The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “O king, live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! 11There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king, I say—appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. 12This man Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”
13So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 16Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
Word of the commotion in the banquet hall spread throughout the palace. The queen heard of it and came to the banquet hall. Since Belshazzar’s wives were already present, this lady was probably the queen mother, very possibly the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, who made her home in the palace.
If this is so, it would surely explain why she was so well acquainted with what had happened at Nebuchadnezzar’s time and what a prominent role Daniel had played in the history of Babylon a half-century earlier. She would remember that there indeed was in the kingdom a man who had “the spirit of the holy gods in him,” which had enabled him to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams. Why, “he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods.” Nebuchadnezzar had appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners because of his supernatural ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Her advice to Belshazzar was “Call Daniel. He will tell you what this puzzling inscription means.”
Her suggestion (“There is a man in your kingdom . . .”) raises an interesting question. Why had Daniel not been called in previously, along with the other magicians and wise men? The most natural assumption is that he no longer held the position to which Nebuchadnezzar had appointed him 50 years (and several kings) earlier. At that time Daniel had been the chief of the king’s wise men. Perhaps because of his age he had stepped down from that position when Nebuchadnezzar’s successor came to the throne. He still held some government position (in 8:27 we find him “[going] about the king’s business”), but not the position of importance he had held under King Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel was called, and he entered the dining hall. Belshazzar’s conversation showed he knew about Daniel’s record but had never met him face-to-face. The king must have felt uncomfortable in the presence of a man who represented the God he had publicly defied and dishonored. In addition, the king may have remembered that when Daniel had interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream, he had predicted the downfall of Babylon, and when he had interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream, he had predicted the king’s insanity. But now Belshazzar had no choice; he needed to know what those words on the wall meant for him and his kingdom. It was almost sure to be unpleasant, but he had to know. He offered Daniel the same attractive rewards he had offered the other wise men.