Daniel 5
Commentary from 9 fathers
And Baltasar drinking gave orders as he tasted the wine that they should bring the gold and silver vessels, which Nabuchodonosor his father had brought forth from the temple in Jerusalem; that the king, and his nobles, and his mistresses, and his concubines, should drink out of them.
καὶ πίνων Βαλτάσαρ εἶπεν ἐν τῇ γεύσει τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ ἐνεγκεῖν τὰ σκεύη τὰ χρυσᾶ καὶ τὰ ἀργυρᾶ, ἃ ἐξήνεγκε Ναβουχοδονόσορ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ πιέτωσαν ἐν αὐτοῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ μεγιστᾶνες αὐτοῦ καὶ αἱ παλλακαὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ αἱ παράκοιτοι αὐτοῦ.
пред̾ ты́сѧщею же вїно̀, и҆ пїѧ̀ валтаса́ръ речѐ при вкꙋше́нїи вїна̀, є҆́же принестѝ сосꙋ́ды зла̑ты и҆ срє́брѧны, ꙗ҆̀же и҆знесѐ навꙋходоно́соръ ѻ҆те́цъ є҆гѡ̀ и҆з̾ хра́ма (гдⷭ҇а бг҃а), и҆́же во і҆ерⷭ҇ли́мѣ, и҆ да пїю́тъ въ ни́хъ ца́рь и҆ вельмѡ́жи є҆гѡ̀, и҆ налѡ́жницы є҆гѡ̀ и҆ возлежа́щыѧ (ѡ҆́крестъ) є҆гѡ̀.
2–3“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.
Commentary on Daniel 5:1
2–3Therefore 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.
Letter 22.23
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.
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
2–3In 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.
Commentary on Daniel 5:2
2–3[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.
Ascetical Homilies 10
2–3The 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.
On Divine Images 3:35
2–3The words “at the taste of the wine, [Belshazzar] said,” that is, after he became drunk and unreasonable as a consequence of tasting wine.
Commentary on Daniel 5:2
So the gold and silver vessels were brought which [Nabuchodonosor] had taken out of the temple of God in Jerusalem; and the king, and his nobles, and his mistresses, and his concubines, drank out of them.
καὶ ἠνέχθησαν τὰ σκεύη τὰ χρυσᾶ καὶ τὰ ἀργυρᾶ, ἃ ἐξήνεγκεν ἐκ τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ ἔπινον ἐν αὐτοῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ μεγιστᾶνες αὐτοῦ καὶ αἱ παλλακαὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ αἱ παράκοιτοι αὐτοῦ·
И҆ принесо́ша сосꙋ́ды златы̑ѧ и҆ срє́брѧныѧ, ꙗ҆̀же и҆знесѐ (навꙋходоно́соръ ца́рь) и҆з̾ хра́ма гдⷭ҇а бг҃а, и҆́же во і҆ерⷭ҇ли́мѣ: и҆ пїѧ́хꙋ и҆́ми ца́рь и҆ вельмѡ́жи є҆гѡ̀, и҆ налѡ́жницы є҆гѡ̀ и҆ возлежа́щыѧ (ѡ҆́крестъ) є҆гѡ̀:
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of iron, and of wood, and of stone.
ἔπινον οἶνον καὶ ᾔνεσαν τοὺς θεοὺς τοὺς χρυσοῦς καὶ ἀργυροῦς καὶ χαλκοῦς καὶ σιδηροῦς καὶ ξυλίνους καὶ λιθίνους.
пїѧ́хꙋ вїно̀ и҆ похвали́ша бо́ги златы̑ѧ и҆ срє́брѧныѧ, и҆ мѣ̑дѧныѧ и҆ желѣ̑зныѧ, и҆ дрєвѧ́ныѧ и҆ ка́мєнныѧ, а҆ бг҃а вѣ́чнаго не благослови́ша, и҆мꙋ́щаго вла́сть дꙋ́ха и҆́хъ.
Verse 4. "They were drinking wine and praising their gods of gold, of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone." How great was their folly! As they drank from golden vessels, they were praising gods of wood and of stone. As long as the vessels had been in the idol-temple of Babylon, God was not moved to wrath, for they had evidently consecrated the property of God to divine worship, even though they did so in accordance with their own depraved views of religion. But after they defiled holy things for the use of men, their punishment followed upon the heels of their sacrilege. Moreover they were praising their own gods and scoffing at the God of the Jews, on the ground that they were drinking from His vessels because of the victory their own gods had bestowed upon them. Applying this figuratively, we should have to say that it applies to all the heretics or to any doctrine which is contrary to truth but which appropriates the words of the Biblical prophets and misuses the testimony of Scripture to suit its own inclination. It furnishes liquor to those whom it deceives and with whom it has committed fornication. It carries off the vessels of God's Temple and waxes drunken by quaffing them; and it does not give the praise to the God whose vessels they are, but to gods of gold and silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone. I think that the golden ones are those which consist of earthly reason. The silver gods are those which possess the charm of eloquence and are fashioned by rhetoric. But those which bring in the fables of the poets and employ ancient traditions containing marked divergences from one another in respect to good taste or folly, such are described as bronze and iron. And those who set forth sheer absurdities are called wooden or stone. The Book of Deuteronomy divides these all into two classes, saying: "Cursed is the man who fashions a graven image and a molten image, the work of the hands of an artificer, and sets it up in a secret place" (Deuteronomy 27:15). For all heretics operate secretly and disguise their fallacious teachings, in order that they may from concealment shoot their arrows against those who are upright in heart.
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote in front of the lamp on the plaster of the wall of the king’s house: and the king saw the knuckles of the hand that wrote.
ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐξῆλθον δάκτυλοι χειρὸς ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἔγραφον κατέναντι τῆς λαμπάδος ἐπὶ τὸ κονίαμα τοῦ τοίχου τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐθεώρει τοὺς ἀστραγάλους τῆς χειρὸς τῆς γραφούσης.
Въ то́й ча́съ и҆зыдо́ша пе́рсты рꙋкѝ человѣ́чи и҆ писа́хꙋ проти́вꙋ лампа́ды на повапле́нїи стѣны̀ до́мꙋ царе́ва, и҆ ца́рь ви́дѧше пе́рсты рꙋкѝ пи́шꙋщїѧ.
Verse 5. "At that same hour some fingers appeared as if they were of a human hand, writing something over against the lampstand upon the surface of the wall of the king's palace. And the king watched the joints of the hand as it wrote." He puts it nicely when he says, "At that same hour," just as we earlier read concerning Nebuchadnezzar, "While the saying was yet in the king's mouth." This was in order that the offender might recognize that his punishment was not inflicted upon him for any other reason but his blasphemy.
But as for the circumstance that the fingers seemed to be writing on the wall over against the lampstand, this was to avoid having the hand and the written matter appear at too great a distance from the light (to be clearly visible). And the fingers wrote upon the wall of the royal palace in order that the king might understand that the inscription concerned himself.
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
Since, you see, he had sung the praises of the idols, deprived as they were of any power to move, and had scorned the God of all, the Lord of all gives him a lesson in his invisible and incorporeal nature by letting him see only fingers writing, the purpose being to instruct him that he would not even see them were it not that he personally had provided the occasion of need.
Commentary on Daniel 5:5
Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one another.
τότε τοῦ βασιλέως ἡ μορφὴ ἠλλοιώθη, καὶ οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτοῦ συνετάρασσον αὐτόν, καὶ οἱ σύνδεσμοι τῆς ὀσφύος αὐτοῦ διελύοντο, καὶ τὰ γόνατα αὐτοῦ συνεκροτοῦντο.
Тогда̀ царю̀ зра́къ и҆змѣни́сѧ, и҆ размышлє́нїѧ є҆гѡ̀ смꙋща́хꙋ є҆го̀, и҆ соꙋ́зы чре́слъ є҆гѡ̀ разслаблѧ́хꙋсѧ, и҆ кѡлѣ́на є҆гѡ̀ сража́стасѧ:
Verse 6. "Then the king's expression was altered..." Here too it is to be observed concerning those Psalms entitled: "For those who will suffer alterations (or vicissitudes)," that the alteration of fortune is not only the lot of the saint but also of the sinner. For we read in this connection: "King Belshazzar was considerably disturbed and his countenance was altered."
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
And the king cried aloud to bring in the magicians, Chaldeans, [and] soothsayers; and he said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and make known to me the interpretation, shall be clothed with scarlet, and [there shall be] a golden chain upon his neck, and he shall be the third ruler in my kingdom.
καὶ ἐβόησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν ἰσχύϊ τοῦ εἰσαγαγεῖν μάγους, Χαλδαίους, γαζαρηνοὺς καὶ εἶπε τοῖς σοφοῖς Βαβυλῶνος· ὃς ἂν ἀναγνῷ τὴν γραφὴν ταύτην καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν γνωρίσῃ μοι, πορφύραν ἐνδύσεται, καὶ ὁ μανιάκης ὁ χρυσοῦς ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τρίτος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ μου ἄρξει.
и҆ возопѝ ца́рь си́лою, є҆́же ввестѝ волхвѡ́въ, халде́євъ, газари́нѡвъ: и҆ речѐ ца́рь мꙋ̑дрымъ вавѷлѡ́нскимъ: и҆́же прочте́тъ писа́нїе сїѐ и҆ ра́зꙋмъ є҆гѡ̀ возвѣсти́тъ мнѣ̀, то́й въ багрѧни́цꙋ ѡ҆блече́тсѧ, и҆ гри́вна злата́ѧ на вы́ю є҆гѡ̀, и҆ тре́тїй во ца́рствѣ мое́мъ ѡ҆блада́ти на́чнетъ.
Now we have to consider the mere ornaments and trappings of office. Each has its proper dress for daily and for ceremonial use. In Egypt and Babylon, the purple robe and gold necklaces were marks of rank, just as provincial priests have their golden wreaths and their robes of state.… But there was a difference in the obligation. They were conferred on men who earned the king’s friendship, simply as a mark of honor.… Purple as such, then, was not yet a mark of high office among the barbarians, but of free birth. Joseph, who had been a slave, and Daniel, who had changed his status by captivity, attained citizenship of Egypt or Babylon by means of the garments that indicated free birth among the barbarians.
On Idolatry 18
Verse 7. The king therefore cried out vehemently that the magicians should be brought in, and the Chaldeans and the soothsayers..." Forgetting about the experiences of Nebuchadnezzar, he was following after the ancient and ingrained error of his family, so that instead of summoning a prophet of God he summons the magicians and Chaldeans and soothsayers.
"...he shall be clothed in purple and he shall have a golden necklace about his neck." It is, of course, ridiculous of me to argue about matters of gender in a commentary on the prophets; but inasmuch as an ignorant but ostentatious critic has rebuked me for changing "necklace" (torquis) from feminine to masculine, I will make the brief observation that while Cicero and Vergil use "necklace" in the feminine, Livy uses it in the masculine.
"...and he shall be the third man in my kingdom..." That means either that he is to be third in rank after the king, or else one of the three princes of the realm - for we elsewhere read of the tristatai.
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known the interpretation to the king.
