◄ Daniel 5:17 ►
In response, Daniel said to the king, "You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him.
Study Bible
Then Daniel answered the king
This phrase introduces Daniel's response to King Belshazzar. The name "Daniel" means "God is my judge" in Hebrew, reflecting his role as a prophet and servant of God. Daniel's response is significant because it demonstrates his courage and faithfulness in the face of royal authority. Historically, Daniel was a Jewish exile in Babylon, yet he maintained his integrity and devotion to God, serving as a model of steadfastness for believers.

You may keep your gifts
Daniel's refusal of the king's gifts underscores his integrity and the purity of his motives. In the ancient Near Eastern context, gifts from a king were often seen as a means to secure loyalty or favor. By rejecting these gifts, Daniel demonstrates that his service and message are not for sale, emphasizing that his allegiance is to God alone. This act of refusal highlights the biblical principle that true servants of God do not seek earthly rewards but are motivated by a higher calling.

and give your rewards to someone else
This phrase further emphasizes Daniel's disinterest in material wealth or earthly recognition. The Hebrew culture often viewed rewards as a sign of honor or status, yet Daniel's focus remains on delivering God's message. His statement reflects a deep understanding that true reward comes from God, not from human accolades. This serves as an inspiration for believers to prioritize spiritual over material wealth.

Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king
Despite rejecting the king's gifts, Daniel commits to fulfilling his prophetic duty. The phrase "I will read the writing" indicates Daniel's confidence in his God-given ability to interpret the mysterious message. This reflects the biblical theme of God's sovereignty and the empowerment of His servants to accomplish His purposes. Daniel's willingness to serve without expectation of reward exemplifies the selfless nature of true ministry.

and tell him what it means
Daniel's role as an interpreter of divine messages is central to his prophetic ministry. The phrase "tell him what it means" signifies the importance of understanding and communicating God's revelations. In the broader scriptural context, this highlights the role of prophets as God's mouthpieces, tasked with conveying His truth to humanity. Daniel's faithfulness in delivering God's message, regardless of personal gain, serves as a powerful example of obedience and dedication to God's will.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Daniel
A Jewish prophet and wise man in Babylon, known for his ability to interpret dreams and visions. In Daniel 5:17, he is called upon to interpret the writing on the wall for King Belshazzar.

2. Belshazzar
The king of Babylon during the time of this event. He is known for his arrogance and disrespect towards God, as demonstrated by his use of the sacred vessels from the Jerusalem temple for a feast.

3. Babylon
The city and empire where this event takes place. It is a symbol of human pride and opposition to God throughout the Bible.

4. The Writing on the Wall
A mysterious message written by a divine hand during Belshazzar's feast, which Daniel is asked to interpret.

5. The Feast
A lavish banquet hosted by Belshazzar, during which he profanes the sacred vessels from the Jerusalem temple, leading to the divine message.
Teaching Points
Integrity Over Reward
Daniel 5:17 shows Daniel's refusal of the king's gifts, emphasizing the importance of integrity and faithfulness to God over material gain. Christians are called to prioritize God's truth over worldly rewards.

God's Sovereignty
The event underscores God's control over nations and leaders. Belshazzar's kingdom is judged and taken from him, reminding believers of God's ultimate authority.

The Consequences of Pride
Belshazzar's account is a cautionary tale about the dangers of pride and irreverence towards God. Christians are encouraged to live humbly and honor God in all aspects of life.

Faithfulness in Adversity
Daniel's consistent faithfulness, even in a foreign and hostile environment, serves as an example for believers to remain steadfast in their faith regardless of circumstances.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Daniel's response to Belshazzar's offer of gifts in Daniel 5:17 reflect his character and priorities? How can we apply this attitude in our own lives when faced with ethical dilemmas?

2. In what ways does the account of Belshazzar illustrate the biblical principle that pride leads to destruction? Can you identify other biblical figures who experienced similar consequences?

3. How does Daniel's role in Babylon demonstrate God's sovereignty and ability to use His people in any situation? What does this teach us about our own potential impact in secular environments?

4. Reflect on a time when you had to choose between standing for your faith and accepting a worldly reward. How did you handle the situation, and what can you learn from Daniel's example?

5. How can we cultivate a heart of humility and reverence towards God in our daily lives, avoiding the pitfalls of pride as seen in Belshazzar's account? What practical steps can we take to ensure we honor God in all we do?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Daniel 1
Daniel's introduction and his initial stand for God in Babylon, setting the stage for his role as a prophet and interpreter of divine messages.

