Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Daniel 5:8
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Then came in all the king’s wise men, etc.] The whole college of them, the persons before described; over whom, in Nebuchadnezzar’s time, Daniel was the chief of the governors, (<270248>Daniel 2:48), these came in readily, in hope of getting both riches and honour: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof; for if they could not do the former, it must be impossible to do the latter; of the reason of which, various are the conjecturesf207: as that, though these words were written in Chaldee, yet in characters, as the Samaritan or Phoenician, they did not understand; or were written without points, and so they knew not which were the proper ones to put to them; or they were written according to the position of the letters of the alphabet, called “athbash”, of which (see Gill on “<242526>Jeremiah 25:26”), or the words were placed so as to be read backward, or else downward, and not straightforward; or they were all in one word; or only the initial letters of words; but the true reason was, that it was so ordained by the Lord, that they should not be able to read and interpret them; this being reserved for another man, Daniel, that he might have the honour, and God the glory.
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