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Verse Takeaways
1
Divine Power, Not a Puzzle
While many have speculated that the writing was a clever puzzle (written backwards, in a strange script, etc.), commentators agree the true reason the wise men failed was supernatural. God divinely blinded them to the message. As scholars like John Calvin and Charles Ellicott explain, this was a deliberate act to demonstrate the powerlessness of pagan wisdom and to set the stage for God's own prophet, Daniel, to reveal the truth.
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Book Overview
Daniel
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Commentaries
5
Albert Barnes
On Daniel 5:8
18th Century
Theologian
Then came in all the king’s wise men—the classes referred to previously, (Daniel 5:7).
But they could not…
Charles Ellicott
On Daniel 5:8
19th Century
Bishop
Then—that is, after the king had addressed the wise men whom he had summoned. But why could they not read an inscription which Dan…
John Calvin
On Daniel 5:8–9
16th Century
Theologian
Here Daniel relates how deceived the king was in his opinion, hoping for any interpretation of the writing from the magi, the astrologers, the Chal…
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John Gill
On Daniel 5:8
17th Century
Pastor
Then came in all the king's wise men
The whole college of them, the persons before described; over whom, in Nebuchad…
Matthew Henry
On Daniel 5:1–9
17th Century
Minister
Belshazzar defied the judgments of God. Most historians consider that Cyrus was then besieging Babylon. Complacency and sensuality are sad signs of…