In the twenty-fifth verse, 'And this' stands out, 'this' being the new
idea, the voice drifting, with some acceleration, over 'is the writing
that was written'; 'MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN,' that is, 'numbered,
numbered, weighed, divisions,' 'mene, mene' being an emphatic
repetition. In the twenty-eighth verse, 'peres,' having the same root,
and meaning 'divided,' is substituted for 'upharsin.'
In the twenty-sixth verse, 'This is the interpretation' stands out, the
voice coming down on 'interpretation' and drifting over, and slighting,
'of the thing.' When 'mene' is pronounced by Daniel, it must be
supposed that its meaning is understood, but not its application; the
word 'kingdom' must, therefore, be marked with the emphasis; 'and
finished it' must be somewhat slighted, as the meaning of the phrase is
anticipated in 'numbered.'
In the twenty-seventh verse, the voice moves along with some
acceleration, over 'thou art weighed in the balances,' the idea of
'weighed' being anticipated in 'tekel,' and 'art found wanting' is
brought strongly out.
In the twenty-eighth verse, 'kingdom' must receive the emphasis,
'divided' being anticipated in 'peres'; 'and given to the Medes and
Persians' we must suppose is not altogether new information to
Belshazzar, after his having been informed that the division of his
kingdom is at hand. He knows who will come into possession of it. This
phrase, therefore, must not be brought fully to the front. It must be
uttered with some acceleration of the voice and in a way to indicate the
supposed feeling of Daniel in regard to the quick work which is to be
made of the kingdom.
The twenty-ninth verse should be read with some acceleration of voice,
and without any special expression, the reader assuming that the promise
made by the king to Daniel, in the sixteenth verse, if he can interpret
the writing, was fulfilled. This twenty-ninth verse must not, therefore,
be read as imparting new information.
In the thirtieth verse, 'In that night' must be brought fully out,
through a time emphasis, to mark how immediate was the fulfilment of
Daniel's interpretation; there must be some acceleration of voice upon
'was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans,' and a quite strong emphasis
given to 'slain.'
In the thirty-first verse, 'took' is the foreground word, the emphasis
of it implying an accordance with Daniel's interpretation; 'being about
threescore and two years old,' should be read as a gratuitously affixed
fact, having no particular bearing upon what has been related.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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