καὶ εἰσεπορεύοντο πάντες οἱ σοφοὶ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ οὐκ ἠδύναντο τὴν γραφὴν ἀναγνῶναι, οὐδὲ τὴν σύγκρισιν γνωρίσαι τῷ βασιλεῖ.
И҆ вхожда́хꙋ всѝ мꙋ́дрїи ко царю̀ и҆ не можа́хꙋ писа́нїѧ прочестѝ, ни ра́зꙋма царю̀ возвѣсти́ти.
And king Baltasar was troubled, and his countenance changed upon him, and his nobles were troubled with him.
καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Βαλτάσαρ πολὺ ἐταράχθη, καὶ ἡ μορφὴ αὐτοῦ ἠλλοιώθη ἐπ’ αὐτῷ, καὶ οἱ μεγιστᾶνες αὐτοῦ συνεταράσσοντο. -
Ца́рь же валтаса́ръ возмѧте́сѧ, и҆ зра́къ є҆гѡ̀ и҆змѣни́сѧ на не́мъ, и҆ вельмѡ́жи є҆гѡ̀ смꙋща́хꙋсѧ.
From this it is clear that the Lord was concerned for the welfare of the others and did not take the king’s life on the spot, instead giving a glimpse of the writer’s fingers. But having startled him by this and instilled fear, he caused the wise men of the Chaldeans to be summoned and showed up their falsity and weakness while producing the need for Daniel’s wisdom so as through his tongue to accredit him and benefit the others, and with this happening to inflict punishment at that stage on the impious king.
Commentary on Daniel 5:9
Then the queen came into the banquet house, and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, and let not thy countenance be changed.
Καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ἡ βασίλισσα εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πότου καὶ εἶπε· βασιλεῦ, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ζῆθι· μὴ ταρασσέτωσάν σε οἱ διαλογισμοί σου, καὶ ἡ μορφή σου μὴ ἀλλοιούσθω·
И҆ вни́де цари́ца въ до́мъ пи́рный, и҆ речѐ цари́ца: царю̀ во вѣ́ки живѝ: да не смꙋща́ютъ тебѐ размышлє́нїѧ твоѧ̑, и҆ зра́къ тво́й да не и҆змѣнѧ́етсѧ:
Verse 10. "Now the queen, by reason of what had happened to the king and his nobles, entered into the banquet-hall..." Josephus says she was Belshazzar's grandmother, whereas Origen says she was his mother. She therefore knew about previous events of which the king was ignorant. So much for Porphyry's far-fetched objection, who fancies that she was the king's wife, and makes fun of the fact that she knows more than her husband does.
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
“Amid the king’s and his nobles’ words the queen entered the banqueting hall,” that is, with them pondering what should be done and various people making various suggestions under pressure of fear, the queen entered. Now, in my view, this lady was his mother: the wives were attending the banquet along with the concubines, and drinking from the gold and silver vessels was himself and his nobles, his wives—that is, his spouses—and his concubines, partners of his not by law but in lust. Now, this lady entered after the hubbub, and being old she probably was not a party at that stage to the drunkenness and antics or dancing.
Commentary on Daniel 5:10
This was probably an introduction offered at that time to kings by their subjects; even to this day this custom prevails.
Commentary on Daniel 5:10
There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the Spirit of God; and in the days of thy father watchfulness and understanding were found in him; and king Nabuchodonosor thy father made him chief of the enchanters, magicians, Chaldeans, [and] soothsayers.
ἔστιν ἀνὴρ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου, ἐν ᾧ πνεῦμα Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ πατρός σου γρηγόρησις καὶ σύνεσις εὑρέθη ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ναβουχοδονόσορ ὁ πατήρ σου ἄρχοντα ἐπαοιδῶν, μάγων, Χαλδαίων, γαζαρηνῶν κατέστησεν αὐτόν,
є҆́сть мꙋ́жъ во ца́рствѣ твое́мъ, въ не́мже дх҃ъ бж҃їй: и҆ во дни̑ ѻ҆тца̀ твоегѡ̀ бо́дрость и҆ смы́слъ ѡ҆брѣ́тесѧ въ не́мъ, и҆ ца́рь навꙋходоно́соръ ѻ҆те́цъ тво́й кнѧ́зѧ поста́ви є҆го̀ волхвѡ́мъ, ѡ҆баѧ́телємъ, халде́ємъ, газари́нѡмъ,
Verse 11. "'There is a man in thy kingdom who possesses within him the spirit of the holy gods.'" All the authorities except Symmachus, who adheres to the Chaldee original, render: "the spirit of God."
"'...and in the days of thy father, wisdom, and knowledge were found in him...'" She calls Nebuchadnezzar his father, according to the custom of the Scriptures, even though, as we remarked before, he was actually his great-grandfather. But Daniel's godly manner of life even amongst the barbarians is worthy of our imitation, for the very grandmother or mother of the king extolled him with such words of praise because of the greatness of his virtues.
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
Now, by “alertness” she referred to vigilance of soul, and by “understanding” to a grasp of hidden things and an insight into what escaped many. “Your father King Nebuchadnezzar,” she went on, “made him chief of magicians, soothsayers, astrologers, and fortune tellers,” adding the reason, “because an extraordinary spirit was in him,” that is, he has the surpassing grace of the Spirit.
Commentary on Daniel 5:11
For [there is] an excellent spirit in him, and sense and understanding in him, interpreting dreams [as he does], and answering hard [questions], and solving difficulties: [it is] Daniel, and the king gave him the name of Baltasar: now then let him be called, and he shall tell thee the interpretation of the writing.
