The Feast
Ordinary Time Lyrics
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Silver and gold, and drank wine from them
The king and his nobles
His wives and his concubines, they drank wine from them
They praised the gods of
Silver and gold, iron and stone
They raised their glasses
They honored bronze they honored wood
But as they feasted
The kings knees began to shake
His face grew pale and
Then his legs both gave way
A human hand appeared and wrote
High on the wall
MENE MENE TEKEL PARSIN
The king said to Daniel
If you can say what this means
You will be made rich
And placed high over all of these
Daniel replied "King
You can keep your gifts for yourself
I will read these words and tell you what they mean
God has numbered the days
Of your reign and brought it to an end.
You've been weighed on the scales
And found wanting in the end
Your kingdom is divided
And given to Your enemies
God, the most high, gave your father glory and greatness and splendor!
But you did not humble yourself, you have not honored the Lord!
You praised the gods which do not see or hear or understand!
The Feast by Ordinary Time is a song that refers to the story of Belshazzar's feast in the book of Daniel in the Bible. The song starts with describing the luxurious feast, wherein the guests drank wine from silver and gold goblets, praising their gods made of silver, gold, iron, stone, bronze, and wood. This portrayal highlights the extravagance and impiety of the guests. However, during the feast, there was an eerie interruption. The king's knees started shaking while his face grew pale, and he fell to the ground as he saw a human hand writing "mene, mene, tekel, parsin" on the wall.
The second part of the song is a conversation between the king and Daniel. The king offers rewards to Daniel if he can interpret the meaning of the writing. However, Daniel refuses to accept these gifts and reveals that God has decided the fate of the kingdom. The lyrics suggest that God has weighed the king on scales, and he has been found wanting. The kingdom will be divided and handed over to the enemies because the king has not humbled himself and honored the Lord.
The Feast is a powerful song that highlights the consequences of sin and pride. It portrays the importance of recognizing that worldly riches and power are not enough to save from the wrath of God. The song emphasizes a message that resonates not only in the biblical context but also in our contemporary society.
Line by Line Meaning
They brought in the goblets
A description of the start of the feast where the silver and gold goblets are brought in
Silver and gold, and drank wine from them
The guests drank wine from the silver and gold goblets
The king and his nobles
Referring to the ruling class attending the feast
His wives and his concubines, they drank wine from them
A reference to the king's female companions joining in the drinking
They praised the gods of
The guests gave praise to their deities
Silver and gold, iron and stone
Listing the materials that their gods are associated with
They raised their glasses
The guests lifted their goblets
They honored bronze, they honored wood
The guests showed their respect to objects made from bronze and wood
But as they feasted
Referring to a change during the course of the feast
The kings knees began to shake
The king's knees started trembling
His face grew pale
The king's face became pale
And then his legs both gave way
The king's legs gave out and he fell
A human hand appeared and wrote
A supernatural event occurs with a hand appearing to write on the wall
High on the wall
Indicates the location of where the writing appears
MENE MENE TEKEL PARSIN
The words that were written on the wall
The king said to Daniel
Refers to the king's conversation with Daniel after the writing on the wall
If you can say what this means
The king offers a reward to Daniel if he can decipher the writing
You will be made rich
The reward will be monetary gain
And placed high over all of these
Daniel will have a high ranking position
Daniel replied "King
Daniel responds to the king's offer
You can keep your gifts for yourself
Daniel refuses the reward
I will read these words and tell you what they mean
Daniel offers to provide an interpretation of the writing
God has numbered the days
The meaning of the first word 'Mene' is explained by Daniel
Of your reign and brought it to an end.
Refers to the end of King Belshazzar's rule
You've been weighed on the scales
The meaning of the second word 'Tekel' is explained by Daniel
And found wanting in the end
King Belshazzar did not measure up to God's standards
Your kingdom is divided
The meaning of the third word 'Peres' is explained by Daniel
And given to Your enemies
King Belshazzar's kingdom will be given to his enemies
God, the most high, gave your father glory and greatness and splendor!
Daniel explains the concept of heredity and how King Belshazzar has squandered his inheritance
But you did not humble yourself, you have not honored the Lord!
Daniel scolds the king for his lack of humility and respect towards God
You praised the gods which do not see or hear or understand!
Daniel rebukes the king for worshipping deities that have no power
Contributed by Riley O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
H0und0g2
This song makes me cry. Really speaks to the covetous heart of man (mine mostly) and how much of an offence and betrayal it is to a Holy God. When will we learn that these things are oh so empty and those who have them as their boast are super discontent and insecure
AJ Donnelly
Great stuff, I just recently got pulled out of the world - I gotta say its hard to find good music. This has inspired me.