), demonstrates an audacious disregard for divine authority and power. His actions also highlight the theme of Disregard for History and Divine Warning, as he fails to learn from the past and heed the clear demonstrations of God's sovereignty. Ultimately, this verse serves as the immediate trigger for the theme of Impending Judgment, signaling that Belshazzar's insolent act is the tipping point for the swift and decisive divine intervention that will bring about the end of his reign and the Babylonian Empire.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Belshazzar (Aramaic, Bêlshaʼtstsar', H1113): This word refers to the Babylonian king, Belshazzar, whose name likely means "Bel protect the king" or "Bel's prince." His prominent mention here immediately establishes him as the central figure of the narrative and the one whose actions will directly invite divine judgment. The very act of naming him highlights his personal responsibility for the sacrilege.
  • tasted (Aramaic, ṭᵉʻêm', H2942): From a root meaning "flavor" or "judgment," this word in context means "while he tasted" or "while he was drinking." It emphasizes the king's active participation in the revelry and the indulgence in wine that preceded and perhaps fueled his audacious command. The use of this word underscores the atmosphere of sensory indulgence and lack of spiritual discernment that characterized the feast, contrasting sharply with the solemnity due to sacred objects.
  • temple (Aramaic, hêykal', H1965): This term refers to "a large public building, such as a palace or temple." In this context, it specifically denotes the sacred Temple in Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God's presence among His people. The vessels taken from this "temple" were consecrated for divine worship, making their profane use by Belshazzar an act of profound disrespect and direct affront to God's holiness.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels": This clause establishes the central figure, Belshazzar, and the immediate context of his command – during a period of indulgence in wine. The "golden and silver vessels" are immediately identified as the objects of his command, emphasizing their preciousness and, implicitly, their sacred origin, which will be explicitly stated next. The king's command is presented as a deliberate act, not an accidental oversight, highlighting his conscious choice to engage in this profound transgression.
  • "which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which [was] in Jerusalem;": This critical phrase provides the provenance of the vessels, linking them directly to Nebuchadnezzar's conquest of Jerusalem and the plunder of its Temple. The mention of "his father Nebuchadnezzar" (understood as predecessor/ancestor) serves as a stark reminder of the historical context and the divine judgment previously meted out to Nebuchadnezzar, which Belshazzar evidently ignored. The explicit reference to the "temple which was in Jerusalem" underscores the sacred, consecrated nature of these items, heightening the gravity of Belshazzar's subsequent actions as a direct affront to Yahweh.
  • "that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.": This final clause reveals the profane purpose for which the sacred vessels were commanded. The inclusion of the king, his high-ranking officials ("princes"), and his royal women ("wives, and his concubines") highlights the widespread nature of the sacrilege, encompassing the entire royal court and indicating a collective act of defiance against God. Drinking wine from these vessels, consecrated for Yahweh's worship, was the ultimate act of desecration, turning instruments of holiness into tools of pagan revelry and public mockery of the God of Israel.

