Daniel 5:5-6. Daniel 5:5- As Belshazzar And His Guests Were Drinking, They Saw The Fingers Of A Human Hand Writing On The Wall Of The Banquet Hall

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1 Daniel 5:5-6 Daniel 5:5- As Belshazzar And His Guests Were Drinking, They Saw The Fingers Of A Human Hand Writing On The Wall Of The Banquet Hall Review of Daniel 5:1-4 Daniel 5:1 King Belshazzar threw an enormous banquet for a thousand of his nobles. He even drank wine excessively directly in front of the thousand. (Author s translation) Daniel 5:1 presents to the reader the circumstances preceding God giving Belshazzar over to the Persians. Belshazzar s father was Nabonidus who was residing at the time in Tema. Belshazzar was the co-regent with his father. He was the great-grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel chapter five presents the account of what happened the night that Babylon fell to the Medes and the Persians in 539 B.C. Daniel 5:1 says that Belshazzar was throwing a huge banquet for a thousand of his nobles. According to ancient Near Eastern custom, Belshazzar would have sat on a raised platform at a separate table where he could be seen by his guests. It was not unusual for kings of the ancient world to hold such enormous banquets. In fact, it was typical of the later Persian kings (see Esther 1:3-8). Oriental kings were notorious for their extravagant feasts since archaeological discoveries reveal that some Persian monarchs were known to dine daily with 15,000 guests at a meal. At Alexander the Great s marriage 10,000 guests attended his wedding dinner. Ashurnasirpal II had a banquet for 69,754 guests at a banquet dedicating his new capital city Calah in 1879BC. Athanasius describes the food at these banquets writing that 1,000 animals are slaughtered daily for the king. These comprise horses, camels, oxen, asses, deer, and most of the smaller animals. Many birds are consumed, including Arabian ostriches, geese, and chickens. What is unusual is that Belshazzar threw this banquet at a time of great crisis since a huge Medo-Persian invasion force had surrounded the city of Babylon. He may have held the banquet in order to boost the morale of his people. Or he might simply have not been very concerned about the invaders outside the walls of the city since it had not fallen to an invading army for 1,000 years because of its extremely strong fortifications. Furthermore, there were huge stockpiles of food that could sustain the capital for several years. This is something which an invading army would not be able to boast of since they would have to forage for food. So probably to show contempt for the Medes and Persians and his great confidence in the city s fortifications and that the city had not fallen to an invader 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

2 for a thousand years, Belshazzar threw an enormous banquet for a thousand of his nobles. During this party, the wine flowed freely and the king became intoxicated along with his guests. History confirms that a drunken party was taking place preceding the destruction of the city of Babylon. Daniel 5:2 Belshazzar issued an order while under the influence of the wine causing the gold and silver articles to be brought in which Nebuchadnezzar, his great-grandfather caused to be confiscated from the temple, which was in Jerusalem, in order that the king, his nobles as well as his wives and in addition his concubines could drink with them. (Author s translation) When Belshazzar became intoxicated by the wine he was drinking he became very bold and did something that would be even shocking to any heathen individual, namely, he drank from the vessels that belong to a temple of a god, which happened to be the God of Israel, Yahweh. The heathen of antiquity were noted for destroying and ransacking the temples of their victims but they always erected new temples for the deities of the conquered nations or placed their sacred things in their own pantheons as Nebuchadnezzar did with the articles of gold and silver from Solomon s temple. The gods of peoples were venerated. In fact, a man respected not only his own god but also the gods of others. Therefore, the actions of Belshazzar described here in Daniel 5:2 would be shocking to any pagan in that day. There has been great debate among Bible scholars and expositors of Daniel 5:2 as to the meaning of the masculine singular construct form of the noun ʾǎḇ. Does it refer to the fact that Nebuchadnezzar was Belshazzar s predecessor or his grandfather? A comparison of Jeremiah 27:7, Daniel 5:11 and what we know from history indicates that Nebuchadnezzar was Belshazzar s great-grandfather and Nabonidus grandfather. In Jeremiah 27:7, the word son and grandson are translating the Hebrew noun bēn (בּ ן) (bane), which appears three times in this passage describing someone who is biologically related to Nebuchadnezzar. The text of Jeremiah 27:7 is as follows: wkāl hǎ gô yim ʿāḇ ḏû ʾōṯōw w ʾěṯōw bn w ʾěṯōw běn bnʿǎḏ ʿēṯ ōw ʾǎrṣ ו ע ב ד וּ א תוֹ כּ ל ה גּוֹי ם ( ʿāḇ ḏû bō(ʾ)gǎmhû(ʾ); w rǎb bîm gô yim û g e ḏō lîm m e lā ḵîm bōw It literally.(ו א ת בּ נ ו ו א ת בּ ן בּ נ ו ע ד בּ א ע ת אַר צוֹ גּ ם ה וּא ו ע ב דוּ בוֹ גּוֹי ם ר בּ ים וּמ ל כ ים גּ ד ל ים reads: All the nations shall serve him and his son (bēn), and his son s (bēn) son (bēn), i.e. grandson until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant. This passage would indicate that Evil-Merodach was the father of Nabonidus and that Nabonidus was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar since it says that Nebuchadnezzar s son and grandson would follow after him before the Neo- Babylonian empire would come to an end. Evil-Merodach must have been Nabonidus father since Jeremiah 27:7 is saying that Nebuchadnezzar s son and 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2

