The BibleGospel Companion

Belshazzar

בֵּֽלְאשַׁצַּר, בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר · be.le.shats.tsar · H1112“master of the treasure” Hitchcock's 18698 mentions, all in Daniel

Who he was

Belshazzar is a prominent figure in the book of Daniel, mentioned in chapters 5, 7, and 8. He is introduced as the king of Babylon and the son of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan.5.1, 22), although historical records identify him as the son of Nabonidus, the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Belshazzar is known for holding a great feast, during which he and his nobles drank from the sacred vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 5:1–4). During this feast, a mysterious hand appeared and wrote a message on the wall, which only Daniel could interpret (Daniel 5:5–28). The message foretold the end of Belshazzar's kingdom, and that very night, Belshazzar was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom (Daniel 5:30–31). Belshazzar is also mentioned in Daniel's visions (Dan.7.1; 8.1), providing a historical context for the prophetic revelations. Belshazzar's reign and his sudden downfall serve as a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty over earthly kingdoms and the consequences of disregarding God's authority.

Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

Family

FatherNebuchadnezzar
Family relations: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

Every mention

8 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)

Daniel 8 mentions

Daniel 5:1Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.Daniel 5:2Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded that the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem be brought to him…Daniel 5:9Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.Daniel 5:22“You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,Daniel 5:29Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the…Daniel 5:30In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain.Daniel 7:1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.Daniel 8:1In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, even to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first.

What the dictionary says

Bel protect the king!, the last of the kings of Babylon (Dan. 5:1).

Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
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Sources