ὅτι πνεῦμα περισσὸν ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ φρόνησις καὶ σύνεσις ἐν αὐτῷ, συγκρίνων ἐνύπνια καὶ ἀναγγέλλων κρατούμενα καὶ λύων συνδέσμους, Δανιήλ, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπέθηκεν ὄνομα αὐτῷ Βαλτάσαρ· νῦν οὖν κληθήτω, καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν αὐτοῦ ἀναγγελεῖ σοι. -
ꙗ҆́кѡ дꙋ́хъ преиз̾ѻби́льный (бѧ́ше) въ не́мъ, и҆ премꙋ́дрость и҆ смы́слъ (ѡ҆брѣ́тесѧ) въ не́мъ, сказꙋ́ѧ сны̀ и҆ возвѣща́ѧ сокровє́ннаѧ и҆ разрѣша́ѧ соꙋ́зы, данїи́лъ, и҆ ца́рь наречѐ и҆́мѧ є҆мꙋ̀ валтаса́ръ: нн҃ѣ ᲂу҆̀бо да призове́тсѧ, и҆ сказа́нїе є҆гѡ̀ возвѣсти́тъ тебѣ̀.
Daniel, having become a receptacle of the divine Spirit, gives wise advice on everything, makes intelligent utterances on everything, clarifies riddles in dreams, removes the obscurity from what is hidden in some obscurity and by setting free what is held in bondage in secret recesses, as it were.
Commentary on Daniel 5:12
Then Daniel was brought in before the king: and the king said to Daniel, Art thou Daniel, of the children of the captivity of Judea, which the king my father brought?
Τότε Δανιὴλ εἰσήχθη ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Δανιήλ· σὺ εἶ Δανιήλ, ὁ ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας, ἧς ἤγαγεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ πατήρ μου;
Тогда̀ данїи́лъ введе́нъ бы́сть пред̾ царѧ̀. И҆ речѐ ца́рь данїи́лꙋ: ты́ ли є҆сѝ данїи́лъ, ѿ сынѡ́въ плѣ̑нникъ і҆ꙋде́йскихъ, и҆̀хже приведѐ навꙋходоно́соръ ца́рь ѻ҆те́цъ мо́й;
I have heard concerning thee, that the Spirit of God is in thee, and [that] watchfulness and understanding and excellent wisdom have been found in thee.
ἤκουσα περὶ σοῦ ὅτι πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἐν σοί, καὶ γρηγόρησις καὶ σύνεσις καὶ σοφία περισσὴ εὑρέθη ἐν σοί.
слы́шахъ ѡ҆ тебѣ̀, ꙗ҆́кѡ дх҃ъ бж҃їй въ тебѣ̀, и҆ бо́дрость и҆ смы́слъ и҆ премꙋ́дрость и҆з̾ѻби́льна ѡ҆брѣ́тесѧ въ тебѣ̀:
And lest any one should perhaps think that, as the Scripture says, “God raised up the Holy Spirit of a young youth,” the spirit in him was that of a person, not the Holy Spirit, let him read farther on, and he will find that Daniel received the Holy Spirit and therefore prophesied. Lastly, too, the king advanced him because he had the grace of the Spirit. For he speaks thus: “Daniel, you are able, forasmuch as the Holy Spirit of God is in you.” And farther on it is written: “And Daniel was set over them, because an excellent Spirit was in him.”
On the Holy Spirit 3.6.43
And now, the wise men, magicians, [and] soothsayers, have come in before me, to read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation: but they could not tell it me.
καὶ νῦν εἰσῆλθον ἐνώπιόν μου οἱ σοφοί, μάγοι, γαζαρηνοί, ἵνα τὴν γραφὴν ταύτην ἀναγνῶσι καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν αὐτῆς γνωρίσωσί μοι, καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν ἀναγγγεῖλαί μοι.
и҆ нн҃ѣ внидо́ша пред̾ мѧ̀ мꙋ́дрїи, волсвѝ, газари́ни, да писа́нїе сїѐ прочтꙋ́тъ и҆ сказа̑нїѧ є҆гѡ̀ возвѣстѧ́тъ мѝ, и҆ не мого́ша возвѣсти́ти мнѣ̀:
And I have heard concerning thee, that thou art able to make interpretations: now then if thou shalt be able to read the writing, and to make known to me the interpretation of it, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and there shall be a golden chain upon thy neck, and thou shalt be third ruler in my kingdom.
καὶ ἐγὼ ἤκουσα περὶ σοῦ ὅτι δύνασαι κρίματα συγκρῖναι· νῦν οὖν ἐὰν δυνηθῇς τὴν γραφὴν ἀναγνῶναι καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν αὐτῆς γνωρίσαι μοι, πορφύραν ἐνδύσῃ, καὶ ὁ μανιάκης ὁ χρυσοῦς ἔσται ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλόν σου, καὶ τρίτος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ μου ἄρξεις.
а҆́зъ же слы́шахъ ѡ҆ тебѣ̀, ꙗ҆́кѡ мо́жеши сꙋды̀ сказа́ти: нн҃ѣ ᲂу҆̀бо а҆́ще возмо́жеши писа́нїе сїѐ прочестѝ и҆ сказа́нїе є҆гѡ̀ возвѣсти́ти мнѣ̀, въ багрѧни́цꙋ ѡ҆блече́шисѧ, и҆ гри́вна злата́ѧ на вы́и твое́й бꙋ́детъ, и҆ тре́тїй во ца́рствѣ мое́мъ ѡ҆блада́ти бꙋ́деши.
And Daniel said, before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give the present of thine house to another; but I will read the writing, and will make known to thee the interpretation of it.
τότε ἀπεκρίθη Δανιὴλ καὶ εἶπεν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως· τὰ δόματά σου σοὶ ἔστω, καὶ τὴν δωρεὰν τῆς οἰκίας σου ἑτέρῳ δός, ἐγὼ δὲ τὴν γραφὴν ἀναγνώσομαι τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν αὐτῆς γνωρίσω σοι.