3 then grandson would reign and during the reign of his grandson, the kingdom would come to an end. Now, Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 B.C. after ruling 43 years. When he died, he was succeeded by his son Evil-Merodach who ruled for only two years ( B.C.; see 2 Kings 25:27-30; Jeremiah 52:31-34). The latter was murdered in August 560 by Neriglissar who was Nebuchadnezzar s son-in-law and Evil- Merodach s own brother-in-law. Neriglissar ruled for a short time with his reign being only four years ( B.C.). This same individual is mentioned in Jeremiah 39:3, 13. When he died, he was succeeded by his young son Labashi- Marduk who ruled only two months, May and June of 556 B.C. He was assassinated and succeeded by Nabonidus who reigned 17 years ( B.C.) and made his son Belshazzar co-regent with him. History tells us as well as Daniel chapter 5 that the Babylonian kingdom ended during the reign of Belshazzar and his father Nabonidus. It would end when Nebuchadnezzar s grandson was on the throne who was Nabonidus as we noted. Therefore, if Nabonidus is the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuchadnezzar s empire would come to an end during the reign of his grandson as Jeremiah 27:7 makes clear then Nebuchadnezzar must have been the great-grandfather of Belshazzar since Nebuchadnezzar was the grandfather of Nabonidus, Belshazzar s father. This would thus indicate that the noun ʾǎḇ in Daniel 5:2 is describing Nebuchadnezzar as Belshazzar s greatgrandfather. Further support is found in Daniel 5:11 which records Belshazzar s mother consoling her son by telling him that there was a man in his kingdom (Daniel) whom King Nebuchadnezzar, his father, your father the king, appointed as chief of the occult priests, necromancers, astrologers and diviners. The fact that she cites Nebuchadnezzar and Nabonidus would further suggest that Nabonidus, Belshazzar were all related to Nebuchadnezzar. Thus, if Nabonidus was Belshazzar s father and is identified as such by the noun ʾǎḇ in Daniel 5:11, why identify Nebuchadnezzar with the same word if he was merely Belshazzar s predecessor? Jeremiah 27:7 indicates that this noun identifies Nebuchadnezzar as Belshazzar s great-grandfather. Daniel 5:3 Therefore, the gold and silver articles were brought in, which were confiscated from the temple, which was God s house, which was in Jerusalem so that the king, his nobles as well as his wives and in addition his concubines could drink with them. (Author s translation) Daniel 5:3 records the execution of Belshazzar s orders to bring to the enormous banquet he was throwing for his nobles the gold and silver articles from Solomon s temple in Jerusalem which were confiscated by Nebuchadnezzar during his first invasion of Jerusalem in 605 B.C. The purpose of this order according to 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3

4 Daniel 5:2 was so that the king and his nobles as well as his wives and concubines could drink their wine from them. Here in verse 3, the king s orders is reported by Daniel in almost the exact words that were used in Belshazzar s command in verse 2. There is one slight addition, namely the phrase God s house or house of God. This addition serves to magnify the sin of the king. It puts into perspective clearly the tremendous sacrilege and sin Belshazzar was committing by drinking wine from these sacred articles, which were used in the worship of Yahweh. These gold and silver articles from Solomon s temple were set apart to be used exclusively in the worship of the God of Israel. Thus, Belshazzar s actions as well as his nobles, wives and concubines were flagrant disrespect for the God of Israel. The articles of the temple were sanctified meaning that they were to only be used when worshipping and serving God in the temple. It means that they were set apart to be used exclusively for worshipping the Lord in the temple. Belshazzar and his guests are guilty of blasphemy, which is the profaning or desecration of that which is used to worship Him. It is also taking in vain of the name of God, or the reviling of any of His works or deeds. It is strongly forbidden by God as dishonoring His character and reputation. Blasphemy is strongly forbidden (Exodus 20:7l; Deuteronomy 5:11; cf. Exodus 22:28; Leviticus 18:21; 19:12; 22:32; Numbers 15:30-31) and is punished by God (Leviticus 24:10-16,23; 2 Kings 19:20-37; cf. Isaiah 37:21-38). Defiling sacred things blasphemes God (Leviticus 22:1-2; Ezekiel 20:27-28; 22:26; Malachi 1:6-13). Daniel 5:4 They drank wine while they praised gods composed of gold as well as silver, bronze, iron, wood and in addition stone. (Author s translation) Belshazzar and his guests not only showed great disrespect for the God of Israel by using the articles of gold and silver from Solomon s temple which were to used in the worship of the God of Israel but also they praised their gods composed of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. So they were not only blaspheming the God of Israel but also committing idolatry as well. In Daniel 5:4, we have Belshazzar praising the gods he and his guests worshipped. Undoubtedly, they were praising these gods because they erroneously believed that they had protected the city of Babylon for hundred of years and would do so again since Babylon had not fallen to an invading army in a thousand years at the time when the king threw this party for his nobles. So probably to show contempt for the Medes and Persians and his great confidence in the city s fortifications and that the city had not fallen to an invader for a thousand years, Belshazzar threw an enormous banquet for a thousand of his nobles. However, ingeniously, Cyrus commander Ugbaru who is referred to in the Chronicle as governor of Gutium, diverted the waters of the Euphrates to an old channel dug by a previous ruler which suddenly reduced the water level well below the river-gates William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4

5 Not too long after that the Persian invaders came wading in at night and clambered up the riverbank before the guards of the city knew what happened. In Daniel 5:22, Daniel makes clear to Belshazzar that he knew full well that his great-grandfather Nebuchadnezzar who became a believer in the God of Israel and was humbled by Yahweh when the king refused to acknowledge His sovereignty over the king. The king knew the significance of these articles from Solomon s temple. Yet, he totally disregards the Lord s past dealings with his greatgrandfather and instead is shaking his fist as Yahweh, for which he will pay the ultimate price, death. Therefore, this great banquet thrown by the king and the use of the articles from Yahweh s temple in Jerusalem is Belshazzar defying the God of Israel. In effect, he is challenging Him in that the king thinks that the Medes and Persians will in no way defeat him and take Babylon since the gods he worships along with his guests are superior to the gods of the nations including Israel s God, Yahweh. The Fingers of a Human Hand Appeared on the Wall Daniel 5:5 Suddenly the fingers of a man s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. (NASB95) Suddenly the fingers of a man s hand emerged is composed of the preposition b- (בּ ) (beh) and its object is the third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hî(ʾ) (ה יא) (hee), which is followed by the feminine singular noun šā ʿā(h) (שׁ ע ה) (shaw-aw ), which together are translated immediately and then we have the third person feminine plural peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb n e p ǎq (נ פ ק) (nef-ak ), emerged which is followed by the feminine plural form of the noun ʾěṣ bǎʿ (א צ בּ ע) (ets-bah ), fingers and then we have the particle dî (דּ י) (dee), of which is followed by the feminine singular construct form of the noun yǎḏ (י ד) (yad), hand which is modified by the masculine singular form of the noun ʾěnāš man s. (en-awsh ), a (א נ שׁ) b ǎh šǎ ʿǎṯā(ʾ) The preposition b- and the third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hî(ʾ) along with the feminine singular noun šā ʿā(h) are employed together as a temporal marker and literally means during this time. The preposition b- is a temporal marker meaning during referring to the period of time in which Belshazzar and his guests were drinking wine while praising the gods composed of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. The third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hî(ʾ) means this since it is functioning like a demonstrative 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5

6 pronoun pointing out the noun šā ʿā(h), which means time since it refers to a period of time in which Belshazzar and his guests were drinking wine while praising the gods composed of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. Therefore, this expression is identifying when the fingers of a human hand appeared to Belshazzar and his guests and started writing on the wall of the banquet hall. It denotes that this took place when Belshazzar and his guests were drinking wine while praising the gods composed of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. Thus, this expression does not mean suddenly (NASB95, NIV84), or immediately (ESV, LEB) or at that very moment since Belshazzar and his guests were drinking wine during an indefinite period of time rather than in a single moment. The fingers of a human hand appeared to Belshazzar and his guests during the indefinite period of time when they were drinking wine while praising the gods composed of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. Thus, the KJV, NKJV, YLT and Darby corrected translated this expression in that hour. ʾěṣ b eʿān dî ʾěnāš yǎḏ The noun ʾěṣ bǎʿ is in the plural and means fingers which is a digit of the human hand or in other words, it refers to the five members which are found on a human hand. The noun yǎḏ is in the singular and means hand referring to the member of the body, which is the terminal part of the vertebrate forelimb when modified (as in humans) as a grasping organ. The particle dî should not be translated since it is simply a marker to show the genitive relationship between the nouns ʾěṣ bǎʿ and yǎḏ. Specifically the genitive relationship is that of possession meaning that these fingers belong to a human hand. The noun ʾěnāš means human being without reference to gender in contrast to the animal and angelic kingdoms. The noun yǎḏ is in the construct state meaning that it is governing the noun ʾěnāš. This is expressing a genitive relationship and specifically possession indicating that this hand belongs to a human being. n e p ǎq The verb n e p ǎq means to appear and is used with reference of course to the fingers of a human being s hand indicating that they appeared to Belshazzar and his guests while they drinking wine as they were praising the gods composed of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. These fingers of a human hand appeared in the sense that they became visible to Belshazzar and his guests while they were getting drunk and committing idolatry William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6

