What is the meaning of Daniel 5:14? I have heard - Belshazzar begins by admitting he only “heard” of Daniel’s reputation, showing he had ignored what earlier kings learned first-hand (Daniel 2:46-47; 4:8-9, 18). - A good name travels far (Proverbs 22:1). Belshazzar’s words confirm that even when rulers change, the testimony of God’s servant endures (1 Samuel 2:30; Matthew 5:16). - God often makes sure His faithful are spoken of in high places before pivotal moments (Genesis 41:14; Acts 10:22). that the spirit of the gods is in you - The pagan king uses his own vocabulary, yet he unknowingly points to the Holy Spirit empowering Daniel (compare Daniel 4:8; Genesis 41:38). - Scripture shows the Spirit giving wisdom and boldness for specific tasks (Numbers 11:25; Micah 3:8; Acts 6:3). - What Belshazzar calls “the spirit of the gods,” Paul later clarifies as the Spirit who “searches all things” (1 Corinthians 2:10-14). The world may mislabel, but the Source is unmistakably divine. and that you have insight - “Insight” speaks of discernment—the capacity to see beneath the surface (Daniel 2:22, 28; 5:12). - God promised Solomon similar discernment (1 Kings 3:12), and Jesus grants it to His disciples through His Spirit (John 16:13). - Genuine insight directs attention back to God, not self (Psalm 119:99-100). intelligence - Daniel’s mind was already noted at the exile’s beginning: “God gave them knowledge and skill in every kind of literature and wisdom” (Daniel 1:17). - True intelligence is God-given (Exodus 35:31; Proverbs 2:6) and balanced by humility (James 3:13). - Belshazzar’s court had scholars, but none matched Spirit-filled understanding (Daniel 5:7-8). and extraordinary wisdom - “Extraordinary” sets Daniel apart: his wisdom excelled the magi “ten times” (Daniel 1:20). - Such surpassing wisdom foreshadows Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). - Job reminds us that the fear of the Lord is wisdom’s foundation (Job 28:28). Daniel’s reverence made his wisdom remarkable. summary Belshazzar’s description—though couched in pagan terms—acknowledges the unmistakable work of the living God in Daniel. Reputation (“I have heard”), Spirit empowerment, Spirit-born insight, God-given intelligence, and surpassing wisdom converge to show that when a believer walks faithfully, even unbelievers must concede divine influence. Daniel 5:14 therefore highlights God’s faithfulness to equip His servants and to make His glory known, even in the most resistant courts of human power. |
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