Тогда̀ ѿвѣща̀ данїи́лъ и҆ речѐ пред̾ царе́мъ: даѧ̑нїѧ твоѧ̑ съ тобо́ю да бꙋ́дꙋтъ, и҆ да́ръ до́мꙋ твоегѡ̀ и҆но́мꙋ да́ждь, а҆́зъ же писа́нїе прочтꙋ̀ царю̀ и҆ сказа́нїе є҆гѡ̀ возвѣщꙋ̀ тебѣ̀.
Why then, you ask, being so humble did Daniel not repel either the adoration that was paid him by the king or the offerings? This I will not say, for it is sufficient for me simply to mention the question, and the rest I leave to you, that at least in this way I may stir up your thoughts.… For that [Daniel] did not do this out of arrogance is evident from his saying, “your gifts be to yourself.”
On the Epistles to the Hebrews, Homily 26:8-9
Verse 17. "To this Daniel made answer before the king, saying: 'Thy gifts be unto thyself, and bestow the presents of thy house upon someone else...'" We should follow the example of a man like Daniel, who despised the honor and gifts of a king, and who without any reward even in that early day followed the Gospel injunction: "Freely have ye received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8) And besides, when one is announcing sad tidings, it is unbecoming for him willingly to accept gifts.
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
O king, the most high God gave to thy father Nabuchodonosor a kingdom, and majesty, and honour, and glory:
Βασιλεῦ, ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ὕψιστος τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ τὴν μεγαλωσύνην καὶ τὴν τιμὴν καὶ τὴν δόξαν ἔδωκε Ναβουχοδονόσορ τῷ πατρί σου,
Царю̀! бг҃ъ вы́шнїй ца́рство и҆ вели́чество, и҆ че́сть и҆ сла́вꙋ дадѐ навꙋходоно́сорꙋ ѻ҆тцꙋ̀ твоемꙋ̀,
And in the Old Testament it may be found, in that grace many times came on unworthy persons that it might do good to others.… Nebuchadnezzar was very full of iniquity; yet to him [Daniel] revealed what was to follow after many generations. And again to the son of this last, though surpassing his father in iniquity, he signified the things to come, ordering a marvelous and great dispensation. Accordingly because then also the beginnings of the gospel were taking place, and it was requisite that the manifestation of its power should be abundant, many even of the unworthy used to receive gifts. However, from those miracles no gain accrued to them; rather, they are punished even more.
Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew 24:2
Do not think it was by relying on his own strength that your father subjected the whole world and brought under one kingdom the countless races of the nations speaking various tongues. It was, in fact, the Lord of all, maker of everything, wise governor of all things, who gave him the kingdom, and it was as a result of the divine decree that fear of your father possessed his subjects.
Commentary on Daniel 5:18-19
and by reason of the majesty which he gave to him, all nations, tribes, [and] languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he smote; and whom he would he exalted; and whom he would he abased.
καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης, ἧς ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ, πάντες οἱ λαοί, φυλαί, γλῶσσαι ἦσαν τρέμοντες καὶ φοβούμενοι ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ· οὓς ἠβούλετο αὐτὸς ἀνῄρει, καὶ οὓς ἠβούλετο αὐτὸς ἔτυπτε, καὶ οὓς ἠβούλετο αὐτὸς ὕψου, καὶ οὓς ἠβούλετο αὐτὸς ἐταπείνου.
и҆ ѿ вели́чества, є҆́же є҆мꙋ̀ дадѐ, всѝ лю́дїе, племена̀, ꙗ҆зы́цы бѧ́хꙋ трепе́щꙋще и҆ боѧ́щесѧ ѿ лица̀ є҆гѡ̀: и҆̀хже хотѧ́ше ᲂу҆бива́ше, и҆ и҆̀хже хотѧ́ше бїѧ́ше, и҆ и҆̀хже хотѧ́ше возвыша́ше, и҆ и҆̀хже хотѧ́ше, то́й смирѧ́ше:
Verse 19. "'He slew whomever he would and smote to death whomever he wished to; those whom he wished he set on high, and brought low whomever he would.'" Thus he sets forth the example of the king's great-grandfather, in order to teach him the justice of God and make it clear that his great-grandson too was to suffer similar treatment because of his pride. Now if Nebuchadnezzar slew whomever he would and smote to death whomever he wished to; if he set on high those whom he would and brought low whomever he wished to, there is certainly no Divine providence or Scriptural injunction behind these honors and slayings, these acts of promotion and humiliation. But rather, such things ensue from the will of the men themselves who do the slaying and promoting to honor, and all the rest. If this be the case, the question arises as to how we are to understand the Scripture: "The heart of a king reposes in the hand of God; He will incline it in whatever direction He wishes" (Proverbs 21:1). Perhaps we might say that every saint is a king, for sin does not reign in his mortal body, and his heart therefore is kept safe, for he is in God's hand (Romans 6:1-23). And whatever has once come into the hand of God the Father, according to the Gospel, no man is able to take it away (John 10:28). And whoever is taken away, it is understood that he never was in God's hand at all.
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was emboldened to act proudly, he was deposed from his royal throne, and [his] honour was taken from him.
