Daniel 5:27

Tekel. The Jewish scholars called Masoretes, who somewhere between the 7th and 9th centuries of the Christian Era added vowel signs to the Bible manuscripts (see Vol. I, pp. 34, 35), pointed the Aramaic word teqel as a noun. Like mene’ (see on v. 26), it should obviously be pointed as a passive participle (teqil). The form teqel was probably chosen by the Masoretes on account of its greater similarity of sound with mene’. Teqil comes from the verb “to weigh.” Daniel at once informed the king as to the import of this divine weighing. Belshazzar was found lacking in moral worth.

Found wanting. These fearful words of doom, addressed to the profligate king of Babylon, condemn all who, like Belshazzar, neglect their God-given opportunities. In the investigative judgment now in progress (see on ch. 7:10) men are weighed in the balances of the sanctuary to see whether their moral character and spiritual state correspond with the benefits and blessings God has conferred upon them. There is no appeal from the decisions of that court. In view of the solemnity of the hour, all must watch lest the decisive moment that forever fixes every man’s destiny finds them unprepared and “wanting.” Compare 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 22:11, 12.