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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Daniel 5:1 Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/daniel/5-1.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/7/27_Dan_05_01.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Daniel 5:1 - Belshazzar's Impious Feast" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them." /><script type="application/javascript" 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id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/daniel/4-37.htm" title="Daniel 4:37">◄</a> Daniel 5:1 <a href="/daniel/5-2.htm" title="Daniel 5:2">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Study Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Crossref </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Hebrew </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/daniel/5.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/daniel/5.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/daniel/5.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/daniel/5.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/daniel/5.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/daniel/5.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/daniel/5.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/daniel/5.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/daniel/5.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/daniel/5.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/daniel/5.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Belshazzar the king held a great feast for one thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/daniel/5.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Belshazzar the king [who was a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar] gave a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking his wine in the presence of the thousand [guests].<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/daniel/5.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine in their presence.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/daniel/5.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />King Belshazzar held a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles and drank wine in their presence. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/daniel/5.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/daniel/5.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />One evening, King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his highest officials, and he drank wine with them. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/daniel/5.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/daniel/5.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />King Belshazzar threw a large banquet for 1,000 nobles and drank wine with them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/daniel/5.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />One night King Belshazzar invited a thousand noblemen to a great banquet, and they drank wine together. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/daniel/5.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />King Belshazzar put on a great festival for a thousand of his officials. He joined all one thousand of them in getting drunk. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/daniel/5.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/daniel/5.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />King Belshazzar prepared a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of them all.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/daniel/5.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/daniel/5.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/daniel/5.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/daniel/5.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Belshazzar the king has made a great feast to one thousand of his great men, and before the one thousand he is drinking wine;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/daniel/5.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> Belshazzar the king hath made a great feast to a thousand of his great men, and before the thousand he is drinking wine;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/daniel/5.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Belshazzar the king made great food for a thousand of his nobles, and before the thousand he drank wine.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/daniel/5.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Baltasar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles: and every one drank according to his age. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/daniel/5.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />Belshazzar, the king, made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and each one of them drank according to his age.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/daniel/5.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, with whom he drank.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/daniel/5.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />King Belshazzar made a great festival for a thousand of his lords, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/daniel/5.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />BELSHAZZAR the king made a great feast to a thousand of his princes, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/daniel/5.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Beltshatsar the King made a great supper for a thousand of his Princes, and in the presence of the thousand he was drinking wine<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/daniel/5.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/daniel/5.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Baltasar the king made a great supper for his thousand nobles, and <i>there was</i> wine before the thousand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/daniel/5-1.