7 The peʿal (Hebrew: qal stem) stem of the verb is stative expressing a state or condition. Here it expresses the state or condition of the fingers of a human hand appearing to Belshazzar and his guests. They existed in the state of becoming visible to Belshazzar and his guests as they were drinking while praising the gods composed of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. The perfect tense of the verb is stative as well expressing the same thing. We will translate this verb appeared. The Fingers of the Hand Begin Writing on the Wall Daniel 5:5 Suddenly the fingers of a man s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. (NASB95) And began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king s palace is composed of the conjunction wa ( (ו (waw), and which is followed by the feminine plural peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active participle form of the verb k e ṯǎḇ (כּ ת ב) (keth-ab ), began writing and then we have the preposition lĕ (kob-ale ), which together (ק ב ל) (leh) which is followed by the preposition q ǒ ḇēl (ל ( are translated opposite and then we have the feminine singular noun něḇ r e šā(h) (neb-reh-shaw ), the lampstand which is followed by the preposition (נ ב ר שׁ ה) ʿǎl (ע ל) (al), on and its object is the masculine singular noun gîr (גּ יר) (gheer), the plaster, which is followed by the particle dî (דּ י) (dee), of and then we have the masculine singular construct form of the noun k e ṯǎl (כּ ת ל) (keth-al ), the wall (ה יכ ל) of which is followed by the masculine singular form of the noun hê ḵǎl (hay-kal ), palace and then we have the particle dî (דּ י) (dee), of which is followed by the masculine singular form of the noun mě lěḵ (מ ל ך) (meh -lek), the king s. wa The conjunction wa is a temporal marker meaning that it is a marker of an event as taking place simultaneously with another event. The word is introducing a statement which records that the fingers of a human hand wrote on the wall of banquet hall, opposite the lampstand, which used to reside in Solomon s temple in Jerusalem before it was confiscated by Nebuchadnezzar. The conjunction marks this event as taking place simultaneously with the previous statement which records that these fingers of a human hand appeared to Belshazzar and his guests while they were drinking and praising the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. Therefore, this conjunction denotes that these fingers of a human hand 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7

8 were writing as they appeared to Belshazzar and his guests. The word indicates that when these fingers appeared they were writing on the wall of the banquet hall. k e ṯǎḇ The verb k e ṯǎḇ means to write referring to forming as characters or symbols on a surface with an instrument such as a pen. It refers to forming as words by inscribing the characters or symbols of on a surface. The word s subject is the fingers of a human hand which appeared to Belshazzar and his guests and the surface which these fingers were writing was the wall of the banquet where the king and his guests were partying. In Daniel 5:5, the peʿal (Hebrew: qal) stem of the verb k e ṯǎḇ is fientive expressing an action. Here it is expressing the fingers of a human hand performing the action of writing MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN on the wall of the banquet hall opposite the lampstand. The participle form of the verb functions as a predicate adjective meaning that this verb is making the assertion that the fingers of a human hand which appeared to Belshazzar and his guests was writing on the wall of the banquet hall opposite the lampstand. lā q ǒ ḇēl něḇ rǎš tā(ʾ) The noun něḇ r e šā(h) means lampstand and more than likely refers to the golden lampstand which in the Hebrew was identified by the noun m e nô rā(h) (men-o-raw ). This lampstand was composed of a base, a stem-shaft and (מ נוֹר ה) holder for the lamp. Some commentators argue like Leupold that this could not be the golden lampstand taken from Solomon s temple since it was a foreign word. HAL considers this a Persian loan word and BDB an Aramaic loan word. Though the noun něḇ r e šā(h) is a loan word from one of these two languages, it would not rule out the possibility that it is referring to the golden lampstand confiscated by Nebuchadnezzar from Solomon s temple here in Daniel 5:5. It would not be unusual for Daniel to use either an Aramaic or Persian loan word here in Daniel 5:5 to describe the golden lampstand from Solomon s temple. The word used for lampstand is an unusual one and may be a Persian loan word. As such it likely represents a distinct, singular lampstand, perhaps of a special type. 1 Daniel 2:4-7:7:28 was written for the benefit of the Gentiles since it is written in Aramaic which was the lingua franca in that day. So it would not be unusual for Daniel to use an Aramaic loan word to describe this golden lampstand since Daniel 1 Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary: Old Testament (electronic ed.) (Da 5:5). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8

9 5:5 appears in a section which was for the benefit of the Gentiles who spoke in Aramaic with regards to commerce and government. Further indicating that the noun něḇ r e šā(h) is referring to the golden lampstand confiscated by Nebuchadnezzar from Solomon s temple is that Daniel 5:2 records Belshazzar ordering the gold and silver vessels from Solomon s temple be transported to the banquet he was throwing for his nobles. These articles were used in the worship of the Lord in Solomon s temple and one of them would have been the golden lampstand. Exodus 25:31-40 records the instructions regarding the construction and use of this golden lampstand. Exodus 25:31 Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand and its base and its shaft are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 Six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of the lampstand from its other side. 33 Three cups shall be shaped like almond blossoms in the one branch, a bulb and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bulb and a flower so for six branches going out from the lampstand; 34 and in the lampstand four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers. 35 A bulb shall be under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 36 Their bulbs and their branches shall be of one piece with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 Then you shall make its lamps seven in number; and they shall mount its lamps so as to shed light on the space in front of it. 38 Its snuffers and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made from a talent (75 pounds) of pure gold, with all these utensils. 40 See that you make them after the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain. (NASB95) In verse 31, the Lord instructs Moses to construct a lampstand of pure gold. The word lampstand is the noun m e nô rā(h) (מ נוֹר ה) (men-o-raw ), which was composed of a base, a stem-shaft and holder for the lamp. The lamplight symbolized to the Israelites that the Lord was home. Leonard Coppes has the following comment with regards to this word, he writes This mempreformative noun represents the stand upon which a lamp was placed (special lamp place ). It usually signifies the lampstand in the tabernacle or temple (exception, II Kgs 4:10). It occurs forty-two times. The Lord directed Moses to put a lampstand holding seven lamps in the Holy Place. These seven lamps represent God s perfect (PTOT, p. 362f.) leadership over his people. These lights were to burn always being trimmed morning and evening (Lev 24:2) William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9

