Reference

Daniel 5:23

“But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:”

And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;

But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.

And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Drunkenness Condemned

The verse does not explicitly condemn drunkenness. It condemns Belshazzar's sacrilegious act of using the holy vessels for a feast where wine was consumed, and his subsequent praise of idols, while neglecting the true God. The act of drinking wine itself is not the primary focus of condemnation, but rather the context and the objects of his praise.

Total Abstinence

The verse describes the act of drinking wine from sacred vessels during a sacrilegious feast, but it does not condemn wine itself or advocate for total abstinence. The condemnation is directed at the misuse of holy objects and the worship of false gods, not the consumption of alcohol.

Drunkenness Condemned

Related Verses

Daniel 5:4

“They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.”

Daniel 5:20

“But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:”

Daniel 5:22

“And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;”

Daniel 5:21

“And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.”

Daniel 5:18

“O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:”

Thematic Connections

Drunkenness Condemned Total Abstinence

Private Study Note

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