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Geneva Bible Notes (1560): Daniel 5

1 ! Belshazzar King of Babylon seeth an handwriting on the wall.

1 b The Kings of the East partes then vsed to sit alone communely, & disdained that anie shulde sit in their companie: and now to shewe his power, & how litle he set by his enemie, which then besieged Babylon, he made a solemne banket, & vsed excesse in their companie which is ment here by drinking wine: thus the wicked are moste dissolute, and negligent when their destruction is at hand.

1 a Daniel reciteth this historie of King Bleshazzar Eulmerodachs sonne, to shewe Gods judgements against the wicked, for the deliuerance of his Church, and how the prophecie of Jeremiah was true, that they shulde be deliuered after seuentie yeres.

2 / Or, ouercome with wine.

4 d In contempt of the true God they praised their idoles, not that they thoght that the golde or siluer were gods, but that there was a certeine vertue, and power in them to do them good, which is also the opinion of all idolaters.

6 f So he that before contemned God, was moued by this sight to trembled for feare of Gods judgements.

7 g Thus the wicked in their troubles seke manie meanes, who drawe them from God, because they seke not to him who is the onelie comfort in all afflictions.

8 ! The sothsayers called of the King, can not expoundeth the writing.

10 h To wit, his grand mother Nebuchadnezzars wife, which for her age was not before at the feast, but came thether when she heard of these strange newes.

11 i Read {Chap. 4,6} and this declareth that both this name was odious vnto him and also that he did not vse these vile practices, because he was not among them when all were called.

14 k For the idolaters thoght, that the Angels had power as God, and therefore had them in like estimation, as they had God, thinking that the spirit of prophecie, & vnderstanding came of them.

18 l Before he red the writing he declareth to the King his great ingratitude toward God, who colde not be moued to giue him the glorie, considering his wonderful worke towarde his grand father, & so sheweth that he doeth not sinne of ignorance, but of malice.

24 m After that God had so long time deferred his angre & paciently waited for thine amendement.

25 ! Daniel readeth it, and interpreteth it also.

25 n This worde is twise writen for the certeintie of the thing: shewing, that God had moste surely counted: signifying also that God hathe appointed a terme for all kingdomes, & that a miserable and shal come on all that raise them selues against him.

31 o Cyrus his sonne in lawe gaue him this title of honour althogh Cyrus in effect had the dominion.