Daniel
Chapter 5
{Note: From Chapter 2:4b through Chapter 7, Daniel is writing in the Chaldean language.}
{'Party'
of the New King as His Castle is Surrounded by Invading Army}
1a~~Belshazzar,
the king,
{he is actually the king-regent at this time for his father
Nabonidus}
made/held
{`abad} a great feast for a thousand of his nobles,
{`abad - Peal Chaldean intensive stem - indicates that he is bored
and trapped and is filled with mental attitude sins and boredom}.
1b~~And
he was 'drinking heavily' {sh@thah} wine
in
the presence of the thousand.
{Note: Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BC. The Chaldean Empire staggered and eventually collapsed. His son Amel-Marduk ruled for a while but was so detrimental to the nation, his brother-in-law, Neriglissar, had him killed and took control. He ruled briefly and was succeeded by his son Labashi-Marduk who was assassinated after nine months. In 556 BC a noble, Nabonidus came to the throne. Nabonidus retired to the country and appointed his son Belshazzar to rule as his king-regent in his place. At the time of this party, in early 539BC, General Gobryas, a Persian commander under Cyrus, defeated the Chaldeans at Opis and Sippar. Only the double-walled city of Babylon remained to be captured.}
{Note: For many years, 'humans' considered Belshazzar to be a 'myth'. Then in 1856, the British archeologist, Sir H. C. Rawlinson translated cuneiform inscriptions naming Belshazzar as the eldest son of Nabonidus.}
2~~While
Belshazzar relished the wine,
{under the influence of the 'rosy glow of too much alcohol'}
he
gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels
which
Nebuchadnezzar, his grandfather
{'ab - Chaldean for father and grandfather - here it is his
grandfather}
had
taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem . . .
in
order that the king, and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines,
might
drink from them.
{Note: The items of the temple are portrayed by the articles of furniture and other items in the temple. They were used to teach doctrine before doctrine was committed to writing. This act of theft and blasphemy was a great affront not only to God, but to the THINKING of God. This now was the first time that they used this booty. As a result, the Chaldeans would be destroyed off the face of the earth.}
3~~Then
they brought the gold vessels
that
were taken out of the temple,
the
house of 'Elahh/God
which
was in Jerusalem.
And
the king, and his princes/nobles,
his
wives, and his concubines,
drank
from them.
4~~They
drank the wine
and
'praised with singing'
the
'elahh/gods of gold, and of silver,
of
bronze, iron, wood, and of stone.
{Note: RBT says there were four gods worshiped here. Bel/Marduk was the chief of the Chaldean pantheon of gods. Next was Nebo - the god of education. Third, would be Nergal - the god of war. And, fourth would be Ishtar - the goddess of love.}
5a~~Suddenly
the fingers of a man's hand emerged
and
began 'a permanent recording'
opposite
the lampstand
on
the plaster of the wall of the king's palace.
5b~~And
the king 'saw and perceived'
the
back of the hand that did the writing.
6~~Then
the king's face changed/'grew pale',
and
his thoughts agitated/troubled/alarmed him
and
his hip joints went slack,
and
his knees began knocking together.
{Verses
7-8: Chaldean State Department's Reaction}
7~~The
king called aloud to bring in
'the
astrologers'/'his CIA' {'ashshaph}
the
Chaldeans/'Priests of the Babylonians' {Kasdiy},
and
the soothsayers {g@zar -pagan counterpart to prophets}.
And
the king spoke,
and
said to the wise {men} of Babylon,
{the king is insecure and depending on 'people'}
"Any
man who can read this inscription
and
explain its interpretation to me
will
be clothed with purple,
{means will be made part of nobility}
and
have a necklace of gold around his neck,
{this is an indication of his rank}
and
have authority as third ruler in the kingdom."
{the first is the king's father, Nabonidus, now living retired in Arabia
- next came Belshazzar, the king-regent, then this man would be
third}
8~~Then
all the king's wise men came in,
but
they could not read the inscription
or
make known its interpretation to the king.
{they understood the words, but just not the meaning}
9~~Then
King Belshazzar extremely troubled/alarmed himself . . .
{no divine viewpoint, no frame of reference, only mental attitude
sins - he did this all by himself, to himself - Chaldean Ithpeal
reflexive stem}
and
his face grew even paler,
and
his nobles 'had completely had it'/'were perplexed'.