καὶ ὅτε ὑψώθη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ ἐκραταιώθη τοῦ ὑπερηφανεύσασθαι, κατηνέχθη ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ τιμὴ ἀφῃρέθη ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ,
и҆ є҆гда̀ вознесе́сѧ се́рдце є҆гѡ̀ и҆ ᲂу҆тверди́сѧ дꙋ́хъ є҆гѡ̀ є҆́же презо́рствовати, сведе́сѧ ѿ престо́ла ца́рства, и҆ сла́ва и҆ че́сть ѿѧ́сѧ ѿ негѡ̀,
“He was deposed from the throne of his kingdom: just as he elevated those he wanted and humbled those he wanted,” doing so not altogether by a right decision, so the King and Lord of all gave your father the kingdom as he wanted, but on perceiving him giving vent to an overweening sense of his own importance, running the kingdom in an arrogant and conceited manner, a victim of haughtiness, he deprived him of the royal throne and stripped him of the honor paid him by everyone. Instead of divesting him only of the kingdom, however, he drove him also from normal association, gave him over to insanity and derangement and caused him to live with wild asses and savage beasts, taking on the life of the animals whose ferocity he had imitated.
Commentary on Daniel 5:20
And he was driven forth from men; and his heart was given him after the nature of wild beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; and they fed him with grass as an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the most high God is Lord of the kingdom of men, and will give it to whomsoever he shall please.
καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐξεδιώχθη, καὶ ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν θηρίων ἐδόθη, καὶ μετὰ τῶν ὀνάγρων ἡ κατοικία αὐτοῦ, καὶ χόρτον ὡς βοῦν ἐψώμιζον αὐτόν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς δρόσου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐβάφη, ἕως οὗ ἔγνω ὅτι κυριεύει ὁ Θεὸς ὕψιστος τῆς βασιλείας τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ᾧ ἂν δόξῃ, δώσει αὐτήν.
и҆ ѿ человѣ̑къ ѿгна́сѧ, и҆ се́рдце є҆гѡ̀ со ѕвѣрьмѝ ѿда́сѧ, и҆ житїѐ є҆гѡ̀ со ди́вїими ѻ҆слы̑, и҆ траво́ю а҆́ки вола̀ пита́хꙋ є҆го̀, и҆ ѿ росы̀ небе́сныѧ ѡ҆роси́сѧ тѣ́ло є҆гѡ̀, до́ндеже ᲂу҆разꙋмѣ̀, ꙗ҆́кѡ владѣ́етъ бг҃ъ вы́шнїй ца́рствомъ человѣ́ческимъ, и҆ є҆мꙋ́же хо́щетъ, да́стъ є҆̀.
And thou accordingly, his son, O Baltasar, has not humbled thine heart before God: knowest thou not all this?
καὶ σὺ οὖν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ Βαλτάσαρ οὐκ ἐταπείνωσας τὴν καρδίαν σου κατενώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ· οὐ πάντα ταῦτα ἔγνως;
И҆ ты̀ ᲂу҆̀бо, сы́не є҆гѡ̀ валтаса́ре, не смири́лъ є҆сѝ се́рдца твоегѡ̀ пред̾ гдⷭ҇емъ: не всѧ̑ ли сїѧ̑ вѣ́далъ є҆сѝ;
22–23Verses 22, 23. "'Thou too, his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, even though thou knewest all these things, but hast lifted thyself up against the ruler of heaven...'" Because thy great-grandfather, he says, lifted up his heart and hardened his spirit in pride, he therefore was put down from his royal throne and his glory was taken away, and so on (Jer. 4). Therefore in thy case also, because thou knewest these things about thy relative and didst understand that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble, thou shouldest not have lifted up thy heart against the ruler of heaven and scoffed at His majesty and perpetrated the deeds which thou hast. Some authorities apply this passage to Antichrist, on the ground that he has imitated the pride of his father, the Devil, and has raised himself up against God. But they must deal with the question of whom Daniel represents, and who is to be understood as interpreting the inscription of God, and who these Medes and Persians are who put Antichrist to death and succeed to his royal power. For there is no doubt but what it is the saints who are to rule after the Antichrist.
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
And thou has been exalted against the Lord God of heaven; and they have brought before thee the vessels of his house, and thou, and thy nobles, and thy mistresses, and thy concubines, have drunk wine out of them; and thou has praised the gods of gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, and wood, and stone, which see not, and which hear not, and know not: and the God in whose hand are thy breath, and all thy ways has thou not glorified.
καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον Θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὑψώθης, καὶ τὰ σκεύη τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ ἤνεγκαν ἐνώπιόν σου, καὶ σὺ καὶ οἱ μεγιστᾶνές σου καὶ αἱ παλλακαί σου καὶ αἱ παράκοιτοί σου οἶνον ἐπίνετε ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς τοὺς χρυσοῦς καὶ ἀργυροῦς καὶ χαλκοῦς καὶ σιδηροῦς καὶ ξυλίνους καὶ λιθίνους, οἳ οὐ βλέπουσι καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκούουσι καὶ οὐ γινώσκουσιν, ᾔνεσας καὶ τὸν Θεόν, οὗ ἡ πνοή σου ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ὁδοί σου, αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐδόξασας.
но на гдⷭ҇а бг҃а нбⷭ҇наго возне́слсѧ є҆сѝ, и҆ сосꙋ́ды хра́ма є҆гѡ̀ принесо́ша пред̾ тебѐ, ты́ же и҆ вельмѡ́жи твоѝ, и҆ налѡ́жницы твоѧ̑ и҆ возлежа́щыѧ (ѡ҆́крестъ) тебє̀, вїно̀ пїѧ́сте и҆́ми: и҆ бо́ги златы̑ѧ и҆ срє́брѧныѧ, и҆ мѣ̑дѧныѧ и҆ желѣ̑зныѧ, и҆ ка́мєнныѧ и҆ древѧ̑ныѧ, и҆̀же ни ви́дѧтъ, ни слы́шатъ, ни разꙋмѣ́ютъ, похвали́лъ є҆сѝ, а҆ бг҃а, ᲂу҆ негѡ́же дыха́нїе твоѐ въ рꙋцѣ̀ є҆гѡ̀, и҆ всѝ пꙋтїѐ твоѝ, того̀ не просла́вилъ є҆сѝ.