10 While they were being trimmed the attendant was to burn incense representing the prayers of God s people (Ex 30:7 8; cf. qāṭar). In II Sam 21:17 (nēr; cf. I Kgs 11:36), David s death is represented as the quenching of Israel s lamp. Hence, he is viewed as the one who leads Israel into a blessed state (cf. nûaḥ). David, in turn, confessed that Jehovah was his lamp (II Sam 22:29), i.e. the one who enlightened his path through darkness (cf. Jn 3:20 21) and led him into a state of blessedness nûaḥ; cf. Prov 13:9; Job 29:3). Psalm 119:105 (cf. Prov 6:23) celebrates the word of God as the lamp to the feet of the godly. Christian readers will recognize this leadership of word and light as a foreshadow of Christ (Jn 1:1 13). As KD shows, Ps 132:17 uses lamp as a figure of the Messiah (it is parallel to the wellknown figure branch ). Thus, lamp is a symbol of God s personal leading (II Sam 22:29), through his word, through his chosen king and, ultimately, through his messiah. God s leader was to lead his people as a priestly nation, i.e. a nation which was to lead all nations to God in worship. In Zech 4 the prophet speaks of a lampstand (i.e. the ot church; cf. KD) attached to an uninterrupted and unceasing supply of oil (i.e. the Holy Spirit: cf. KD). The interpretation (v. 6ff.) applies the figure to Zerubbabel (and his followers), but it seems obvious that the figure extends well beyond his day to the messianic era. indeed. cf. Rev 1:20. This symbolism underlies the nt statements that Christians are the light of the world (Mt 5:14) whose lamps are always to burn (Lk 12:35; Phil 2:15) and shine before men (Mt 5:16) leading the ungodly to God and basking in a state of blessed expectation of and preparation for Christ s return. [That the lampstand stands for the church also in the nt must be granted (Rev 1:20). However, the symbolism of the lampstand apparently is double. Zechariah 4:6 strongly implies that the lampstand symbolizes also the Spirit of God. Revelation 4:5 seems to build on this when it calls the lamps the seven spirits of God (cf. Rev 5:6). That the seven spirits of God are not seven different spirits, but the one Spirit seven-fold in his perfection seems to be proved by the position of the seven spirits of God bracketed between the Father and the Son as a source of benediction in Rev 1:4. r.l.h.] 2 Hannah has the following comment, he writes The lampstand (menōrâh, hence the Eng. word menorah for a Jewish candelabrum) was to be the most ornate piece of furniture in the tabernacle. Its decorative flowerlike cups, buds, and blossoms were formed from one solid piece of gold (vv. 31, 36). On each side of an upright shaft were three branches extended upward (v. 32). Each branch had three almond flower-shaped cups (v. 33), and the center shaft had four such cups (v. 34). At the top of the center shaft and each of the six branches was a lamp (v. 37). The seven lamps in the lampstand provided light in the tent (v. 37). The lampstand, which was to burn continually, was serviced by the priests in the 2 Coppes, L. J. (1999) נוק In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (566). Chicago: Moody Press William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10

11 morning and at sunset (27:20-21; Lev. 24:3-4). The amount of gold required for this piece of furniture and its accessories wick trimmers and trays (perhaps for oil) was a talent, which was about 75 pounds (cf. NIV marg.). As the lampstand provided light for the priestly functions before God, so Christ today is the Light of the world (John 8:12), who reveals the way to God (John 14:6, 9). 3 Campbell writes The lampstand thus had two functions: to contribute to the splendour of the Holy Place (since it was made of gold) and to give light so that the priests could minister there. 4 The description of the lampstand in verses indicates that it was a floorstanding candelabra-like structure made of pure gold with six branches and a trunk made to resemble an olive tree, which is used in Scripture a designation for the nation of Israel (Jeremiah 11:16-17; Hosea 14:4-6; Romans 11:17-24). The trunk resembled an olive tree but had almond tree features. The lampstand not only provided light for the tabernacle but also symbolized that the nation of Israel was to be a light to the nations (cf. Zechariah 4:1-14; Isaiah 42:6; 49:6). It also typified Christ as the light of the world. 3 Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Ex 25:31 40). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. 4 Campbell, I. D. (2006). Opening up Exodus (107). Leominster: Day One Publications William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11