10a~~The
queen entered
the
'hall for drinking and carousing'
because
of the words of the king and his nobles.
{Note: RBT says the queen is Belshazzar's mother Nitocris. She was the wife of King Nabonidus. RBT says that she also is a believer.}
10b~~The
queen spoke and said,
"O
king, live forever!
'Stop
worrying'/'Do not let your thoughts alarm you'
and
'stop looking like a fool'/'your face be pale."
{Testimony
of One Believer About Another}
11a~~"There
is a man in your kingdom
in
whom is The Holy Spirit of 'Elahh/God.
{Note: Daniel has been living in obscurity for 23 years now. That is difficult for many people, but not Daniel.}
11b~~And
in the days of your grandfather
illumination/understanding/Light
{n@hiyr - Chaldean word for being 'enlightened' - having the
reflected glory of God in your soul}
insight/'frame
of reverence'
{sokl@thanuw - refers to the right lobe - the frame of reference -
norms and standards in the soul - in Daniel's case having divine
viewpoint in his soul from the intake of bible doctrine},
and
wisdom
{chokmah - same as the Hebrew and epignosis in the Greek -
Divine Viewpoint cycling in the right lobe and being applied to
experience},
like
the wisdom/chokmah of the 'Elahh/Godhead
{Divine Viewpoint of God}
was
developed/'obtained himself' {sh@kach} in him.
{sh@kach - means to find - here it is in the Chaldean Ithpeal
reflexive - he obtained this viewpoint himself meaning GAP - the
daily and consistent intake of the word resulted in this divine
viewpoint being in himself}
11c~~And,
King Nebuchadnezzar, your grandfather,
your
grandfather the king
{the current king Nabonidus is now retired in Arabia},
appointed
him chief
of
the 'the scribes'/'his administrators' {chartom},
'the
astrologers'/'his CIA' {'ashshaph}
the
Chaldeans/'Priests of the Babylonians' {Kasdiy},
and
the soothsayers {g@zar -pagan counterpart to prophets}."
12~~"This
was because
'an
extraordinary'/'the Greatest' Spirit,
knowledge
{manda` - this is process of the inhale of divine viewpoint
and the exhale of divine viewpoint to experience}
and
insight/'frame of reverence' {sokl@thanuw}
'communicating
with accuracy' dreams
{p@shar - Pael stem participle}
explanations
of 'hard sentences'/enigmas,
{this involves years of study of the Word and the ability to then
teach it accurately to others}
and
solving of difficult problems
{sh@re' - means to untie or unloose or release and therefore to
solve problems}
were
developed/'obtained himself' {sh@kach}
in
this Daniel . . .
in
whom the king {Nebuchadnezzar} named Belteshazzar.
Now
let Daniel be summoned,
and
he will declare the interpretation."
13~~Then Daniel was brought in before the king { Belshazzar}.
The
king spoke and said to Daniel,
"Are
you that Daniel,
who
is the one of the exiles from Judah,
whom
my grandfather the king brought from Judah?"
14a~~"Now
I have heard about you . . .
that
the "Spirit of the 'Elahh/Gods" is in you.
{RBT says this is the Chaldean version of God the Holy Spirit}
14b~~And
that illumination/understanding/Light {n@hiyr}
insight/'frame
of reverence' {sokl@thanuw},
and
wisdom {chokmah}
have
been developed/'obtained himself' {sh@kach} in you."
15~~"Just
now the wise {men} {State Department} . . .
'the
astrologers'/'his CIA' {'ashshaph}
were
brought in before me
that
they might read this inscription
and
make its interpretation known to me,
but
they could not declare the interpretation of the message."
{Note: The principle is the soulish/natural man can not understand the things of God.}
16~~"And
I personally have heard about you . . .
that
you are able to give interpretations
and
solve difficult problems.
Now
if you are able to read the inscription
and
make its interpretation known to me,
you
will be clothed with purple {nobility}
and
{wear} a necklace of gold around your neck . . .
{badge of authority and rank}
even
you will have authority as the third {ruler} in the kingdom."
17~~Then
Daniel answered and said before the king,
"Keep
your gifts for yourself,
{idiom: literally we would say nicely
'take your gifts and stuff them . . .'}
or
give your rewards to another,
however,
I will read the inscription to the king
and
cause to make known the interpretation to him."
{Note: Daniel is doing his job as unto the Lord, not for material rewards!}
|
|
|
|