Literary Devices

Daniel 5:2 is rich with literary devices that amplify its dramatic and theological impact. Irony is prominent, as Belshazzar, in his attempt to assert his power and mock the God of Israel, inadvertently sets the stage for his own swift downfall, demonstrating the ultimate sovereignty of the very God he defies. The Symbolism of the golden and silver vessels is profound; they are not just valuable objects but tangible representations of God's holiness and His covenant with Israel. Their desecration symbolizes Belshazzar's contempt for God Himself and His divine authority. The verse also employs Foreshadowing, as this act of extreme sacrilege immediately precedes the appearance of the hand and the writing on the wall, signaling that this specific transgression is the catalyst for divine judgment. Furthermore, there is a strong element of Contrast between the respectful (though misguided) handling of the vessels by Nebuchadnezzar, who placed them in his god's temple, and Belshazzar's utterly contemptuous and profane use of them, highlighting the latter's heightened arrogance and insolence.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Belshazzar's act in Daniel 5:2 is a profound theological statement on the nature of God's holiness and His intolerance for sacrilege. It demonstrates that God's sacred things, even when plundered by human hands, retain their inherent sanctity in His eyes. Belshazzar's deliberate profanation was not merely a political statement but a direct affront to the divine majesty and an act of spiritual rebellion. This event powerfully illustrates the biblical principle that pride precedes a fall, and that even the most powerful earthly rulers are accountable to the sovereign God, who will not be mocked. It underscores God's unwavering commitment to His own glory and His readiness to execute judgment when His name and His holy things are treated with contempt, serving as a stark warning against human arrogance in the face of divine authority.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Daniel 5:2 stands as a timeless warning against the dangers of spiritual arrogance and the profaning of what is holy. In our contemporary context, while we may not have physical temple vessels, the principle remains: God's holiness demands reverence. This extends to how we treat His name, His Word, His church, the sacred callings He places upon our lives, and even the very creation He has made. Belshazzar's downfall reminds us that unchecked pride leads to spiritual blindness, causing us to disregard divine warnings and historical lessons. We are called to humility, recognizing God's ultimate sovereignty over all earthly powers and possessions. Our lives should reflect a deep respect for God's presence and purposes, avoiding any attitude or action that treats His sacred truth or calling with casual contempt or self-serving indulgence. We must continually examine our hearts to ensure we are not, like Belshazzar, using God's blessings or spiritual gifts for our own glory or profane purposes, but rather for His honor and the advancement of His kingdom.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what ways might I, subtly or overtly, treat God's holy things or His name with less reverence than they deserve?
  • What lessons can I draw from Belshazzar's pride, and how can I cultivate a spirit of humility in my own life?
  • How does my use of time, talents, and resources reflect my understanding of God's sovereignty and holiness?
  • Am I attentive to the "writing on the wall"—the warnings and lessons God provides through Scripture, history, and personal experience?

FAQ

Who was Belshazzar and why was his act of using the temple vessels so significant?

Answer: Belshazzar was the co-regent of Babylon, ruling alongside his father, Nabonidus. His act of using the golden and silver vessels from the Jerusalem Temple was profoundly significant because these were not ordinary items but sacred implements consecrated for the worship of Yahweh, the God of Israel. They had been plundered by Nebuchadnezzar decades earlier (see 2 Kings 25:13-17), but Nebuchadnezzar had at least placed them in the temple of his own god, showing a degree of respect for their religious nature. Belshazzar, however, commanded them to be used for a drunken, pagan feast, a direct and deliberate act of sacrilege and defiance against the God of Israel. This was a public mockery of God's holiness and power, setting the stage for immediate divine judgment upon him and the Babylonian Empire.

What is the meaning of "his father Nebuchadnezzar" in this verse, given historical records?

Answer: The phrase "his father Nebuchadnezzar" should be understood in the broader ancient Near Eastern sense of "ancestor" or "predecessor," rather than direct biological paternity. Historical records indicate that Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon, and likely the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. In ancient Semitic cultures, terms like "father" (Aramaic: ʼab) could encompass grandfathers, ancestors, or even predecessors in office, reflecting a lineage or succession. The crucial point for the narrative is that Belshazzar was aware of Nebuchadnezzar's reign and, more importantly, of the divine humbling Nebuchadnezzar experienced, as detailed in Daniel 4. His disregard for this history underscores his profound arrogance and spiritual blindness, making his sacrilege all the more egregious.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Daniel 5:2, with its stark portrayal of sacrilege and impending judgment, finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Belshazzar's act of defiling the physical vessels from the Jerusalem Temple, which foreshadowed the ultimate destruction of that temple, points to the profound spiritual defilement of humanity's sin against a holy God. Christ, however, is the true Temple of God, whose body was broken and raised, becoming the ultimate place where God dwells and where true worship is offered. Where Belshazzar mocked God's holiness, Christ perfectly upheld it, living a life of absolute obedience and reverence, even to the point of death on a cross. The judgment that fell swiftly upon Belshazzar for his pride and sacrilege is a shadow of the ultimate judgment for sin, which Christ, the Lamb of God, willingly bore on the cross, becoming the atoning sacrifice for our defilement. He cleanses us from our own acts of spiritual sacrilege and rebellion, transforming us into living vessels consecrated for God's glory, enabling us to offer true worship "in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Thus, the defiled vessels of Daniel 5:2 are ultimately redeemed in the new covenant, where believers, through Christ, become temples of the Holy Spirit, dedicated to God's sacred purposes and living lives that honor His holiness.