Proverbs 16:18
The theme of pride leading to downfall, as seen in Belshazzar's arrogance and subsequent judgment.

1 Samuel 2:30
The principle that those who honor God will be honored, while those who despise Him will be lightly esteemed, reflecting Daniel's faithfulness and Belshazzar's disrespect.
Sermons
Mene, Tekel, PeresAlexander MaclarenDaniel 5:17
The Faithful Interpreter of the Word of GodT. Newlin, M.A.Daniel 5:17
The True Interpreter of LifeReuen Thomas, D.D.Daniel 5:17
The Crisis of AwakingH.T. Robjohns Daniel 5:5-17
Daniel's Speech to BelshazzarWilliam White.Daniel 5:13-17
The Preacher's OpportunityJoseph Parker, D.D.Daniel 5:13-17
The Value of a Good ManJ.D. Davies Daniel 5:17-29
At the Bar of GodH.T. Robjohns Daniel 5:17-31
People
Babylonians, Belshazzar, Belteshazzar, Daniel, Darius, Micah, Nebuchadnezzar, Persians
Places
Babylon, Jerusalem
Topics
Cause, Daniel, Fee, Gifts, However, Inscription, Interpretation, Nevertheless, Offerings, Reading, Rewards, Sense, Someone, Thyself, Writing, Yet
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Daniel 5:17

     7730   explanation

Daniel 5:12-17

     8130   guidance, from godly people

Daniel 5:13-17

     5325   gifts

Daniel 5:17-28

     1443   revelation, OT

Library
Mene, Tekel, Peres
'Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another: yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18. O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: 19. And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Scales of Judgment
There has never been a deed of persecution--there has never been a drop of martyr's blood shed yet, but shall be avenged, and every land guilty of it shall yet drink the cup of the wine of the wrath of God. And especially certain is there gathering an awful storm over the head of the empire of Rome--that spiritual despotism of the firstborn of hell. All the clouds of God's vengeance are gathering into one--the firmament is big with thunder, God's right arm is lifted up even now, and ere long the …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859

"So Then they that are in the Flesh Cannot Please God. "
Rom. viii. 8.--"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." It is a kind of happiness to men, to please them upon whom they depend, and upon whose favour their well-being hangs. It is the servant's happiness to please his master, the courtier's to please his prince; and so generally, whosoever they be that are joined in mutual relations, and depend one upon another; that which makes all pleasant, is this, to please one another. Now, certainly, all the dependencies of creatures one upon …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Human Government.
Human governments a part of the moral government of God. In the discussion of this subject I will,-- I. Inquire into the ultimate end of God in creation. We have seen in former lectures, that God is a moral agent, the self-existent and supreme; and is therefore himself, as ruler of all, subject to, and observant of, moral law in all his conduct. That is, his own infinite intelligence must affirm that a certain course of willing is suitable, fit, and right in him. This idea, or affirmation, is law …
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Eastern Wise-Men, or Magi, visit Jesus, the New-Born King.
(Jerusalem and Bethlehem, b.c. 4.) ^A Matt. II. 1-12. ^a 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem [It lies five miles south by west of Jerusalem, a little to the east of the road to Hebron. It occupies part of the summit and sides of a narrow limestone ridge which shoots out eastward from the central chains of the Judæan mountains, and breaks down abruptly into deep valleys on the north, south, and east. Its old name, Ephrath, meant "the fruitful." Bethlehem means "house of bread." Its modern …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Messiah Unpitied, and Without a Comforter
Reproach [Rebuke] hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. T he greatness of suffering cannot be certainly estimated by the single consideration of the immediate, apparent cause; the impression it actually makes upon the mind of the sufferer, must likewise be taken into the account. That which is a heavy trial to one person, may be much lighter to another, and, perhaps, no trial at all. And a state …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Sovereignty of God in Administration
"The LORD hath prepared His Throne In the heavens; and His Kingdom ruleth over all" (Psa. 103:19). First, a word concerning the need for God to govern the material world. Suppose the opposite for a moment. For the sake of argument, let us say that God created the world, designed and fixed certain laws (which men term "the laws of Nature"), and that He then withdrew, leaving the world to its fortune and the out-working of these laws. In such a case, we should have a world over which there was no intelligent, …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

