During a feast where Belshazzar desecrates Jerusalem's temple vessels while praising Babylon's gods, a mysterious hand writes MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN on the palace wall. Daniel is summoned when the wise men fail, and he interprets the writing as judgment: God has numbered and finished Belshazzar's kingdom, found him wanting, and divided it between the Medes and Persians—fulfilled that very night when the king is slain.
Read Daniel Chapter 5 Summary
Original
Characters in This Chapter
Daniel
Faithful Jewish exile who served in Babylonian and Persian courts
Nebuchadnezzar
Babylonian king who had troubling dreams and eventually acknowledged God
Shadrach
One of Daniel's three friends who survived the fiery furnace
Meshach
One of Daniel's three friends who survived the fiery furnace
Abednego
One of Daniel's three friends who survived the fiery furnace
Judah
Son of Jacob, Ancestor of David and Christ
Darius the Mede
King who Cast Daniel into the Lions' Den
Places in This Chapter
The Temple
View on MapThe Temple in Jerusalem was the permanent house of worship built by Solomon on Mount Moriah. Destroyed by Babylon, it was rebuilt by Zerubbabel and later greatly expanded by Herod. Jesus taught in the Temple courts, cleared it of merchants, and predicted its destruction, which occurred in 70 AD.
Jerusalem
View on MapJerusalem is the holiest city in Judaism and Christianity, central to the biblical narrative. King David captured it and made it his capital, and his son Solomon built the First Temple there. It was the site of Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and the birth of the Christian church at Pentecost. The city has been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times throughout history.
Position in Book
Life in ExileChapters 1-6
Daniel's faithfulness in diet, interpreting dreams, fiery furnace, lions' den, handwriting on the wall.
Apocalyptic VisionsChapters 7-12
Bible Bites
Written in two languages
The book of Daniel switches languages mid-sentence in chapter 2:4, moving from Hebrew to Aramaic and back to Hebrew in chapter 8. The Aramaic section (2:4-7:28) focuses on Gentile kingdoms, while Hebrew sections address Israel specifically.
Daniel 2:4Half History, Half Prophecy
Daniel's 12 chapters divide into two distinct sections: chapters 1-6 contain historical narratives (including the fiery furnace and lions' den), while chapters 7-12 record apocalyptic visions of future kingdoms. Remarkably, chapters 2-7 were written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew.
Daniel