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Commentary on Daniel 5 verses 1–9

We have here Belshazzar the king very gay, but all of a sudden very gloomy, and in straits in the fulness of his sufficiency. See how he affronts God, and God affrights him; and wait what will be the issue of this contest; and whether he that hardened his heart against God prospered.

I. See how the king affronted God, and put contempt upon him. He made a great feast, or banquet of wine; probably it was some anniversary solemnity, in honour off his birthday or coronation-day, or in honour of some of their idols. Historians say that Cyrus, who was now with his army besieging Babylon, knew of this feast, and presuming that they then would be off their guard, somno vinoque sepulti - buried in sleep and wine, took that opportunity to attack the city, and so with the more ease made himself master of it. Belshazzar upon this occasion invited a thousand of his lords to come and drink with him. Perhaps they were such as had signalized themselves in defense of the city against the besiegers; or these were his great council of war, with whom, when they had well drunk, he would advise what was further to be done. And they were to look upon it as a great favour that he drank wine before them, for it was the pride of those eastern kings to be seldom seen. He drank wine before them, for he made this feast, as Ahasuerus did, to show the honour of his majesty. Now in this sumptuous feast, 1. He put an affront upon the providence of God and bade defiance to his judgments. His city was now besieged; a powerful enemy was at his gates; his life and kingdom lay at stake. In all this the hand of the Lord had gone out against him, and by it he called him to weeping, and mourning, and girding with sackcloth. God's voice cried in the city, as Jonah to Nineveh, Yet forty days, or fewer, and Babylon shall be destroyed. He should therefore, like the king of Nineveh, have proclaimed a fast; but, as one resolved to walk contrary to God, he proclaims a feast, and behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine, as if he dared the Almighty to do his worst, Isa 22:12, Isa 22:13. To show how little fear he had of being forced to surrender, for want of provisions, he spent thus extravagantly. Note, Security and sensuality are sad presages of approaching ruin. Those that will not be warned by judgments of God may expect to be wounded by them. 2. He put an affront upon the temple of God, and bade defiance to his sanctuary, Dan 5:2. While he tasted the wine, he commanded to bring the vessels of the temple, that they might drink in them. When he tasted how rich and fine the wine was, "O," said he, "it is a pity but we should have holy vessels to drink such delicious wine as this in," which was looked upon as a piece of wit, and, to carry on the humour, the vessels of the temple were immediately sent for. Nay, there seems to have been something more in it than a frolic, and that it was done in a malicious despite to the God of Israel. The heart of his people was very much upon these sacred vessels, as appears from Jer 27:16, Jer 27:18. Their principal care, at their return, was about these, Ezr 1:7. Now, we may suppose, they had an expectation of their deliverance approaching, reckoning the seventy years of their captivity near a period; and some of them might perhaps have given out some words to that purport, that shortly they should have the vessels of the sanctuary restored to them, in defiance of which Belshazzar here proclaims them to be his own, will keep them in store no longer, but will make use of them among his own plate. Note, That mirth is sinful indeed, and fills the measure of men's iniquity apace, which profanes sacred things and jests with them. This ripened Babylon for ruin - that no songs would serve them but the songs of Zion (Psa 137:3), no vessels but the vessels of the sanctuary. Let those who thus sacrilegiously alienate what is dedicated to God and his honour know that he will not be mocked. 3. He put an affront upon God himself, and bade defiance to his deity; for they drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, Dan 5:4. They gave that glory to images, the work of their own hands and creatures of their own fancy, which is due to the true and living God only. They praised them either with sacrifices offered to them or with songs sung in honour of them. When their heads were giddy, and their hearts merry, with wine, they were in the fittest frame to praise the gods of gold and silver, wood and stone; for one would think that men in their senses, who had the command of a clear and sober thought, could not be guilty of so gross an absurdity; they must be intoxicated ere they could be so infatuated. Drunken worshippers, who are not men, but beasts, are the most proper for the service of dunghill deities, that are not gods, but devils. They have erred through wine, Isa 27:7. They drank wine, and praised their idol-gods, as if they had been the founders of their feast and the givers of all good things to them. Or, when they were drinking wine, they praised their gods by drinking healths to them; and the king drank wine before them (Dan 5:1), that is, he began the health, first to this god, and then to the other, till they went through the bead-roll or farrago of them, those of wood and stone not excepted. Note, Immorality and impiety, vice and profaneness, strengthen the hands and advance the interests one of another. Drunken frolics were an introduction to idolatry, and then idolatrous healths were a shoeing-horn to further drunkenness.

