Dan 5:13 | KingComments | STEP | Belshazzar follows his mother’s advice and has Daniel bring in before him. Daniel must be around ninety years old here. As a venerable greybeard he appears before the king. It seems that he meets him for the first time. We hear no greeting from the mouth of Daniel. There he stands silently before the king. Then the king speaks up and asks him if he is the Daniel who was brought from Judah to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. Without hearing a confirmation from Daniel’s mouth – perhaps he nodded ‘yes’ – the king continues and tells what he has heard about Daniel. With a “just now” Belshazzar begins to explain why he had Daniel brought in. The wise men and conjurers were previously brought in before him to read “this inscription” – possibly pointing to the wall on which the inscription is written – and to make him known its interpretation. But, he must admit, they were not able to do so. Now he has heard that Daniel can do it. That is why he had him brought in. If what he has heard is true and Daniel reads and makes its interpretation known, he will receive the reward he promised his wise men earlier.

‏ Daniel 5:13

Daniel Is Brought in Before the King

Belshazzar follows his mother’s advice and has Daniel bring in before him. Daniel must be around ninety years old here. As a venerable greybeard he appears before the king. It seems that he meets him for the first time. We hear no greeting from the mouth of Daniel. There he stands silently before the king. Then the king speaks up and asks him if he is the Daniel who was brought from Judah to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. Without hearing a confirmation from Daniel’s mouth – perhaps he nodded ‘yes’ – the king continues and tells what he has heard about Daniel.

With a “just now” Belshazzar begins to explain why he had Daniel brought in. The wise men and conjurers were previously brought in before him to read “this inscription” – possibly pointing to the wall on which the inscription is written – and to make him known its interpretation. But, he must admit, they were not able to do so. Now he has heard that Daniel can do it. That is why he had him brought in. If what he has heard is true and Daniel reads and makes its interpretation known, he will receive the reward he promised his wise men earlier.