Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

B. W. Johnson's Bible Commentary

Daniel 5:27

Thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting.

The second word is Tekel, which is from. Hebrew verb and means "weighed." The first word applies to the kingdom, the second to the king. The scales have always been the emblem of justice; the suffering Job asks: "Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity." The king had been weighed. In one side of the balance were placed his responsibilities and his opportunities; in the other his conduct and character; he was wanting! Light, frivolous, contemptible, rather than. noble ruler.

Continues after advertising

See also Daniel 5:27 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    TEKEL - This word (תקל _t__e__qēl_) is also, according to Gesenius, a passive participle (from תקל _t__e__qal_ - “to poise, to weigh”), and means “weighed.” It would be used with reference to anythin...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 5 BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST _ 1. Belshazzar's licentious feast (Daniel 5:1)_ 2. The writing on the wall (Daniel 5:5) 3. Forgotten Daniel (Daniel 5:10) 4. The message of Daniel ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    DANIEL 5. Belshazzar, who is represented as king of Babylon, makes a great feast, using the vessels which his father had brought to Babylon from the Temple at Jerusalem. During the feast the fingers o...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The reading and interpretation of the writing....

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 1129 SCRIPTURE BALANCES Daniel 5:27. _Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting_. THE words before us were uttered in reference to a single individual, Belshazzar, king of Ba...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    d. TRAGEDY TEXT: Daniel 5:24-31 24 then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed, 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN....

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. TEKEL; THOU ART WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES. The Egyptians thought that Osiris weighed the actions of the dead in a literal balance. The...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST Belshazzar, king of Babylon, holds a great feast, at which he profanely uses the sacred vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar from the Temple at Jerusalem (Daniel 5:1). He is terrified at...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE MEN WHO WERE LOYAL TO GOD DANIEL _ROBERT BRYCE_ CHAPTER 5 V1 King Belshazzar had a big party. He invited a thousand important people and he drank wine with them. V2 As Belshazzar drank wine,...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    תְּקֵ֑ל תְּקִ֥ילְתָּה בְ מֹֽאזַנְיָ֖א וְ הִשְׁתְּכַ֥חַתְּ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE FIERY INSCRIPTION IN this chapter again we have another magnificent fresco-picture, intended, as was the last-but under circumstances of aggravated guilt and more terrible menace-to teach the les...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING Daniel 5:17-31 Daniel was unperturbed and undismayed. Calm and collected, he recognized his Father's handwriting, and read it, as the instructed may decipher a scroll which...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The next scene is cast in the reign of Belshazzar. He had succeeded to the throne of his father, and was a man of profligate habits. No details are given of his reign, but a graphic picture is set bef...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    There is some little difficulty to an ordinary Reader in observing, that the words of the hand writing on the wall, and the manner of Daniel's interpreting them are not the same. The word MENE is twic...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _GOD’S SCALES_ ‘Weighed … and … found wanting.’ Daniel 5:27 I. GOD’S SCALES ARE ADJUSTABLE SCALES.—He weighs in reference to quality as well as quantity. He weighs the lives of men as a lapidary w...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    The exposition of the word Tekel, _to weigh, _now follows: — _Since thou hast been weighed in the balance, or scale, and found wanting _Here Daniel shews God so moderating his judgments, as if he was...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    In chapter 5 the iniquity of the head of the Gentiles with respect to the God of Israel reaches the highest point, and assumes that character of insolence and contempt which is but the effort of weakn...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    TEKEL,.... As for the meaning of this word, and what it points at, it is this: THOU ART WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES: of justice and truth, in the holy righteous law of God; as gold, and jewels, and preci...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Ver. 27. TEKEL; thou art weighed in the balances, _a_ and art found wanting.] As the former was a term taken from creditors, so this fr...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Then was part of the hand sent from him_ The LXX. read, Δια τουτο εκ προσωπου αυτου απεσταλη αστραγαλος χειρος, και την γραφην ταυτην ενεταξε. “On this account hath the joint, or part of a hand, been...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Tekel: Thou art weighed in the balances, namely, in those of God's righteousness and justice, his character analyzed according to the demands of God's holiness, AND ART FOUND WANTING, below weight in...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE INTERPRETATION AND THE FULFILMENT...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    18-31 Daniel reads Belshazzar's doom. He had not taken warning by the judgments upon Nebuchadnezzar. And he had insulted God. Sinners are pleased with gods that neither see, nor hear, nor know; but t...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Thou art weighed in a hanging balance, alluding to the weighing of goods exactly in scales; and God is said to weigh the mountains in scales: it shows his just proceeding; God is not hasty in punishin...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Daniel 5:27 TEKEL H8625 (H8752) weighed H8625 (H8760) balances H3977 found H7912 (H8728) wanting H2627...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    “Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed, MENEMENETEKELUPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: · MENE...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Daniel 5:1 I. Belshazzar's feast was characterised by great intemperance. II. It was characterised by great profanity. III. This night was one of supernatural visitation. IV. This was a night of t...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Daniel's personal history under Belshazzar and Darius. The pride of Belshazzar and his downfall. The writing on the wall. Its interpretation and fulfillment. CHARACTERS: God, Belshazzar, Qu...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Daniel 5:2. _Belshazzar his father Nebuchadnezzar._ Belshazzar was the son of Evilmerodach, and grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. The empire therefore falling at this time, fulfilled the prophecy, that all...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting._ WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING I. BELSHAZZAR WEIGHED. 1. By his conscience. “His thoughts troubled him.” 2. By his fellow-men. Confronted by Daniel...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And this writing was written._ WRITING ON THE WALL AT BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST I. THE SCENE IN WHICH IT OCCURRED. An eastern palace. 1. It was a scene of drunkenness and revelling. The narrative makes th...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    DANIEL—NOTE ON DANIEL 5:1 Daniel explains to Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, that the writing on the wall is a message that the true God rules over all. In his own time, this true God will vindi...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    DANIEL—NOTE ON DANIEL 5:13 Daniel alone is able to decipher the writing on the wall. It is a message from the true God, telling of the end of the Babylonian Empire. ⇐...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _HOMILETICS_ SECT. XVII.—BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST (Chap. 5.) This chapter deservedly a favourite with general readers [126]. The magnificence, excitement, and revelry of the royal feast; the profligate kin...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION DANIEL 5:1 BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST. In regard to this chapter the peculiar state of the Septuagint text has to be noted. At the beginning of the chapter there are three verses which seem to be...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Shall we turn now in our Bible to Daniel, chapter 5. Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousands (Daniel 5:1). There are men who call themse...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 3:13; Ezekiel 22:18; Jeremiah 6:30; Job 31:6; M

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

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

Continues after advertising