“You have exalted yourself against God.” … Certainly, he says, you were brought to such madness that you placed yourself above God and overcame your father in arrogance and luxury. Indeed, [Nebuchadnezzar] thought that nobody among humankind was equal to him, but you believed that the Lord of heaven was inferior to you.
Commentary on Daniel 5:16
He did well to instruct those present to worship not visible things but their Creator and Lord. At the same time he also convicts the king of conceit and teaches him that the highest heaven has for its creator the unseen God. You, he is saying, made your heart more elevated not than heaven but than the God of heaven, the Lord of all creation; if you were not guilty of such awful conceit, you would not have ordered the vessels of his house to be brought in.
Commentary on Daniel 5:23
Now, [Daniel] did well and showed much wisdom in putting in parallel the idols and the God of all with a view to the benefit felt by the hearers; after emphasizing that the former neither see nor hear, instead of proceeding to say in regard to the God of all that he sees and hears and knows, he cited the more powerful fact of all, your life and your ways are in his hand, since providing life to others and in turn removing it at will is more important than having life. He brought out, then, that while the idols are deprived of life and all sensation, the Lord God of all is the source of all life and both gives it and takes it, governing as he wills. Nevertheless, [Daniel] is saying, despite his being of this stature, so great, with power of life and death, appointing kings and removing them, you not only did not sing his praises but rather even persisted in your drunken behavior, making fun of vessels dedicated to him.
Commentary on Daniel 5:23
Therefore from his presence has been sent forth the knuckle of a hand; and he has ordered the writing.
διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπεστάλη ἀστράγαλος χειρὸς καὶ τὴν γραφὴν ταύτην ἐνέταξε.
Сегѡ̀ ра́ди ѿ лица̀ є҆гѡ̀ по́слани бы́ша пе́рсты рꙋчні́и и҆ писа́нїе сїѐ вчини́ша.
And this is the ordered writing, Mane, Thekel, Phares.
καὶ αὕτη ἡ γραφὴ ἐντεταγμένη· μανή, θεκέλ, φάρες.
Се́ же є҆́сть писа́нїе вчине́ное: манѝ, ѳеке́л, фа́рес.
25–28Verses 25-28. "This is the inscription which has been set up: MANE, THECEL, PHARES. And this is the interpretation of the sentence: 'MANE' means that God has numbered thy kingdom and brought it to an end. 'THECEL' means it has been weighed in the scales and has been found deficient (Vulg.: thou hast been weighed and hast been found...). 'PHARES' means that thy kingdom has been removed and given to the Medes and Persians." The inscription of these three words on the wall simply meant: "Mane, Thecel, Phares"; the first of which sounds forth the idea of "number," and the second "a weighing out," and the third "removal." And so there was a need not only for reading the inscription but also for interpreting what had been read, in order that it might be understood what these words were announcing. That is to say, that God had numbered his kingdom and brought it to an end, and that He had seized hold upon him to weigh him in His judgment-scales, and the sword would slay him before he should meet a natural death; and that his empire would be divided among the Medes and Persians. For Cyrus, the king of the Persians, as we have already mentioned, overthrew the Chaldean Empire in alliance with Darius, his maternal uncle.
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
This is the interpretation of the sentence: Mane; God has measured thy kingdom, and finished it.
τοῦτο τὸ σύγκριμα τοῦ ῥήματος· μανή, ἐμέτρησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὴν βασιλείαν σου καὶ ἐπλήρωσεν αὐτήν·
Сѐ сказа́нїе глаго́ла: манѝ, и҆змѣ́ри бг҃ъ ца́рство твоѐ и҆ сконча̀ є҆̀:
By “interpretation,” he refers to the meaning. “Mane: God has measured your kingdom and brought it to an end,” that is, he has seen you are unworthy of kingship, and he decided to leave you bereft of it. “Thekel: he was weighed in the balance and found wanting.” In this the prophet taught not only him but also us the lesson that nothing goes unweighed by God; instead, mercy and longsuffering are shown to people according to a certain measure and weight. Since, then, [Daniel] is saying, you exceeded the limit of lovingkindness, receive the divine sentence. “Phares: your kingdom has been divided and has been given to the Medes and Persians.”
Commentary on Daniel 5:25-28
Thekel; it has been weighed in the balance, and found wanting.
θεκέλ, ἐστάθη ἐν ζυγῷ καὶ εὑρέθη ὑστεροῦσα·
ѳеке́л, поста́висѧ въ мѣ́рилѣхъ и҆ ѡ҆брѣ́тесѧ лиша́емо:
Phares; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
φάρες, διῄρηται ἡ βασιλεία σου, καὶ ἐδόθη Μήδοις καὶ Πέρσαις. -
фа́рес, раздѣли́сѧ ца́рство твоѐ и҆ даде́сѧ ми́дѡмъ и҆ пе́рсѡмъ.
Then Baltasar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put the golden chain about his neck, and proclaimed concerning him that he was the third ruler in the kingdom.
Καὶ εἶπε Βαλτάσαρ καὶ ἐνέδυσαν τὸν Δανιὴλ πορφύραν καὶ τὸν μανιάκην τὸν χρυσοῦν περιέθηκαν περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκήρυξε περὶ αὐτοῦ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἄρχοντα τρίτον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ.
