Daniel 2:48-49

2:48 Then the king elevated Daniel to high position and bestowed on him many marvelous gifts. He granted him authority over the entire province of Babylon and made him the main prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 2:49 And at Daniel’s request, the king ¹  appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the administration of the province of Babylon. Daniel himself served in the king’s court. ² 

Daniel 5:16

5:16 However, I have heard ³  that you are able to provide interpretations and to decipher knotty problems. Now if you are able to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, you will wear purple and have a golden collar around your neck and be third ⁴  ruler in the kingdom.”

Daniel 5:29

5:29 Then, on Belshazzar’s orders, ⁵  Daniel was clothed in purple, a golden collar was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom.

Daniel 5:1

Belshazzar Sees Mysterious Handwriting on a Wall

5:1 King Belshazzar ⁶  prepared a great banquet ⁷  for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of ⁸  them all. ⁹ 

1 Samuel 2:30

2:30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I really did say ¹⁰  that your house and your ancestor’s house would serve ¹¹  me forever.’ But now the Lord says, ‘May it never be! ¹²  For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed!

Amsal 3:16

3:16 Long life ¹³  is in her right hand;

in her left hand are riches and honor.

[2:49]  ¹ tn Aram “and Daniel sought from the king and he appointed.”

[2:49]  ² tn Aram “was at the gate of the king.”

[5:16]  ³ tn The Aramaic text has also the words “about you.”

[5:16]  ⁴ tn Or perhaps “one of three rulers,” in the sense of becoming part of a triumvir. So also v. 29.

[5:29]  ⁵ tn Aram “Belshazzar spoke.”

[5:1]  ⁶ sn As is clear from the extra-biblical records, it was actually Nabonidus (ca. 556-539 B.C.) who was king of Babylon at this time. However, Nabonidus spent long periods of time at Teima, and during those times Belshazzar his son was de facto king of Babylon. This arrangement may help to explain why later in this chapter Belshazzar promises that the successful interpreter of the handwriting on the wall will be made third ruler in the kingdom. If Belshazzar was in effect second ruler in the kingdom, this would be the highest honor he could grant.

[5:1]  ⁷ sn This scene of a Babylonian banquet calls to mind a similar grandiose event recorded in Esth 1:3-8. Persian kings were also renowned in the ancient Near Eastern world for their lavish banquets.

[5:1]  ⁸ sn The king probably sat at an elevated head table.

[5:1]  ⁹ tn Aram “the thousand.”

[2:30]  ¹⁰ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.

[2:30]  ¹¹ tn Heb “walk about before.”

[2:30]  ¹² tn Heb “may it be far removed from me.”

[3:16]  ¹³ tn Heb “length of days” (so KJV, ASV).