f The Rabbies ſay, it was not the Chaldce CharaQter, though the Words were Chaldee, but the old Hebrew, Canaanitiſh, Phenician and Samaritan Letters ; or elſe becauſe only the initial Letters, M. T. P. were written. But God reſerved this Honour for Daniel, and to him, that ke might have all the Glory. Beſides this Interpretation was fi. gurative, about weighing in a Balance.
9 Then was king Belſhazzar greatly troubled, and his + countenance was changed, and his lords were aſto- med g.
£ The ſecond time, becauſe his Hopes ia his Wiſemen made him aſhamed, and God would give him to much Grief as he had Pleaſure in his Luxury. His Lords aſtonicd, Theſe were his Afſbicates in fin- ning, and therefore muſt ſhare in his Conſtcrnation : fo fac were they from comforting of him.
Io E Now the queen by reaſon of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting houſe b; and the queen ſpake and ſaid, O king, live for ever : let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy - countenance be f Cha'd. changed. brixhmu ſi,
þ The Women in thoſe Courts had always an Apartment by them- Gr. for, ſelves; and this being Queen-Mother, and aged, did not mingle her ſelf with the King's Wives and Concubines, but withdrew her (elf from thoſe Pleaſures in Banquetting, yet brakerule in coming in now upon.this ſolemn Occaſion and Fright.
Ir * Thereis a man in thy kingdom, *in whom is the " Chap. 2, (picic of the holy gods i, and in the days of chy {| father «pl light and underſtanding and wiſdom like the wiſdom of the g *,"F.+
- my . 2 9, 18- gods, was found in him ; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar |Or,;-ang.
+ Chald. brigohinſſ.3
rinces, his wives and his concubines might drink chere-
« This King having the Wine, liked it ſo well, that he reſolved to lay
ake a merry Day of it, and inorder to it,ſent for the Veſſzls of God's emple, which he did in ſcorn and contempt, triumphing thereby over od and his People ; bur this Sport laſted not long, they had more onour for the Veſſels of their own Idols, which they kept ſacred and ntouch'd ; therefore the Propher upbraids them with this infolent rofaneneſs, for the Concubines alſo drank in them.
3 Then they brought the golden veſſels that were taken dut of the [| cemple of the houſe of God, which was at Je- uſalem ; and the king and his princes, his wives and his oncubines drank in them.
4 They drank wine, and praiſed the gods of gold, nd of ſilver, of braſs, of iron, of wood, and of Lone Xx.
|
* Ar the ſametime inſulting againſt the Great God of Heaven and arth, The Name of God is never more profaned than among Drun- ards and Epicures.
5 TIn the ſame hour y came forth fingers of a mans and 2, and wrote over againſt the candleſtick upon the laiſter of the wall a of the kings palace ; and the king
aw the part of the hand that wrote 5. 7 By this irdid appear what was the cauſe of the King's Puniſhment nd Ruine, namely his reproaching of God, and profaning the holy eſſelsz. The likeneſs ofa Man's Hand, which Ra. Solomon Gaith was managed by the Angel Gabrzel; it is clear it was immediately from : This was a plainer Teſtimony than thar of his Father's _ Ir hereof were above 2 thouſand Witneſſes beſides his Conſcience bat ſhook him, a thouſand more. # By this it appears how the Feaſt ontigued far in the Night, in which Night Babylon was taken, and B:l. 92Lar ſlain, ver. 30. 6 God intended it for him, and that he ſhould *1t with his own Eyes, and it ſhould not be brought him by report, ch affords ground of doubting, but here was undeniable Proof and anvittion : the viſible Hand of God was here, and it was alſo for tip _ and ſpoiled his Draughts of Wine, and was a cooler to er JOLtes,
\6 Then the kings s thoughts troubled
+ countenance F was changed, and s him c, ſo that the || + joints of his bus Were looſed, and his knees ſmote one againſt ano.
.coachearfu] Countenance was turned to paleneſs. Fear and Hor- Cn — blaſted the Majeſty of his Face, like an Eclipſe of the * ©20 ſoon can the Terrors of God ſhake the lottieſt Cedars; it is
thy || father, che king, 1 /ay, thy father made * matter fa:6 -.
of the magicians , aſtrologers, Chaldeans and footh- |,Origrani«
ers ; i #7 This Man was Danie! ; but how came the King not to think of 49 im ? Danzel pofſibly was our of his Place, by hisown Reſignation, or his Enemies malicious Contrivance, and was willing to withdraw him- ſelf from the Court, and from the Company of the Soothſayers, and would not be reckoned one of them.
12 Foralmuch as an excellent ſpirit,and knowledge, and underſtanding, [| interpreting of dreams, and ſhewing of, hard ſentences, and || diſſolving of f doubts were found in +.
the ſame Daniel, * whom the king named Belteſhazzar : |} Or, «f 4 now let Daniel be called, and he will ſhew the interpre- ©//* _ cation, hover 9g
knots. 13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king; * Ci. 1. 7. and the king ſpake and ſaid unto Daniel, Art thou that
!i Or, of a7;
WF iis,
Daniel , which art of the children of the captiviry of j|Or,gran«-
Judah , whom the king my || father brought out of #4 Jewry ?
Tho he was in high Eſteem for his Skill in the Days -of N.buchad- n:zzar, Who had him in high Honour, for the Spirit of God in h:/m, yet he being dead, and other Kings coming on that had never tr1cd his Abilities, nor known his Merits (as it was1n Joſ/p5's Caſe, E271 8 ) hereby he came to be negle&ed and deſpiſed, as rhuſe Words feem ro import, ver. 13. Art thou that Daniel of the Captivity of the Children of Judah ? Os : I4 I have even heard of thee, that the ſpirit ofthe gods 7s in thee, and 7hat light and underſtanding, and exceilenc wiſdom is found in tice. 15 And now the wiſe en, the aſtrologers have been brought in before me, that they ſhould read this wrt- ting, and make known unto me the interpretation there- of: but they could not ſhew the interpretation ol the thing. 16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canſt + make t Chald. interpretations, and diffolve doubes : now if thou canſt ?70?7%» read the writing, and make known to me the interpreta- tion thereof, thou ſhalt be clothed with ſcariet , and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and halt be thethird ruler in the kingdom.
Theſe things were ſpoke to before, ver. 7, 8.
ke an Earthquake in the Bowels : Thus can God terrific the Tyrants
17 < Then Daniel anſwered and faid —__ ings