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/shUZJK-vYxI?start=1703" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/daniel/5.htm">Belshazzar's Impious Feast</a></span><br> <span class="reftext">1</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/4430.htm" title="4430: mal·kā (N-msd) -- King. (Aramaic) corresponding to melek; a king.">Later,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1113.htm" title="1113: bê·lə·šaṣ·ṣar (N-proper-ms) -- A Bab. king. (Aramaic) corresponding to Belsha'tstsar.">King Belshazzar</a> <a href="/hebrew/5648.htm" title="5648: ‘ă·ḇaḏ (V-Qal-Perf-3ms) -- To make, do. (Aramaic) corresponding to abad; to do, make, prepare, keep, etc.">held</a> <a href="/hebrew/7229.htm" title="7229: raḇ (Adj-ms) -- Great. (Aramaic) corresponding to rab.">a great</a> <a href="/hebrew/3900.htm" title="3900: lə·ḥem (N-ms) -- A feast. (Aramaic) corresponding to lechem.">feast</a> <a href="/hebrew/506.htm" title="506: ’ă·lap̄ (Number-ms) -- A thousand. (Aramaic) or meleph (Aramaic); corresponding to 'eleph.">for a thousand</a> <a href="/hebrew/7261.htm" title="7261: lə·raḇ·rə·ḇā·nō·w·hî (Prep-l:: N-mpc:: 3ms) -- Lord, noble. (Aramaic) from rabrab; a magnate.">of his nobles,</a> <a href="/hebrew/8355.htm" title="8355: šā·ṯêh (V-Qal-Prtcpl-ms) -- To drink. (Aramaic) corresponding to shathah.">and he drank</a> <a href="/hebrew/2562.htm" title="2562: ḥam·rā (N-msd) -- Wine. (Aramaic) corresponding to chemer; wine.">wine</a> <a href="/hebrew/6903.htm" title="6903: wə·lā·qo·ḇêl (Conj-w, Prep-l) -- (Aramaic) or qobel (Aramaic); (corresponding to qabal; in front of; usually on account of, so as, since, hence.">with</a> <a href="/hebrew/506.htm" title="506: ’al·pā (Number-msd) -- A thousand. (Aramaic) or meleph (Aramaic); corresponding to 'eleph.">them.</a> </span><span class="reftext">2</span>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.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/daniel/1-1.htm">Daniel 1:1-2</a></span><br />In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. / And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/daniel/7-1.htm">Daniel 7:1</a></span><br />In the first year of the reign of Belshazzar over Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he lay on his bed. He wrote down the dream, and this is the summary of his account.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/daniel/8-1.htm">Daniel 8:1</a></span><br />In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, subsequent to the one that had appeared to me earlier.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/daniel/9-1.htm">Daniel 9:1-2</a></span><br />In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes, a Mede by descent, who was made ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— / in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the sacred books, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/daniel/11-1.htm">Daniel 11:1-2</a></span><br />“And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, stood up to strengthen and protect him. / Now then, I will tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. By the power of his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/27-7.htm">Jeremiah 27:7</a></span><br />All nations will serve him and his son and grandson, until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will enslave him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/51-39.htm">Jeremiah 51:39</a></span><br />While they are flushed with heat, I will serve them a feast, and I will make them drunk so that they may revel; then they will fall asleep forever and never wake up, declares the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/51-57.htm">Jeremiah 51:57</a></span><br />I will make her princes and wise men drunk, along with her governors, officials, and warriors. Then they will fall asleep forever and not wake up,” declares the King, whose name is the LORD of Hosts.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/21-5.htm">Isaiah 21:5</a></span><br />They prepare a table, they lay out a carpet, they eat, they drink! Rise up, O princes, oil the shields!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/47-1.htm">Isaiah 47:1-5</a></span><br />“Go down and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, O Daughter of the Chaldeans! For you will no longer be called tender or delicate. / Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams. / Your nakedness will be uncovered and your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.” ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/24-10.htm">2 Kings 24:10-17</a></span><br />At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. / And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it. / Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials all surrendered to the king of Babylon. So in the eighth year of his reign, the king of Babylon took him captive. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/25-27.htm">2 Kings 25:27-30</a></span><br />On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah’s King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he released King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. / And he spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and set his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. / So Jehoiachin changed out of his prison clothes, and he dined regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_chronicles/36-6.htm">2 Chronicles 36:6-7</a></span><br />Then Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jehoiakim and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. / Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon some of the articles from the house of the LORD, and he put them in his temple in Babylon.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_chronicles/36-20.htm">2 Chronicles 36:20-23</a></span><br />Those who escaped the sword were carried by Nebuchadnezzar into exile in Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. / So the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation, until seventy years were completed, in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah. / In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows: ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/17-1.htm">Revelation 17:1-5</a></span><br />Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. / The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.” / And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. ...</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.</p><p class="hdg">made.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/40-20.htm">Genesis 40:20</a></b></br> And it came to pass the third day, <i>which was</i> Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/esther/1-3.htm">Esther 1:3</a></b></br> In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, <i>being</i> before him:</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/21-4.htm">Isaiah 21:4,5</a></b></br> My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me… </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/jeremiah/51-39.htm">Banquet</a> <a href="/daniel/8-1.htm">Belshazzar</a> <a href="/daniel/8-1.htm">Belshaz'zar</a> <a href="/daniel/1-8.htm">Drank</a> <a href="/daniel/1-8.htm">Drinking</a> <a href="/ezekiel/45-25.htm">Feast</a> <a href="/daniel/2-31.htm">Front</a> <a href="/daniel/4-30.htm">Great</a> <a href="/ezekiel/45-16.htm">Held</a> <a href="/daniel/4-36.htm">Lords</a> <a href="/daniel/4-36.htm">Nobles</a> <a href="/daniel/4-8.htm">Presence</a> <a href="/ezekiel/48-35.htm">Thousand</a> <a href="/daniel/1-16.htm">Wine</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/daniel/5-10.htm">Banquet</a> <a href="/daniel/5-2.htm">Belshazzar</a> <a href="/daniel/5-9.htm">Belshaz'zar</a> <a href="/daniel/5-3.htm">Drank</a> <a href="/joel/1-5.htm">Drinking</a> <a href="/hosea/2-11.htm">Feast</a> <a href="/daniel/8-3.htm">Front</a> <a href="/daniel/5-3.htm">Great</a> <a href="/daniel/12-7.htm">Held</a> <a href="/daniel/5-2.htm">Lords</a> <a href="/daniel/5-3.htm">Nobles</a> <a href="/daniel/5-24.htm">Presence</a> <a href="/daniel/7-10.htm">Thousand</a> <a href="/daniel/5-2.htm">Wine</a><div class="vheading2">Daniel 5</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/5-1.htm">Belshazzar's impious feast.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">5. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/5-5.htm">A hand-writing unknown to the magicians, troubles the king.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">10. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/5-10.htm">At the commendation of the queen Daniel is brought.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">17. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/5-17.htm">He, reproving the king of pride and idolatry,</a></span><br><span class="reftext">25. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/5-25.htm">reads and interprets the writing.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">30. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/daniel/5-30.htm">The monarchy is translated to the Medes</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/daniel/5.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div><b>Later</b><br />The word "later" sets the stage for a significant event following previous narratives in the Book of Daniel. It indicates a continuation of the historical and prophetic timeline. In the context of Daniel, this word suggests a transition from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar to that of Belshazzar, highlighting the unfolding of God's sovereign plan through successive empires. Historically, this period marks the decline of the Babylonian Empire, setting the stage for the Medo-Persian conquest.<p><b>King Belshazzar</b><br />Belshazzar, the central figure in this chapter, is identified as a king, though historically he was the co-regent with his father, Nabonidus. His name means "Bel, protect the king," reflecting the Babylonian practice of invoking their gods for protection. Belshazzar's reign is characterized by arrogance and impiety, contrasting with the humility learned by Nebuchadnezzar. His account serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of pride and the importance of acknowledging the true God.<p><b>held a great feast</b><br />The phrase "held a great feast" indicates a lavish celebration, typical of royal courts in ancient times. Feasts were often used to display wealth, power, and to solidify political alliances. In the context of <a href="/daniel/5.htm">Daniel 5</a>, this feast is marked by excess and irreverence, as it occurs while the city of Babylon is under threat from the Medo-Persian army. The feast symbolizes Belshazzar's false sense of security and disregard for the impending judgment.<p><b>for a thousand of his nobles</b><br />The mention of "a thousand of his nobles" underscores the grandeur and scale of the event. It reflects the hierarchical structure of Babylonian society, where nobles held significant influence and power. This gathering of the elite serves to emphasize the widespread nature of the moral and spiritual decay within the kingdom, as they partake in the king's blasphemous actions.<p><b>and he drank wine with them</b><br />The act of drinking wine is a central element of the narrative, symbolizing indulgence and lack of restraint. In the Bible, wine can represent joy and blessing, but it also serves as a metaphor for excess and moral decline when consumed irresponsibly. Belshazzar's drinking with his nobles highlights his disregard for the sacred, as he later uses the vessels from the Jerusalem temple for his revelry. This act of sacrilege sets the stage for the divine judgment that follows, illustrating the biblical principle that God will not be mocked.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/daniel/5.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>V.</span><p>(1) <span class= "bld">Belshazzar.</span>--On this king see <span class= "ital">Excursus C.</span> As he was the son of Nabonidus, a space of about thirty years must have elapsed since the event recorded in the last chapter. The Babylonian empire survived the death of Nebuchadnezzar only twenty-five years.<p><span class= "bld">A thousand.</span>--There is nothing unreasonable in the number of the guests; in fact, the LXX. have doubled the number. (See <a href="/context/esther/1-3.htm" title="In the third year of his reign, he made a feast to all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:">Esther 1:3-4</a>.)<p><span class= "bld">Before the thousand.--</span>The king appears to have had a special table reserved for himself apart from the guests. For this custom comp. <a href="/jeremiah/52-33.htm" title="And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.">Jeremiah 52:33</a>.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/daniel/5.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verses 1-31.</span> - BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST. In regard to this chapter the peculiar state of the Septuagint text has to be noted. At the beginning of the chapter there are three verses which seem to be either variant versions of the Septuagint text, or versions of a text which was different from that from which the Septuagint has been drawn. Throughout the chapter, further, there are traces of doublets. Most of these variations occur in the Syriac of Paulus Tellensis. <span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 1.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine</span> <span class="cmt_word">before the thousand. As we</span> have just indicated, there are two versions in the Septuagint of several verses in this chapter, and the verse before us is one of these. The first of these is "Baltasar the king made a great feast on the day of the dedication of his palace, and invited from his lords two thousand men." The other reading, which appears to have formed the text, is, "Baltasar the king made a great feast for his companions." The first version seems to have read the dual instead of the singular - a proof of the state of the language, for the dual has practically disappeared in the Targums. The second version has evidently read <span class="hebrew">הברין</span> instead of <span class="hebrew">רברבין</span>. Theodotion reads, "Baltasar the king made a great feast to thousands of his lords, and drank wine before the thousands." The Peshitta agrees with the Massoretic text. The numeral is thus omitted in the text of the Septuagint,inserted in the dual in the margin, and appears in Theodotion in the plural. As the shortest text is also the oldest, and omits the numeral, we feel inclined to do so also, the more so as the numeral may have resulted from <span class="hebrew">אַעּלּפ</span> (<span class="accented">aluph</span>) being put as the interpretation of <span class="hebrew">רברב</span> (<span class="accented">rabrab</span>). The clause in the marginal version, "on the day of the dedication of his palace," or, as it is rendered by Paulus Telleusis, "in the day of the dedication of the house of his kingdom," is worthy of notice. From the fact that early in his reign every Ninevite king seems to have begun a palace, this statement has a great deal of verisimilitude. The clause in the Massoretic text, "and drank wine before the thousand," is meaningless, unless as a rhetorical amplification. From the fact that only the first clause appears in the text of the Septuagint, the authenticity of the rest of the verse is rendered doubtful; the more so that <span class="hebrew">קובלא</span> () means "a feast" in Eastern Aramaic, though not in Western. It is a possible solution of the presence of the clause that <span class="hebrew">קבל</span>, excluded from the text and its place supplied by <span class="hebrew">לחם</span>, was placed in the margin. <span class="hebrew">לקבל</span>, however, means "before." If there was also in the margin <span class="hebrew">אלפא</span>, "thousands," in the emphatic state; as the translation into Hebrew of <span class="hebrew">רברב</span> (<a href="/genesis/36-17.htm">Genesis 36:17, 15</a> Onkelos). If, further, <span class="hebrew">חברין</span>, "companion," appeared as a various reading for <span class="hebrew">רברבין</span>, that would easily be read <span class="hebrew">חמר</span>, "wine;" the verb "to drink" would be added to complete the sense. We have thus all the elements to produce the different versions of the story of the feast. The fact that in what we regard as the marginal reading the clause appears quite differently rendered, confirms us in our suspicion that the Massoretic text presents a case of a "doublet." The reading which begins the chapter in the LXX. may be due to regarding <span class="hebrew">קבל</span> as the verb "to receive." The name Belshazzar has been the occasion of much controversy. It was regarded as one of the proofs of the non-historicity of Daniel that this name occurred at all (as Bertholdt). We were told that the last King of Babylon was Nabunahid, not Belshazzar. The name, however, has turned up in the Mugheir inscription as the son of Nabunahid, and not only so, but in a connection that implies he was associated in the government. From the annals of Nabunahid (2 col.; <span class="accented">vide</span> ' Beitrage zur As-syriologie,' Delitzsch and Haupt, 1891-92, pp. 218-221) we find that from his seventh to his eleventh year, if not from an earlier to a later date, Nabunahid was in retirement in Tema, and "came not to Babil," and the king's son (<span class="accented">Mar Sarri</span>) was with the nobles (<span class="accented">rabuti</span>) snd the army. Even when the king's mother died, the mourning was carried on by the king's sou, Belshazzar. Dr. Hugo Winckler ('Geschichte Babyloniens u. Assuriens,' pp. 315, 316) says Nabunahid remained intentionally far from the capital, and abode continually in Tema, a city otherwise unknown. Not once at the new year's feast, where his personal presence was indispensable, did he come to Babylon. What occasioned it, we know not; but it appears as if he had devoted himself to some kind of solitary life, and would not disturb himself with the business of government. Not once while Cyrus was marching against Babylon did he rouse himself, but allowed things to take their course. The government appears to have been carried on by his son, Bel-shar-utzur, for while Nabunahid lived in Tema in retirement, it is mentioned that his son, with the dignitaries, managed affairs in Babylon, and commanded the army. Also in several inscriptions in the concluding prayer, he is named along with his father, while it is usually the name of the king that is there mentioned. Belshazzar is, then, no mere luxurious despot, like the Nabeandel of Josephus, no incapable youth flushed with the unexpected dignity of government in the city of Babylon, while his father was shut up in Borsippa; he is a bold capable warrior. Tyrannical and imperious he may be, yet faithful to his father, as had Nebuchadnezzar been to Nabopolassar his father. We need not even look at the identifications of Belshazzar with Evil-Merodach, with Labasi-marduk, or with Nabunahid. The name <span class="accented">Bel-shar-utzur</span> means "Bel protects the king," and is rendered in the Greek versions "Baltasar," and in the Vulgate "Baltassar," and identical with the name given to Daniel, as we have remarked elsewhere. In the Peshitta the name here is rendered "Belit-shazar," while Daniel's Babylonian name is "Beletshazzar." We do not know when this feast took place. If we take the Septuagint text here as our guide, it did not take place at the capture of the city by Cyrus. If for five, six, or seven years he was practically king, Belshazzar may have built a palace, and the feast may have been held at its dedication. We knew that the Babylonians were notorious for their banquets - banquets that not infrcquently ended in drunkenness. Although the number of the guests is doubtful from diplomatic reasons, the number itself is not excessive. We read of Alexander the Great having ten thousand guests. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/daniel/5-1.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">[Many years later] King</span><br /><span class="heb">מַלְכָּ֗א</span> <span class="translit">(mal·kā)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular determinate<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4430.htm">Strong's 4430: </a> </span><span class="str2">A king</span><br /><br /><span class="word">Belshazzar</span><br /><span class="heb">בֵּלְשַׁאצַּ֣ר</span> <span class="translit">(bê·lə·šaṣ·ṣar)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1113.htm">Strong's 1113: </a> </span><span class="str2">Belshazzar -- a Babylonian king</span><br /><br /><span class="word">held</span><br /><span class="heb">עֲבַד֙</span> <span class="translit">(‘ă·ḇaḏ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5648.htm">Strong's 5648: </a> </span><span class="str2">To do, make, prepare, keep</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a great</span><br /><span class="heb">רַ֔ב</span> <span class="translit">(raḇ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7229.htm">Strong's 7229: </a> </span><span class="str2">Abundant </span><br /><br /><span class="word">feast</span><br /><span class="heb">לְחֶ֣ם</span> <span class="translit">(lə·ḥem)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3900.htm">Strong's 3900: </a> </span><span class="str2">Bread, grain</span><br /><br /><span class="word">for a thousand</span><br /><span class="heb">אֲלַ֑ף</span> <span class="translit">(’ă·lap̄)</span><br /><span class="parse">Number - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_506.htm">Strong's 506: </a> </span><span class="str2">A thousand</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of his nobles,</span><br /><span class="heb">לְרַבְרְבָנ֖וֹהִי</span> <span class="translit">(lə·raḇ·rə·ḇā·nō·w·hî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7261.htm">Strong's 7261: </a> </span><span class="str2">Lord, noble</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and he drank</span><br /><span class="heb">שָׁתֵֽה׃</span> <span class="translit">(šā·ṯêh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8355.htm">Strong's 8355: </a> </span><span class="str2">To imbibe</span><br /><br /><span class="word">wine</span><br /><span class="heb">חַמְרָ֥א</span> <span class="translit">(ḥam·rā)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular determinate<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2562.htm">Strong's 2562: </a> </span><span class="str2">Wine</span><br /><br /><span class="word">with</span><br /><span class="heb">וְלָקֳבֵ֥ל</span> <span class="translit">(wə·lā·qo·ḇêl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6903.htm">Strong's 6903: </a> </span><span class="str2">In front of, before, because of, because that</span><br /><br /><span class="word">them.</span><br /><span class="heb">אַלְפָּ֖א</span> <span class="translit">(’al·pā)</span><br /><span class="parse">Number - masculine singular determinate<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_506.htm">Strong's 506: </a> </span><span class="str2">A thousand</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/daniel/5-1.htm">Daniel 5:1 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/daniel/5-1.htm">Daniel 5:1 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/daniel/5-1.htm">Daniel 5:1 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/daniel/5-1.htm">Daniel 5:1 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/daniel/5-1.htm">Daniel 5:1 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/daniel/5-1.htm">Daniel 5:1 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/daniel/5-1.htm">Daniel 5:1 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/daniel/5-1.htm">Daniel 5:1 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/daniel/5-1.htm">Daniel 5:1 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/daniel/5-1.htm">Daniel 5:1 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/daniel/5-1.htm">OT Prophets: Daniel 5:1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast (Dan. Da Dn) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/daniel/4-37.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Daniel 4:37"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Daniel 4:37" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/daniel/5-2.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Daniel 5:2"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Daniel 5:2" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>