V Belshazzar's profane feast, ver. 1-4. The hand writing on the wall, ver. 5-9. Interpreted and applied by Daniel, ver. 10-29. The accomplishment of it, ver. 30, 31.

Verse 1. Belshazzar - The grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. Made a great feast - After the manner of the eastern kings who shewed their magnificence this way. But this is prodigious that he should carouse when the city was besieged, and ready to be taken by Darius the Mede.

Verse 2. To bring the vessels - Triumphing thereby over God and his people.

Verse 4. And praised the gods of gold - At the same time insulting the great God of heaven and earth.

Verse 5. Came forth fingers - The likeness of a man's hand.

Verse 6. His knees smote - So soon can the terrors of God make the loftiest cedars, the tyrants of the earth.

Verse 10. The queen came - The women in those courts had an apartment by themselves, and this being the queen-mother, and aged, did not mingle herself with the king's wives and concubines, yet she broke the rule in coming in now, upon this solemn occasion.

Verse 24. From him - From that God whom thou hast despised.

Verse 26. MENE - MENE MENE, it is numbered, it is numbered; the words are doubled for the greater confirmation. It relates to the number of the seventy years for the overthrow of the Babylonish empire.

Verse 27. Art found wanting - There is no weight nor worth in thee; thou hast made light of God, and the Lord makes light of thee.

Verse 28. PERES - Separated, divided, broken. Phars signifies two things, broken off, and Persian; noting that, first, this kingdom was broken down from Belshazzar. Secondly, that it was given to the Persians.