Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
All Commentaries on Daniel 5:1 Go To Daniel 5
Aquinas Study Bible
AD 2017
Baltasar: Nabuchodonosor died in 563.Then came his son, Evil Merodach (Man of Marduk). He was assassinated by his brother-in- law General Neriglassdar who had served under Nabuchodonosor when Jerusalem was destroyed. Neriglissar was followed by his son Labashi-Marduk who was murdered nine months later, in 556. The leader of the revolt was Nabonidus (Nabunaid). An objection used to be made about chapter 5: Baltassar is presented as the last king of Babylon before its fall. But we now know that know that Nabonidus in the third year of his reign, 553, made his son Baltassar coregent, and he himself left for Teima in Arabia, where he stayed for about ten years, and never reassumed the throne. So people in Babylon would commonly speak of him as king. We are not sure why he stayed so long -- perhaps better climate for his health, or perhaps religious reasons. (Fr. Most)
