Daniel 5:22

And thou his sonne, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this: Daniel 5:22 (KJV)

This verse occurs within the dramatic narrative of Daniel chapter 5, which records an episode during the reign of King Belshazzar of Babylon. Belshazzar held a lavish banquet and, in a display of blatant irreverence, took the sacred vessels that had been removed from the temple in Jerusalem and used them to drink wine while praising his own gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. While the revelry continued, a mysterious hand appeared and wrote a message on the wall of the palace. None of the king’s wise men or astrologers could interpret the inscription, and the supernatural event left the court deeply disturbed.

In response, the terrified king turned to Daniel, a captive from Judah who was renowned for his ability to interpret dreams and solve mysteries. In verse 22 Daniel addresses Belshazzar directly, calling him “thou his son, O Belshazzar.” The phrase points back to Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar’s predecessor and, in a literary sense, his “father.” Daniel reminds the king of the humbling experience that befell Nebuchadnezzar when his own pride led him to claim credit for his achievements instead of acknowledging God’s sovereignty.

Nebuchadnezzar’s arrogance resulted in a severe judgment: he was driven from his throne, lived like a wild animal, and endured a period of madness until he finally recognized the authority of the Most High. This episode served as a vivid illustration of how God disciplines the proud and restores those who submit to Him.

Despite having witnessed Nebuchadnezzar’s downfall, Belshazzar “knewest all this” yet failed to humble his heart. The verse emphasizes his continued arrogance and his refusal to apply the lesson of his father’s experience to his own life. By ignoring the warning, he demonstrated a blatant disregard for God’s authority.

Thus the passage functions as a sharp rebuke to Belshazzar, highlighting his failure to learn from history and his persistent contempt for divine rule. The subsequent verses record Daniel’s interpretation of the writing on the wall as a proclamation of God’s imminent judgment against Belshazzar and the Babylonian empire. That very night the king was slain, and the kingdom was transferred to the Medes and Persians, fulfilling the prophetic warning.