A disgusting scene?
Caleb
Shipmate Posts: 6
in Kerygmania
In Rembrandt's famous painting "Belshazzar's Feast" a finger is seen writing on the wall and the king looks suitably surprised. The NIV explains "....he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking"
Was the reality somewhat stronger, and more unpleasant?
"....his legs became weak" translates from the Welsh Bible as, "....his loins were untied". It looks as though the description is nearer to, "his knees knocked together and his bowels gave way", a disgusting scene but surely appropriate because Belshazzar was mocking God and encouraging his guests to do likewise.
The painting implies a single finger writing but the text is "fingers". The words were written with the equivalent of a 4" wide paintbrush by the lampstand and so must have been clearly visible to the thousand guests present. It seems that in front of all his subjects, Belshazzar soiled himself, probably copiously after such a large feast, and could barely stand.
The wording of the NIV appears to be a polite tautology. Can any shipmates with a knowledge of Greek shed any light on this?
Was the reality somewhat stronger, and more unpleasant?
"....his legs became weak" translates from the Welsh Bible as, "....his loins were untied". It looks as though the description is nearer to, "his knees knocked together and his bowels gave way", a disgusting scene but surely appropriate because Belshazzar was mocking God and encouraging his guests to do likewise.
The painting implies a single finger writing but the text is "fingers". The words were written with the equivalent of a 4" wide paintbrush by the lampstand and so must have been clearly visible to the thousand guests present. It seems that in front of all his subjects, Belshazzar soiled himself, probably copiously after such a large feast, and could barely stand.
The wording of the NIV appears to be a polite tautology. Can any shipmates with a knowledge of Greek shed any light on this?
Comments
So far as I can tell it literally refers to the joints of his hips being loosened and his knees knocking together.
Actually, parts of Daniel were written in Aramaic, and I think chapter 5 is one of the Aramaic parts.
I would be interested to know what Robert Alter did with this verse, but I don’t have that volume of his translation of the Tanakh. It doesn’t seem to far fetched to me that “the joints of his hips being loosened” could be an idiom.
You’re quite right. But, having checked, the Aramaic word is also translated as ‘hips’ (according to Brown Driver and Briggs, and Kohlenberger/Mounce).
It also makes sense practically (passes the smell test?) in pretty much every way.
People have made a mess of their undergarments at parties, and when scared.