Belshazzar

Family: Babylonian · Role: king of Babylon · First appears: Daniel 5

Belshazzar was king of Babylon and the son of Nebuchadnezzar, whose kingdom and majesty had been given by the Most High God. In Daniel 5, he ordered the temple vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar brought to his feast, and he and his guests drank from them while praising idols. “In the same hour” God sent a hand to write a judgment on the palace wall.

Daniel interpreted the writing for Belshazzar: “MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” Belshazzar then commanded that Daniel be clothed in scarlet, given a gold chain, and proclaimed third ruler of the kingdom. “In that night” Belshazzar was slain, and Darius took the kingdom.

In Daniel 8, Daniel fainted and was sick for certain days, then recovered and resumed doing the king’s business.

Relationship record

Life events

• Belshazzar ordered Nebuchadnezzar’s temple vessels brought for his feast and drinking.(Daniel 5 · 📍 king’s palace)
  • With: Nebuchadnezzar
  • “Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple”
• Belshazzar and his guests praised idols while drinking from Jerusalem’s temple vessels.(Daniel 5)
  • With: God
  • “and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.”
• God sent a hand that wrote a mysterious judgment on the palace wall.(Daniel 5 · 📍 king’s palace)
  • With: God
  • “In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace”
• Daniel interpreted the writing, declaring Belshazzar’s kingdom numbered, deficient, divided, and given away.(Daniel 5 · 📍 banquet house)
  • With: Daniel
  • “MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
• Belshazzar made Daniel the third ruler and honored him with royal clothing and a gold chain.(Daniel 5)
  • With: Daniel
  • “Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
• Belshazzar was slain.(Daniel 5)
  • “In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.”
• Darius the Median took Belshazzar’s kingdom.(Daniel 5)
  • With: Darius
  • “And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.”
• Daniel becomes sick, then recovers and resumes the king’s business.(Daniel 8)
  • With: Daniel
  • “And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business”

Daniel 5

• parent: Nebuchadnezzar “O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:”
• judge: God “This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
• with Daniel (Belshazzar appointed Daniel third ruler in the kingdom.) “Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
• subordinate: Daniel “Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
• judge: Daniel “TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”

Daniel 8

• servant: Daniel (Daniel performs the king’s business, supporting a king-to-official service relationship.) “And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.”

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Extracted from the original text of The Prophets. Made with Rho MD.