12 Verses tell us that the lampstand was made of hammered gold all joined into a single piece with a base which gave it stability on the floor of the tabernacle. From the shaft arose decorated branches made to resemble tree branches. Three were on one side and three on the other and one branch in the middle. Verses describe the lampstand as having three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms on each branch. On the lampstand there were to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms with a bud under the first two branches from it and a bud under the next and so on. The buds and branches are to be one piece and all of it one hammered piece of gold. The cups were to support the actual lamps that would hold the oil. The lamps were to sit cradled in each cup. The cups were to resemble almond flowers with each one having a bud. This would indicate that the oil lamps would sit in a gold flower on a gold tree. There might have been a total of twenty-two places where oil lamps could be placed since each branch had three flower-shaped cups and the shaft or trunk has four cups (see verse 34). Verses say that there were to be seven lamps which were to be made of gold. The purpose of the seven lamps was to give light to the area in front of it. The lamps were not to be directed at the holy of holies, which contained the ark but rather the Lord wanted these lamps to light the holy place for the benefit of the priests who would minister to Him. So the Lord was telling the Israelites that He didn t need the light but rather those who served Him. Stuart has an excellent comment with regards to the command in verse 40, he writes Note the command in v. 40 that the lampstand and its accessories were to be constructed according to the pattern shown you on the mountain (HCSB more explicitly bring out the present progressive tense, according to the model [NRSV pattern ] of them you have been shown on the mountain ). This implies two considerations. First, the verbal description given here and supplemented elsewhere in the Old Testament of the lampstand is only a summation. The actual pattern was being shown to Moses and was later surely communicated by him to Bezalel and the other craftsmen who built the lampstand. We cannot therefore know exactly what the lampstand was to be like; what we can know is generally its structure and motifs. The particulars were in the oral blueprints Moses conveyed to the craftsmen from images revealed to him by God. Second, the lampstand, like the rest of the tabernacle, was intended to reflect precisely God s design, not merely a human design from general guidelines (25:9; cf. Num 8:4). This theme receives considerable emphasis in the New Testament (Acts 7:44; and esp. Heb 8:5). The tabernacle, in other words, pointed to heaven to the eternal home of God in which his redeemed people were intended eventually to dwell without distance from him (Rev 11:19) and as members of his own household (John 14: William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12

13 6). The tabernacle was, in other words, a training device for orienting the Old Covenant people toward their New Covenant heavenly home. 5 The golden lampstand symbolized as the nation of Israel being a light to the nations and typified Christ as the light of the world, bringing to us the full radiance of divine life (John 8:12; 9:5). It is noteworthy that natural light was shut out from the Tabernacle. Only the Spirit of God can show us the things of Christ (1 Cor. 2:14-15). The Holy Spirit takes the things of Christ and reveals them to us, as Jesus announced in His Upper Room Discourse (John 16:14-15). Now, in Daniel 5:5, the noun něḇ r e šā(h) is the object of the prepositions lĕ and q ǒ ḇēl. The former is a marker of direction indicating that the wall, which was written on by the fingers of a human hand, stood in the direction of the golden lampstand from Solomon s temple. Here it denotes that this wall stood facing toward the golden lampstand. The preposition lĕ is prefixed to the preposition q ǒ ḇēl, which means in front of indicating that this wall was in front of the golden lampstand. Therefore, these two words indicate that the wall which was being written on by the human hand which appeared to Belshazzar and his guests during their party was facing directly in front of the golden lampstand which was brought to the party per the orders of Belshazzar. ʿǎl gî rā(ʾ) dî ḵ e ṯǎl dî mǎl kā(ʾ) hê ḵ e lā(ʾ) The noun gîr means plaster referring to a pasty composition (as of lime, water, and sand) that hardens on drying and is used for coating walls, ceilings, and partitions. The word is the object of the preposition ʿǎl, which is a marking the surface of an object. Here is marking the fingers of this hand which appeared to the king and his guests wrote upon or on the plaster of the wall of the banquet room. The particle dî should not be translated since it is simply a marker to show the genitive relationship between the nouns gîr and k e ṯǎl. Specifically the genitive relationship is that of possession meaning that this plaster belonged to the wall of the banquet room which the hand wrote on. The noun k e ṯǎl means wall referring to the wall of the banquet room for Belshazzar s party. The noun hê ḵǎl means palace referring to Belshazzar s residence or dwelling place. The noun k e ṯǎl is in the construct state meaning that it is governing the noun hê ḵǎl. This is expressing a genitive relationship and specifically possession indicating that this wall belonged to the palace of Belshazzar. The noun mě lěḵ means king and of course is used with reference to Belshazzar referring to the fact that he was governmental head of Babylon. Once again, we have the particle dî which again should not be translated since it is simply a marker to show the genitive 5 Stuart, D. K. (2007). Vol. 2: Exodus (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (581). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13

14 relationship between the nouns hê ḵǎl and mě lěḵ. Specifically the genitive relationship is that of possession meaning that this palace belonged to King Belshazzar. Therefore, we will translate the expression ʿǎl gî rā(ʾ) dî ḵ e ṯǎl dî mǎl kā(ʾ) hê ḵ e lā(ʾ), on the plaster of the wall of the king s palace. The King Watched the Back of the Hand as It Wrote on the Wall Daniel 5:5 Suddenly the fingers of a man s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. (NASB95) And the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing is composed of the conjunction wa ( (ו (waw), and which is followed by the masculine singular form of the noun mě lěḵ (מ ל ך) (meh -lek), the king and then we have the masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active participle form of the verb ḥ ǎ zā(h) (khaz-aw ), saw which is followed by the masculine singular construct (ח ז ה) form of the noun pǎs (פּ ס) (pas), the back of which is modifying the feminine singular form of the noun yǎḏ (י ד) (yad), the hand and this is followed by the particle dî (דּ י) (dee), that and then we have the feminine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active participle form of the verb k e ṯǎḇ (כּ ת ב) (keth-ab ), did the writing. wa This time the conjunction wa is a marker of result meaning that it is introducing a statement which is the direct result of the previous statement, which says that the fingers of a human being s hand appeared to Belshazzar and his guests while writing on the plaster of the wall of his palace directly in front of the lampstand. The conjunction introduces a statement which says that Belshazzar saw the back of the and as it was writing on the plaster of the wall of the banquet room. Therefore, this conjunction denotes that as a result of the fingers of a human being s hand writing on the plaster of the wall of Belshazzar s palace directly in front of the lampstand, the king saw the back of this hand as it was writing on the wall. ḥ ǎ zā(h) The verb ḥ ǎ zā(h) means to observe in the sense of inspecting and looking carefully with attention to details for the purpose of arriving at a judgment. Here it denotes Belshazzar observing the hand which appeared to him and guests while they were partying. The king carefully inspected the hand as it was writing on the wall with attention to details for the purpose of arriving at a judgment as to determine the meaning of what it was writing William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14

15 The peʿal (Hebrew: qal) stem is fientive expressing an action. Here it is expressing the action of Belshazzar observing the back of the hand which was writing on the wall. The participle form of the verb is circumstantial meaning that it describes circumstances that accompany a principal event. Here the latter is the fingers of a human hand writing on one of the walls of the banquet room. This action is accompanied by Belshazzar observing the back of the hand as it was writing. We will render this verb observed. pǎs y e ḏā(h) Once again, the noun yǎḏ is in the singular and means hand referring to the member of the body, which is the terminal part of the vertebrate forelimb when modified (as in humans) as a grasping organ. It again refers to the human hand which appeared to Belshazzar and his guests while they were partying and was writing as it appeared to them. The noun pǎs means palm referring to the palm of the hand (LEB). It does not mean back of the hand (NET). The latter interpret the word as referring to the back of the hand since the king would have only seen the back of the hand while it was writing. However, they fail to see the implication of the word meaning palm, which is that Belshazzar and his guests were looking to see the body which the hand was attached to. So they observed carefully to view this hand as it was writing while simultaneously attempting to find out what it was attached to. This is indicated by the meaning of the verb ḥ ǎ zā(h), which as we noted meant to observe in the sense of inspecting and looking carefully with attention to details for the purpose of arriving at a judgment. It denotes the king carefully inspected the hand as it was writing on the wall with attention to details for the purpose of arriving at a judgment as to determine the meaning of what it was writing. The noun pǎs is in the construct state meaning that it is governing the noun yǎḏ. This is expressing a genitive relationship and specifically possession indicating that this palm belonged to the hand which was writing on the wall in full view of Belshazzar and his guests. dî ḵāṯ ḇā(h) The particle dî means which since it functions as a relative pronoun referring to the palm of the hand which appeared in full view of Belshazzar and his guests. As it did the first time it appeared here in Daniel 5:5, the verb k e ṯǎḇ here means to write referring to forming as characters or symbols on a surface with an instrument such as a pen. It refers to forming as words by inscribing the characters or symbols of on a surface. The word s subject is the fingers of a human hand 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15

16 which appeared to Belshazzar and his guests and the surface which these fingers were writing was the wall of the banquet where the king and his guests were partying. The peʿal (Hebrew: qal) stem of the verb is fientive expressing an action. Here it is expressing the fingers of a human hand performing the action of writing MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN on the wall of the banquet hall opposite the lampstand. The participle form of the verb functions as a predicate adjective meaning that this verb is making the assertion that the fingers of a human hand which appeared to Belshazzar and his guests was writing on the wall of the banquet hall opposite the lampstand. Translation of Daniel 5:5 Daniel 5:5 During this time, the fingers of a human hand appeared while writing on the plaster of the wall of the king s palace, directly in front of the lampstand so that the king observed the palm of the hand which was writing. Exposition of Daniel 5:5 Daniel tells the reader here in verse 5 that during the time when Belshazzar and his guests were drinking while praising the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone, the fingers of a human hand appeared to the king and his guests. When the fingers of this hand appeared, they were writing on the plaster of one of the walls in the banquet room of the king s palace. The fingers express God s power over the king and that Belshazzar s judgment and death is imminent. The hand appeared on the wall which was directly in front of the golden lampstand which was confiscated from Solomon s temple in Jerusalem in 605 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar and was stored by him in the treasury of the temple of Marduk in the city of Babylon. As a result of the hand writing on the wall which was lit by the golden lampstand, Belshazzar observed carefully the palm of the hand which was writing so as to determine what person or human being it was attached to. Daniel 5:6 tells us that the king s face grew pale and became petrified when he saw that the hand was not attached to any human being. The mention of the location of the wall in which the hand was writing is important since it tells the reader that the writing appeared on a portion of the wall of the banquet room which had the most light. Walvoord writes In the ruins of Nebuchadnezzar s palace archeologists have uncovered a large throne room 56 feet wide and 173 feet long which probably was the scene of this banquet. Midway in the long wall opposite the entrance there was a niche in front of which the king may well have been seated. Interestingly, the 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16

