Daniel 5:7

“The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, etc.] Or, “with strength”f205; with a strong voice, as loud as he could; which is expressive of the fright he was in, and of his eagerness and impatience of information; laying aside all decency, and forgetting his royal majesty, like a man out of his senses, quite distracted, as it were: of the “astrologers”, etc. (see Gill on “<270120>Daniel 1:20”), (see Gill on “<270202>Daniel 2:2”), this was the usual course the kings of Babylon took, when they had matters of difficulty upon them, as appears from (<270202>Daniel 2:2 4:6,7) and though they found it oftentimes fruitless and vain, yet still they pursued…”

“He calls for the magicians, who more than once had been detected in imposture. He neglects God, and Daniel, whose fame as an interpreter was then well-established. The world wishes to be deceived and shuts its eyes against the light [CALVIN]. The Hebrews think the words were Chaldee, but in the old Hebrew character (like that now in the Samaritan Pentateuch). third ruler--The first place was given to the king; the second, to the son of the king, or of the queen; the third, to the chief of the satraps.”

“And the king cried aloud - Margin, as in the Chaldee, “with might.” This indicates a sudden and an alarming cry. The king was deeply terrified; and, unable himself to divine the meaning of the mysterious appearance of the hand, he naturally turned at once to those whose office it was to explain dreams and supernatural appearances. To bring in the astrologers ... - See the note at Daniel 2:2; Daniel 4:7. And said to the wise men of Babylon - Those just referred to - the astrologers, etc. Having the power, as was supposed, of interpreting the indications of coming events, they were esteemed as eminently wise. Whosoever shall read this writing - It would seem from this that even the characters…”

“5:7 Purple robes and a gold chain are associated with royalty and power. • third highest: After Nabonidus and Belshazzar himself (see study note on 5:1).”

“aloud: Chal, with might, Dan 4:14 \*marg. to bring: Dan 2:2, Dan 4:6; Gen 41:8; Isa 44:25, Isa 44:26, Isa 47:13 be clothed: Dan 5:16, Dan 5:29, Dan 2:6; Gen 41:42-44; Num 22:7, Num 22:17, Num 24:11; Sa1 17:25 scarlet: or, purple a chain: Pro 1:9; Sol 1:10; Eze 16:11 the third: Dan 2:48, Dan 6:2, Dan 6:3; Est 3:1, Est 10:2, Est 10:3 Daniel 5:8”

“Since there are in this verse only three classes of wise men named as ordered to come to the king, to whom he promised the reward for the reading and the interpretation of the writing, and in Dan 5:8 it is first stated that all the king's wise men came, the probability, is, that at first the king commanded only the three classes named in Dan 5:7 to be brought to him. On this probability Kranichfeld founds the supposition that the king purposely, or with intention, summoned only the three classes named to avoid Daniel, whom he did not wish to consult, from his heathen religious fear of the God of the Jews. But this supposition is altogether untenable. For, first, it does not follow from Dan…”