BALTASAR

bal-ta'-sar (Baltasar; the King James Version Balthasar):

(1) The Greek of Hebrew, belTesha'tstsar, or belTe'shatstsar, perhaps corresponding to BalaT-sar-ucur, "protect the life of the king," the Babylonian cognomen of Daniel. Compare Belteshazzar (Daniel 1:7; 2:26; 4:8 ff, et al.).

(2) Baltasar is also the Greek of the Hebrew belsha'tstsar, or bel'shatstsar, the name of the last king of Babylon (corresponding to the Babylonian Bel-sar-ucur; Schrader, Die Keilinschriften und das Alte Testament, III, 396; Syriac Blitshazzar; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) Baltassar). Compare Baruch 1 11 and Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1 ff; Daniel 7:1; 8:1).

(3) The name of one of the Magi who according to the legend visited Jesus at Bethlehem: Melchior from Nubia, Balthasar from Godolia, Caspar from Tharsis.

A. L. Breslich

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.