И҆ речѐ валтаса́ръ: (ѡ҆блецы́те и҆̀). И҆ ѡ҆блеко́ша данїи́ла въ багрѧни́цꙋ, и҆ гри́внꙋ златꙋ́ю возложи́ша на вы́ю є҆гѡ̀, и҆ проповѣ́да ѡ҆ не́мъ, є҆́же бы́ти є҆мꙋ̀ кнѧ́зю тре́тїемꙋ во ца́рствѣ є҆гѡ̀.
The vain king did not do that in order to give honor to Daniel for those sad omens, which he had announced to him by interpreting the writing, but he tried to catch his benevolence, as if he had understood that Daniel was extremely pleasing to God, and therefore he hoped that he would have dispelled his ruin, which the hand sent from above had signed, and Daniel himself had announced, through his intercession. But Belshazzar’s efforts were pointless: on that very night Belshazzar was killed and Babylon was destroyed, and was affected by every misfortune from the Medes and the Persians, as the prophets had already foretold a long time before, and the kingdom of the Chaldeans passed to the Medes, after Darius, king of the Persians and the Medes, had assumed power.
Commentary on Daniel 5:29
Verse 29. "Then at the kings order Daniel was clothed with purple and a golden chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed to have authority as third ruler in the kingdom." Or else, it might be construed as having authority over a third part of the kingdom. At any rate he received the royal insignia of necklace and purple, with the result that he appeared more notable to Darius, who was to be the successor in the royal power, and all the more honorable because of his notability. Nor was it strange that Belshazzar should have paid the promised reward upon hearing sad tidings. For either he supposed that his predictions would take place in the distant future, or else he hoped he would obtain mercy by honoring the prophet of God. And if he did not obtain this boon, it was because his sacrilege toward God outweighed the honor he accorded to man.
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
In the same night was Baltasar the Chaldean king slain.
ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ νυκτὶ ἀνῃρέθη Βαλτάσαρ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ Χαλδαίων.
Валтаса́ра царѧ̀ халде́йска ᲂу҆би́ша въ тꙋ̀ но́щь,
30–31Verses 30, 31. "On that same night Belshazzar, King of the Chaldeans, was slain, and Darius the Mede succeeded to his kingdom at the age of sixty-two." Josephus writes in his tenth book of the Jewish Antiquities that when Babylon had been laid under siege by the Medes and Persians, that is, by Darius and Cyrus, Belshazzar, King of Babylon, fell into such forgetfulness of his own situation as to put on his celebrated banquet and drink from the vessels of the Temple, and even while he was besieged he found leisure for banqueting. From this circumstance the historical account could arise, that he was captured and slaughtered on the same night, while everyone was either terrified by fear of the vision and its interpretation, or else taken up with festivity and drunken banqueting. As for the fact that while Cyrus, King of the Persians, was the victor, and Darius was only King of the Medes, it was Darius who was recorded to have succeeded to the throne of Babylon, this was an arrangement occasioned by factors of age, family relationship, and the territory ruled over. By this I mean that Darius was sixty-two years old, and that, according to what we read, the kingdom of the Medes was more sizable than that of the Persians, and being Cyrus's uncle, he naturally had a prior claim, and ought to have been accounted as successor to the rule of Babylon. Therefore also in a vision of Isaiah which was recited against Babylon, after many other matters too lengthy to mention, an account is given of these things which are to take place: "Behold I Myself will rouse up against them the Medes, a people who do not seek after silver nor desire gold, but who slay the very children with their arrows and have no compassion upon women who suckle their young" (Isaiah 13:17-18). And Jeremiah says: "Sanctify nations against her, even the kings of Media, and the governors thereof and all the magistrates thereof and all the land under the power thereof" (Jeremiah 51:28). Then follow the words: "The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing-floor during the time of its treading; yet a little while, and the time of its harvesting will come" (Jeremiah 51:33). And in testimony of the fact that Babylon was captured during a banquet, Isaiah clearly exhorts her to battle when he writes: "Babylon, my beloved, has become a strange spectacle unto me: set thou the table and behold in the mirrors those who eat and drink; rise up, ye princes, and snatch up your shields!" (Isaiah 21:4-5).
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE
Now, it is necessary to inquire why on earth the God of all corrected Nebuchadnezzar and in turn restored him to his kingdom but forthwith deprived this man of both kingdom and life. On consideration, then, we find, first, that Nebuchadnezzar had not observed another person paying the penalty for impiety, and hence God’s just sentence granted him pardon, whereas this other man, though observing his father’s heavy penalty, gained nothing from it. The just judge was therefore within his rights in confining punishment of the former to a specified time, whereas he granted the latter no pardon. In particular, God foresees all future events and thus knows them clearly as if already in the past; so he knew ahead of time the repentance of the former and arranged for his fate accordingly, whereas he knew ahead of time the latter’s incorrigible impiety and put a stop to the increase in impiety with death.
Commentary on Daniel 5:28
And Darius the Mede succeeded to the kingdom, being sixty-two years [old].
καὶ Δαρεῖος ὁ Μῆδος παρέλαβε τὴν βασιλείαν, ὢν ἐτῶν ἑξήκοντα δύο.
да́рїй же ми́дѧнинъ прїѧ̀ ца́рство, сы́й шести́десѧти и҆ двою̀ лѣ́тъ.
Baltasar the king made a great supper for his thousand nobles, and [there was] wine before the thousand.
ΒΑΛΤΑΣΑΡ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐποίησε δεῖπνον μέγα τοῖς μεγιστᾶσιν αὐτοῦ χιλίοις, καὶ κατέναντι τῶν χιλίων ὁ οἶνος.
Валтаса́ръ ца́рь сотворѝ ве́черю ве́лїю вельмо́жамъ свои̑мъ ты́сѧщи мꙋжє́мъ,