II. See how God affrighted the king, and struck a terror upon him. Belshazzar and his lords are in the midst of their revels, the cups going round apace, and all upon the merry pin, drinking confusion, it may be, to Cyrus and his army, and roaring out huzzas, in confidence of the speedy raising of the siege; but the hour had come when that must be fulfilled which had been long ago said of the king of Babylon, when his city should be besieged by the Persians and Medes, Isa 21:2-4. The night of my pleasures has he turned into fear to me. The mirth of this ball at court must be spoiled, and a damp cast upon their jollity, though the king himself be master of the revels; immediately, when God speaks the word, we have him and all his guests in the utmost confusion, and the end of their mirth is heaviness. 1. There appear the fingers of a man's hand writing on the plaster of the wall, before the king's face (Dan 5:5), "the angel Gabriel," say the rabbin, "directing these fingers and writing by them." "That divine hand" (says a rabbi of our own, Dr. Lightfoot) "that had written the two tables for a law to his people now writes the doom of Babel and Belshazzar upon the wall." Here was nothing sent to frighten them which made a noise, or threatened their lives, no claps of thunder nor flashes of lightning, no destroying angel with his sword drawn in his hand, only a pen in the hand, writing upon the wall, over-against the candlestick, where they might all see it by the light of their own candle. Note, God's written word is sufficient to put the proudest boldest sinners into a fright, when he is pleased to give it the setting on. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote, but saw not the person whose hand it was, which made the thing more frightful. Note, What we see of God, the part of the hand that writes in the book of the creatures and the book of the scriptures (Lo, these are parts of his ways, Job 26:14), may serve to possess us with awful thoughts concerning that of God which we do not see. If this be the finger of God, what is his arm made bare? And what is he? 2. The king is immediately seized with a panic fear (Dan 5:6): His countenance was changed (his colour went and came); the joints of his loins were loosed, so that he had no strength in them, but was struck with a pain in his back, as is usual in a great fright; his knees smote one against another, so violently did he tremble like an aspen leaf. But what was the matter? Why is he in such a fright? He perceives not what is written, and how does he know but it may be some happy presage of deliverance to him and to his kingdom? But the business was his thoughts troubled him; his own guilty conscience flew in his face, and told him that he had no reason to expect any good news from Heaven, and that the hand of an angel could write nothing but terror to him. He that knew himself liable to the justice of God immediately concluded this to be an arrest in his name, a summons to appear before him. Note, God can soon awaken the most secure and make the heart of the stoutest sinner to tremble; and there needs no more to do it than to let loose his own thoughts upon him; they will soon play the tyrant, and give him trouble enough. 3. The wise men of Babylon are immediately called in, to see what they can make of this writing upon the wall, Dan 5:7. The king cried aloud, as one in haste, as one in earnest, to bring the whole college of magicians, to try if they can read this writing, and show the interpretation of it; for the king and all his lords cannot pretend to it, it is out of their sphere. The study of divine revelation (such as they had, or thought they had) and converse with the world of spirits were by the heathen confined to one profession, and no other meddled with it; but what is written to us by the finger of God is legible to all; whoever will may read the mind of God in the scriptures. To engage these wise men to exert the utmost of their skill in this matter, and provoke them to an emulation in the attempt, he promised that whoever would give him a satisfactory account of this writing should be dignified with the highest honours of the court. He knew what these pretenders to wisdom aimed at, and what would please them, and therefore promised them a scarlet robe and a gold chain, glorious things in the eyes of those that know no better. Nay, he should be primus par regni - chief minister of state, the third ruler in the kingdom, next to the king and his heir apparent. 4. The king is disappointed in his expectations from them; they can none of them read the writing, much less interpret it (Dan 5:8), which increases the king's confusion, Dan 5:9. He likes the thing yet worse and worse, and fears that mischief is towards him. His lords also, that had been partners with him in his jollity, are now sharers with him in his terrors; they also were astonished at their wits' end; and neither their numbers nor their refreshment by wine would serve to keep up their spirits. The reason why the wise men could not read the writing was not because it was written in any language or characters unknown to them, but God either cast a mist before their eyes or put such confusion upon their spirits that they could not read it, that the honour of expounding this mystical writing might be reserved for Daniel. Note, The terror of an awakened convinced conscience may justly be increased by the utter insufficiency of all creatures to give it ease or satisfaction.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–9. Public domain.
