John Calvin Commentary Daniel 5:6

"Then the king`s countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another." — Daniel 5:6 (ASV)

Here Daniel shows how the king’s mind was struck with fear, lest anyone should think his fear was without foundation. But he expresses, by many circumstances, how disturbed the king was, and thus the sufficiency of the reason would easily appear. It was necessary for him to be so struck, so that all might understand how God was seated on his throne and summoned him as a criminal.

We mentioned before how Daniel impresses us with the pride of this king, and his careless security is a clear proof of it. When the daily siege of the city should have made him anxious, he was celebrating his usual banquets, as if in profound peace. From this, he appears to be corrupted by a kind of spiritual drunkenness, so that he did not feel his own calamities.

This, then, is the reason why God roused him and awakened him from his lethargy, because no ordinary means were effectual in recalling him to a sound mind. The fear which he experienced might seem a convenient preparation for penitence. But we see the same thing in this case as we do in that of Esau; for he was not only touched with contrition when he saw himself cut off, but he also uttered a loud and piercing lamentation when seeking his father’s “blessing,” and yet he was too late (Genesis 27:24).

A similar occurrence is related here of King Belshazzar, but we must remark upon everything in order. Daniel says: The king’s countenance was changed; then, the joints of his limbs were loosened, and he was disturbed, or frightened, in his thoughts; and lastly, he adds, his knees smote together. The word properly signifies to strike one against another.

By these signs the Prophet shows how King Belshazzar was frightened by the vision already mentioned. Without doubt, as I have just said, God inspired him with this terror, for we know how stupid and immovable the reprobate remain, even when God has openly ascended to his own tribunal! But God wished to affect the mind of this impious king and to render his ignorance without excuse.

Here we may remark, generally, in how many ways God touches men’s hearts—not those of the reprobate only, but also of his elect; for we see even the best men slow and slothful when God summons them to his judgment seat. It becomes necessary to chastise them with rods; otherwise, they never approach God of their own accord.

He might, indeed, move their minds without violence; but he wishes to set before us, as in a mirror, our slowness and slothfulness, since we do not obey his word with natural willingness. Hence he tames his children with cords when they will not profit by his word. With regard to the reprobate, he often chides their obstinacy. Before he undertakes the office of judge, he kindly entices them. When they do not profit by this, he threatens. When his threats are useless and devoid of efficacy, he then calls them to his tribunal.

Respecting the fate of the King of Babylon, God had allowed Daniel to be silent, for the king’s ingratitude and pride had closed the door, preventing Daniel from undertaking the office of a teacher as he was prepared to do. Hence, the King of Babylon continued without one.

But God suddenly appeared as a judge, through the writing we have briefly mentioned and about which we will say more in the proper place. Whatever its meaning may be, we see King Belshazzar not only admonished by an outward sign of his approaching death but also inwardly stirred up to acknowledge that he was dealing with God.

For the reprobate often enjoy their own pleasures, as I have said, although God shows himself to be their judge. But he treats King Belshazzar differently: he desires to inspire him with terror, to make him more attentive to the perusal of the writing. This experience was, as I have said, a preparation for repentance. However, he failed in the midst of his course, as we see too many do. They tremble at the voice of God and at the signs of his vengeance as soon as he admonishes them, but these feelings are merely fleeting, thus proving how little they have learned of the necessary lesson.

The example of Esau is similar to this, since he despised God's grace when he heard himself deprived of the inheritance divinely promised him (Genesis 25:33). He treated the blessing as a fable until he found it a serious matter; he then began to lament, but all in vain.

Such also was the fear of King Belshazzar, as we shall soon perceive. Even when Daniel explained the writing to him, he was by no means moved by it but instead adorned Daniel with royal tokens of regard. Yet the object and use of this was totally different. For when the nobles were moved and the reality became manifest, God in this way demonstrated his glory.

Darius, who took the city with his son-in-law Cyrus, understood that his own valor and perseverance were not the sole cause of his victory. He also understood that the satraps, Gobryas and Gadata, would not have assisted him so materially unless the whole affair had been under God’s auspices. Thus God showed himself as in a mirror to be the avenger of his people, as he had promised seventy years previously.

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