That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse is stark, but its power lies in its simplicity: "That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed." This isn't just a factual report; it's the immediate, devastating fulfillment of divine judgment, highlighting how swiftly God's justice can fall, even upon a king caught in revelry.
That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse marks the immediate, dramatic climax of the chapter. After Daniel interprets the mysterious handwriting on the wall, declaring God’s judgment and the fall of Babylon, the text doesn't delay but announces the king's swift demise. It's the final consequence for Belshazzar’s pride and defiance, fulfilling Daniel’s prophecy within hours of its delivery and signaling the end of the Chaldean empire.
Imagine a massive party, music loud, wine flowing, and suddenly… everything ends. That's the stark reality for Belshazzar and his empire.
Daniel 5 paints a vivid picture of divine judgment arriving not during a time of solemnity or preparation, but at the height of reckless celebration. Belshazzar and his nobles were feasting, desecrating holy vessels, and praising false gods – a scene of utter defiance.
This wasn't an accident. God's judgment often comes when people are most lost in their pride and revelry, completely unprepared for the consequences of their actions. The very extravagance of the feast becomes the backdrop for their downfall.
It's one thing for a prophecy to be written; it's another for history to echo it centuries later. Daniel's account of Belshazzar's end is remarkably confirmed.
The stark, almost abrupt declaration of Belshazzar's death isn't just a biblical narrative; it's a point where Scripture intersects with historical accounts. While the Bible focuses on the spiritual significance, outside sources corroborate the event.
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The dramatic and sudden end described in Daniel 5:30 wasn't an isolated event but the culmination of a carefully planned military operation that exploited Babylonian complacency during a night of revelry.
c. 540 BC
Cyrus Begins Campaign Against Babylon
Cyrus the Great, ruler of the Persian empire, launches his military campaign to conquer the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
c. 539 BC
Diversion of the Euphrates River
Cyrus's forces divert the mighty Euphrates River, creating a dry channel for troops to enter the seemingly impregnable city of Babylon.
October 12, 539 BC (approx.)— this verse
Fall of Babylon
The city of Babylon falls to the Persian army. Many historical accounts suggest the city was caught off guard during a night of feasting and celebration.
October 12, 539 BC (approx.)
Death of Belshazzar
During the chaos of the city's fall, Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans, is slain.
c. 539 BC
Darius the Mede Takes the Kingdom
Following the death of Belshazzar, Darius the Mede (often identified with Cyrus's uncle, Cyaxares II) takes control of Babylon and its surrounding territory.
This passage prophesies that Babylon's passages will be seized and her fortresses set on fire, directly foreshadowing the violent conquest described in Daniel 5.
Isaiah 47:11This verse warns that no evil will befall Babylon that she cannot counteract, except for the sudden and unexpected destruction that arrives like a plague, mirroring the swiftness of Belshazzar's demise.
Luke 12:20Jesus' parable of the rich fool speaks to the suddenness of death for those who have stored up treasures but are not rich toward God, echoing the unexpected end of Belshazzar's feasting.
Daniel 4:30This verse highlights Nebuchadnezzar's pride in his kingdom and his eventual downfall, providing a thematic parallel to Belshazzar's own arrogance and the resulting judgment.
Isaiah 21:4This prophetic passage describes confusion and terror seizing the prophet because of a vision of a raid on Babylon, aligning with the chaotic and violent end of the city and its king.
barnesDaniel 5:30: "In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain."
In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain - On the taking of Babylon, and the consequences, see the notes at Isaiah 13:17-22 ; Isaiah 45:1-2 . The account which Xenophon ("Cyrop." vii. s.) gives of the taking of Babylon. and of the death of the king - though without mentioning his name, agrees so well with the statement here, that it may be regarded as a strong confirmation of its correctness. After…
bensonDaniel 5:30: "In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain."
Daniel 5:30-31. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain — He and all his nobles were slain together, in the midst of their feasting and revelling, as Herodotus, lib. 1., and Xenophon, inform us. The latter relates the story thus, Cyropæd., lib. 7. — “That two deserters, Gadatas and Gobryas, having assisted some of the Persian army to kill the guards, and seize upon the palace, they entered into the…
The verse is stark, but its power lies in its simplicity: "That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed." This isn't just a factual report; it's the immediate, devastating fulfillment of divine judgment, highlighting how swiftly God's justice can fall, even upon a king caught in revelry.
This verse marks the immediate, dramatic climax of the chapter. After Daniel interprets the mysterious handwriting on the wall, declaring God’s judgment and the fall of Babylon, the text doesn't delay but announces the king's swift demise. It's the final consequence for Belshazzar’s pride and defiance, fulfilling Daniel’s prophecy within hours of its delivery and signaling the end of the Chaldean empire.
This verse marks the immediate, dramatic climax of the chapter. After Daniel interprets the mysterious handwriting on the wall, declaring God’s judgment and the fall of Babylon, the text doesn't delay but announces the king's swift demise. It's the final consequence for Belshazzar’s pride and defiance, fulfilling Daniel’s prophecy within hours of its delivery and signaling the end of the Chaldean empire.
"That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed." — The verse is stark, but its power lies in its simplicity: "That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed." This isn't just a factual report; it's the immediate, devastating fulfillment of d…
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Last reviewed October 2026