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Ephrem the SyrianAD 373
COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 5:1
“Under the influence of wine, he commanded that they bring the vessels” from the sanctuary and did not hesitate in showing them to his lords and concubines and other guests, as he intended to use them for a profane symposium. His father had taken those vessels from the temple of Jerusalem, when Nebuchadnezzar had conquered the city and had destroyed it; nonetheless he had set them in a decent place and had preserved them with holy devotion. [Belshazzar] went beyond any limit.
JeromeAD 420
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
Verse 2. "Being now drunken, he therefore gave order that the golden and silver vessels be brought in which his father, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken away from the temple which was in Jerusalem, in order that the king might drink from them..." The Hebrews hand down some such story as this: that up until the seventieth year, on which Jeremiah had said (Jeremiah 25:11) that the captivity of the Jewish people would be released (a matter of which Zechariah also speaks [Zechariah 1:12] in the first part of his book), Belshazzar had esteemed God's promise to be of none effect; therefore he turned the failure of the promise into an occasion of joy and arranged a great banquet, scoffing somewhat at the expectation of the Jews and at the vessels of the Temple of God. Punishment, however, immediately ensued. And as to the fact that the author calls Nebuchadnezzar the father of Belshazzar, he does not make any mistake in the eyes of those who are acquainted with the Holy Scripture's manner of speaking, for in the Scripture all progenitors and ancestors are called fathers. This factor also should be borne in mind, that he was not sober when he did these things, but rather when he was intoxicated and forgetful of the punishment which had come upon his progenitor, Nebuchadnezzar.
JeromeAD 420
LETTER 22.23
Therefore I summon you before God and Jesus Christ and his elect angels to guard that which you have received, not readily exposing to the public gaze the vessels of the Lord’s temple.… Unchaste eyes see nothing correctly. They fail to appreciate the beauty of the soul and only value that of the body. Hezekiah showed God’s treasure to the Assyrians, who ought never to have seen what they were sure to covet. The consequence was that Judea was torn by continual wars and that the very first things carried away to Babylon were these vessels of the Lord. We find Belshazzar at his feast and among his concubines (vice always glories in defiling what is noble) drinking out of these sacred cups.
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 5:2
In other words, intoxication confused his thinking, and intemperance gave rise to this insane action against God: the vessels consecrated to the worship of God, which his father Nebuchadnezzar had seized when God surrendered them but had honored in the way he thought fit and had kept from human use, this man presumed to use like ordinary vessels, not only giving the order but giving effect to the order.
Isaac of NinevehAD 700
ASCETICAL HOMILIES 10
[God] showed that His true servants and friends are those who walk before Him in fear and reverence and do His will, since virtuous deeds and purity of conscience are things holy [and beloved] of God. But when people repudiate His paths, the Lord repudiates them, casts them away from His face and takes from them His grace. For why was the sentence against Baltasar issued so swiftly and why did it strike him down, as it were, by the form of a hand? Was it not because he acted with audacity toward the untouchable vessels of offering he seized from Jerusalem, drinking out of them, both he and his concubines? In the same manner, those who have consecrated their members to God but are so audacious as to use them once more for worldly deeds, the same perish, being smitten by an invisible blow.
John DamasceneAD 749
ON DIVINE IMAGES 3:35
The third kind of relative worship we give to objects dedicated to God, such as the holy Gospel and other books, for they have been written for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Obviously, patens, chalices, censers, candlesticks and altars should all receive respect. Remember how Belshazzar made his people serve wine in sacred vessels and how God brought his kingdom to an end.
Ishodad of MervAD 850
COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 5:2
The words “at the taste of the wine, [Belshazzar] said,” that is, after he became drunk and unreasonable as a consequence of tasting wine.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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