Daniel 5:1

Belshazzar. The Babylonian name Bel-shar-usur means “Bel, protect the king!” Belshazzar was the first-born son of Nabonidus, the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. See Additional Note at the end of this chapter.

The king. When Nabonidus was in Lebanon recuperating from an illness, just before setting out on a campaign against Tema in western Arabia, he summoned his eldest son (Belshazzar), and “entrusted the kingship to him” (see Additional Note at end of this chapter). This was in “the third year.” If this was the third regnal year, it was in the winter of 553/552. Some scholars think it was in the third year after the completion of a temple at Haran; if so, Belshazzar’s appointment as coregent occurred two or three years later, but some time before Nabonidus’ seventh regnal year, in which Nabonidus was in Tema. From that time on Belshazzar controlled the affairs of Babylonia as his father’s conder, while Nabonidus resided in Tema for many years. According to the “Verse Account of Nabonidus,” Belshazzar held the “kingship.” Daniel therefore made no mistake when he called Belshazzar “king,” though critics formerly declared that Daniel here erred.

A great feast. From vs. 28 and 30 it can be concluded that the feast took place during the night that Babylon fell to Cyrus’ forces. Xenophon preserved the tradition that at the time of Babylon’s fall “a certain festival had come round in Babylon, during which all Babylon was accustomed to drink and revel all night long” (Cyropaedia vii. 5. 15). It is inexplicable that Belshazzar should have made a feast immediately after the fall of Sippar, and only a few days after the lost battle at Opis (see Vol. Ill, p. 49). Apparently, he felt recklessly secure in his capital, protected by strong walls and a system of canals which could, in case of danger, put the surrounding country under water and so make it difficult for an invader to reach the city (see PK 523).

It is a well-known fact that it was common for ancient monarchs to give feasts for their courtiers. A stele discovered recently at Nimrad, the ancient Calah, makes mention of the fact that King Ashumasirpal II made a great festival at the opening of a new palace. He is stated to have fed, wined, and housed 69,574 people for 10 days. The Greek historian Ctesias states that the Persian kings fed 15,000 people every day, and that Alexander the Great had 10,000 guests take part in his wedding feast. A similar feast is also described in Esther 1:3-12.

Before the thousand. That a certain emphasis is placed on the fact that Belshazzar drank before his guests, seems to indicate that the same court custom existed at Babylon as at the Persian court, where the king usually ate in a separate hall, and only on exceptional occasions, with his guests. The feast of Belshazzar seems to have been such an occasion. For a description of the hall in which the feast probably took place, see p. 798.