Original Word: בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Belsha'tstsar
Pronunciation: beh-leh-shat-sar
Phonetic Spelling: (bale-shats-tsar')
Definition: Belshazzar
Meaning: Belshatstsar

Belshazzar

Or Belshatstsar {bale-shats-tsar'}; of foreign origin (compare Beltsha'tstsar); Belshatstsar, a Babylonian king -- Belshazzar.

see HEBREW Beltsha'tstsar

Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
"Bel, protect the king," a Bab. king
NASB Translation
Belshazzar (1).

ֵ˜בּלְאשַׁצַּר proper name, masculine (Bêl-šar-uƒur, Bel, protect the king COT Daniel 5:1) Daniel 8:1; represented as king of Babylon, successor, and apparently son of Nebuchadrezzar (Daniel 5:1,2,11 etc.); in cuneiform inscription known only as prince, son of Nabonidus (last Shemitic king of Babylon), see COT 1.c.

Word Origin: Derived from the Akkadian name "Bel-shar-usur," meaning "Bel, protect the king."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There are no direct Greek equivalents for the name Belshazzar in the Strong's Greek Concordance, as it is a proper noun specific to the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. However, the Greek Septuagint may transliterate the name in its translation of the Book of Daniel.

Usage: The name Belshazzar appears in the Book of Daniel, where he is depicted as the ruler of Babylon during the time of the famous "writing on the wall" incident. He is known for his impious act of using the sacred vessels from the Jerusalem Temple during a feast, which led to the divine judgment and the fall of Babylon.

Context: Belshazzar is a significant figure in the biblical narrative found in the Book of Daniel, chapters 5 and 7. He is portrayed as the last king of Babylon, reigning during the time of the Medo-Persian conquest. In Daniel 5, Belshazzar holds a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and, in a display of arrogance and sacrilege, uses the gold and silver vessels taken from the Jerusalem Temple. During the feast, a mysterious hand appears and writes a message on the wall, which Daniel interprets as a divine judgment against Belshazzar. The message, "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN," signifies the end of his kingdom. That very night, Belshazzar is slain, and Darius the Mede takes over the kingdom. This account highlights themes of divine sovereignty, judgment, and the downfall of prideful rulers. Historically, Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus, the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and served as co-regent during his father's absence.

בֵּלְאשַׁצַּ֣ר בלאשצר bê·lə·šaṣ·ṣar bêləšaṣṣar beleshatzTzarInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts