Albert Barnes Commentary Daniel 5:1

"Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand." — Daniel 5:1 (ASV)

Belshazzar the king - See Introduction to the chapter, Section II. In the Introduction to the chapter referred to here, I have stated what seemed necessary to illustrate the history of Belshazzar, as far as it can now be known. The statements regarding this monarch, it is well understood, are exceedingly confused, and the task of reconciling them is now hopeless. Little depends, however, on the attempt to reconcile them for the interpretation of this book, because the narrative given here is equally credible, whichever of the accounts is taken, unless that of Berosus is followed.

It will be observed that the principal point of difference in these accounts is that Hales contends that the succession of Darius the Mede to the Babylonian throne was not attended with war; that Belshazzar was not the king in whose time the city was taken by Cyrus; and, consequently, that the events which took place this night were quite distinct from and before that siege and capture of the city by the Persian king which Isaiah and Jeremiah so remarkably foretold.

Made a great feast - On what occasion this feast was made is not stated, but it was probably an annual festival in honor of some of the Babylonian deities. This opinion seems to be supported by the words of the Codex Chisianus, “Belshazzar the king made a great festival ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐγκαινισμοῦ τῶν βασιλείων (en hēmera engkainismou tōn basileiōn), on the day of the dedication of his kingdom;” and in Daniel 5:4 it is said that they praised the gods of gold, of silver, and of brass, etc.

To a thousand of his lords - The word thousand here is doubtless used as a general term to denote a very large number. It is probable, however, that this full number was assembled on such an occasion. “Ctesias says, that the king of Persia furnished provisions daily for fifteen thousand men. Quintus Curtius says that ten thousand men were present at a festival of Alexander the Great; and Statius says of Domitian, that he ordered, on a certain occasion, his guests ‘to sit down at a thousand tables.’” - Prof. Stuart, commenting on this passage.

And drank wine before the thousand - The Latin Vulgate here is, And each one drank according to his age. The Greek of Theodotion, the Arabic, and the Coptic is, and wine was before the thousand. The Chaldee, however, is, as in our version, he drank wine before the thousand. As he was the lord of the feast, and as all that occurred pertained primarily to him, the design is undoubtedly to describe his conduct and to show the effect which the drinking of wine had on him. He drank it in the most public manner, setting an example to his lords, and evidently drinking it to great excess.