Jesus Sets Out from Judæa for Galilee.
Subdivision A. Reasons for Retiring to Galilee. ^A Matt. IV. 12; ^B Mark I. 14; ^C Luke III. 19, 20; ^D John IV. 1-4. ^c 19 but Herod the tetrarch [son of Herod the Great, and tetrarch, or governor, of Galilee], being reproved by him [that is, by John the Baptist] for Herodias his brother's wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done [A full account of the sin of Herod and persecution of John will be found at Matt. xiv. 1-12 and Mark vi. 14-29. John had spoken the truth to Herod as fearlessly …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Eternity of God
The next attribute is, God is eternal.' Psa 90:0. From everlasting to everlasting thou art God.' The schoolmen distinguish between aevun et aeternum, to explain the notion of eternity. There is a threefold being. I. Such as had a beginning; and shall have an end; as all sensitive creatures, the beasts, fowls, fishes, which at death are destroyed and return to dust; their being ends with their life. 2. Such as had a beginning, but shall have no end, as angels and the souls of men, which are eternal …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

That Upon the Conquest and Slaughter of vitellius Vespasian Hastened his Journey to Rome; but Titus his Son Returned to Jerusalem.
1. And now, when Vespasian had given answers to the embassages, and had disposed of the places of power justly, [25] and according to every one's deserts, he came to Antioch, and consulting which way he had best take, he preferred to go for Rome, rather than to march to Alexandria, because he saw that Alexandria was sure to him already, but that the affairs at Rome were put into disorder by Vitellius; so he sent Mucianus to Italy, and committed a considerable army both of horsemen and footmen to …
Flavius Josephus—The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of the Exceeding Mercy of God in Christ, to his Poor Servant, John Bunyan
In this my relation of the merciful working of God upon my soul, it will not be amiss, if in the first place, I do in a few words give you a hint of my pedigree, and manner of bringing up; that thereby the goodness and bounty of God towards me, may be the more advanced and magnified before the sons of men. 2. For my descent then, it was, as is well known by many, of a low and inconsiderable generation; my father's house being of that rank that is meanest, and most despised of all the families in …
John Bunyan—Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

There is a Blessedness in Reversion
Blessed are the poor in spirit. Matthew 5:3 Having done with the occasion, I come now to the sermon itself. Blessed are the poor in spirit'. Christ does not begin his Sermon on the Mount as the Law was delivered on the mount, with commands and threatenings, the trumpet sounding, the fire flaming, the earth quaking, and the hearts of the Israelites too for fear; but our Saviour (whose lips dropped as the honeycomb') begins with promises and blessings. So sweet and ravishing was the doctrine of this …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
Presented to the World in a Familiar Dialogue Between Mr. Wiseman and Mr. Attentive. By John Bunyan ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The life of Badman is a very interesting description, a true and lively portraiture, of the demoralized classes of the trading community in the reign of King Charles II; a subject which naturally led the author to use expressions familiar among such persons, but which are now either obsolete or considered as vulgar. In fact it is the only work proceeding from the prolific …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Harbinger
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD , make straight in the desert a high-way for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. T he general style of the prophecies is poetical. The inimitable simplicity which characterizes every …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

The Greater Prophets.
1. We have already seen (Chap. 15, Nos. 11 and 12) that from Moses to Samuel the appearances of prophets were infrequent; that with Samuel and the prophetical school established by him there began a new era, in which the prophets were recognized as a distinct order of men in the Theocracy; and that the age of written prophecy did not begin till about the reign of Uzziah, some three centuries after Samuel. The Jewish division of the latter prophets--prophets in the more restricted sense of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Meditations Before Dinner and Supper.
Meditate that hunger is like the sickness called a wolf; which, if thou dost not feed, will devour thee, and eat thee up; and that meat and drink are but as physic, or means which God hath ordained, to relieve and cure this natural infirmity and necessity of man. Use, therefore, to eat and to drink, rather to sustain and refresh the weakness of nature, than to satisfy the sensuality and delights of the flesh. Eat, therefore, to live, but live not to eat. There is no service so base, as for a man …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Chorus of Angels
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour and glory, and blessing! I t was a good report which the queen of Sheba heard, in her own land, of the wisdom and glory of Solomon. It lessened her attachment to home, and prompted her to undertake a long journey to visit this greater King, of whom she had heard so much. She went, and she was not disappointed. Great as the expectations were, which she had formed from the relation made her by others, …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Daniel
Daniel is called a prophet in the New Testament (Matt. xxiv. 15). In the Hebrew Bible, however, the book called by his name appears not among the prophets, but among "the writings," between Esther and Ezra. The Greek version placed it between the major and the minor prophets, and this has determined its position in modern versions. The book is both like and unlike the prophetic books. It is like them in its passionate belief in the overruling Providence of God and in the sure consummation of His …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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