17 wall behind the niche was covered with white plaster as described by Daniel, which would make an excellent background for such a writing. If the scene can be reconstructed, it is probable that the banquet was illuminated by torches which not only produced smoke but fitful light that would only partially illuminate the great hall. As the writing according to Daniel was written over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king s palace, it may have appeared in an area of greater illumination than the rest of the room and thus also have attracted more attention. (Walvoord, John F. Daniel: The Key to Prophetic Revelation; page 120; Moody Press; Chicago; 1971) The statement that the writing was on the plaster wall near the lampstand is a curious detail since one might have expected plaster all around the room, which would be illuminated by many lampstands. The excavation of the throne room in Babylon can offer some explanation. It was a 170-by-55-foot hall entered through three spacious courtyards that led from the entrance just inside the Ishtar Gate. Some of the wall space was covered with blue enameled brick, while other parts were plaster. The word used for lampstand is an unusual one and may be a Persian loan word. As such it likely represents a distinct, singular lampstand, perhaps of a special type. 6 Daniel 5:25 reveals that what was written by the hand was MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN. In Daniel 5:26-28, Daniel tells the king what this means. Daniel 5:26 This is the interpretation of the message: MENĒ God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. 27 TEKĒL you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. 28 PERĒS your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians. (NASB95) The Lord was sending a message to Belshazzar and his guests when He wrote on the wall which was lit by the golden lampstand which was used in the temple in Jerusalem to worship Him. The message was I am very unhappy with you! The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery has the following excellent note, they write Finger(s) appears thirty-one times in the Bible. A finger can often be an image that brings with it mercy/grace or judgment. The nuances associated with this word are remarkable. A partial list of its various uses follows: denoting power or authority (Gen 41:42; Ex 8:19; 1 Kings 12:10; 2 Chron 10:10; Esther 3:10; Mk 7:33; Lk 11:20; 15:22); assigning blame (Is 58:9; 59:3); communicating or writing (Ex 31:18; Deut 9:10; Prov 6:13; Dan 5:5); work [of] (Ex 8:19; Ps 8:3; 144:1; Prov 31:19; Is 2:8; Mt 23:4; Lk 11:20, 46); bringing mercy/aid (Mt 23:4; Mk 7:33; Lk 11:46; 16:24); associated with sexuality (Song 5:5); unit of measure (Jer 52:21); touching as source of belief (Jn 20:25, 27). The biblical image of the finger carries with it the general notion of power and influence. More specifically, fingers often 6 Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary: Old Testament (electronic ed.) (Da 5:5). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 17

18 represent the source of deliberate action; as such, the activity of the fingers reflects the character of their owner. The phrase the finger of God is often used in Scripture to indicate God s authority (Ex 31:18; Deut 9:10), his signature or trademark (Ex 8:19), his work (Ps 8:3) or his power (Ex 8:19). Both the arm and hand are more common biblical images of power; however, because of its relative size, the image of a single finger can represent the smallest increment of power or influence. One example is the young men s advice to Rehoboam that he should boast, My little finger is thicker than my father s waist (1 Kings 12:10; 1 Chron 10:10) when comparing the power he would wield over Israel with that of Solomon. Likewise, when God commands Satan concerning Job, he forbids him to lay even a finger upon Job himself (Job 1:12). In the New Testament, Jesus condemns the Pharisees for burdening people with their interpretations of the law, and then refusing to lift a finger toward helping them with that burden (Mt 23:4). More frequently, fingers function as an image of activity, whether human or divine. When fingers portray human activity, they can be the source of either good or evil: the one who seeks wisdom is instructed to take wise teachings and bind them on your fingers (Prov 7:3). It is the Lord himself who prepares the psalmist s fingers for battle (Ps 144:1). In these instances the fingers receive direction toward righteous action. But human fingers can also produce evil. The motif of fingers working evil is most prevalent in Isaiah. Here it is fingers that produce idols (Is 2:8; 17:8); the pointed finger, connoting accusation and malice, yields a yoke of oppression (Is 58:9). Consequently, the fingers as agents of wickedness become stained with guilt (Is 59:3). Nevertheless, the image of fingers can also convey divine power in action, whether the activity be for creation, revelation or judgment. In the work of creation the Lord makes the heavens and fashions the moon and stars with his fingers (Ps 8:3). Here the picture is that of God the artisan, forming his work with dexterity and precision, or as H. W. Wolff expresses it, the artistic filigree-work in the delicate web of the constellations (Wolff, 68). As a revelatory image it is the finger of God that writes the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone for Moses (Ex 29:12; Deut 9:10). Moreover, in the New Testament it is the finger of God by which Jesus drives out demons, thus proclaiming the arrival of the kingdom of God (Lk 11:20). When God sends the plague of gnats upon Egypt, it is his finger that Pharaoh s magicians understand to be the agent of judgment (Ex 8:19). In Daniel bodiless fingers actually appear before Belshazzar and record God s judgment of him on the wall (Dan 5:5). In each case, finger imagery conveys the power and immediacy of God s action. 7 Below is Rembrandt s famous painting The Writing on the Wall. 7 Ryken, L., Wilhoit, J., Longman, T., Duriez, C., Penney, D., & Reid, D. G. (2000). Dictionary of biblical imagery (electronic ed.) (286). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18

19 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 19