Daniel 5:20
in Daniel 5But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
KJV
But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
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This verse in Daniel 5
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
But when his heart was lifted up - See Dan 4:30. And his mind hardened in pride - Margin, “to deal proudly.” The state of mind indicated here is that in which there is no sense of dependence, but where one feels that he has all resources in himself, and need only look to himself. He was deposed from his kingly throne - Margin, “made to come down.” That is, he was so deposed by the providence of God, not by the acts of his own subjects.
This site's exposition
the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar
on Daniel 5:18-21
Before touching the writing Daniel retells the whole of chapter 4 to Belshazzar in miniature: the majesty God gave Nebuchadnezzar, the pride that lifted his heart, and the seven years among the beasts till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men. Barnes reads this as Daniel forcing Belshazzar to hear the lesson his own family's history already taught, so that when judgment falls in this chapter it cannot be called unwarned or unprecedented. The phrase that most high God ruleth in the kingdom of men recurs from chapter 4 nearly word for word, binding the two chapters into one demonstration of the same truth to two different kings.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And in this way, having begun, he described to the king all the things which happened to his father in their order, and at the same time he thoroughly explained to him the things which happened, in order to cause him to understand not to brag, nor to be arrogant, but that one must be under the authority of God. And so he said to him, "God Most High gave to Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom and the majesty and the honor and the glory.
"He was deposed from the throne of his kingdom: just as he elevated those he wanted and humbled those he wanted," doing so not altogether by a right decision, so the King and Lord of all gave your father the kingdom as he wanted, but …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Note, Pride is a sin that hardens the heart in all other sin and renders the means of repentance and reformation ineffectual. (3.) He reminds him of the judgments of God that were brought upon him for his pride and obstinacy, how he was deprived of his reason, and so deposed from his kingly throne (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened it pride,....
This is not intended for a flourish or an amusement, but is a necessary preliminary to the interpretation of the writing. Note, That we may understand aright what God is doing with us, it is of use to us to review what he has done with others.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
He was deposed from his kingly throne - Became insane; and the reins of government were taken out of his hands.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּכְדִי֙ | ukhedi | and as that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| רִ֣ם | rim | it rose up | H7313 → | 4 times |
| לִבְבֵ֔הּ | liveh | heart his | H3825 → | 7 times |
| וְרוּחֵ֖הּ | verucheh | and spirit his | H7308 → | 11 times |
| תִּֽקְפַ֣ת | tikfat | it grew strong | H8631 → | 5 times |
| לַהֲזָדָ֑ה | lahazadah | to act presumptuously | H2103 → | |
| הָנְחַת֙ | hanechat | he was deposed | H5182 → | 6 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4481 → | 109 times |
| כָּרְסֵ֣א | karese' | [the] throne of | H3764 → | 3 times |
| מַלְכוּתֵ֔הּ | malkhuteh | kingdom his | H4437 → | 57 times |
| וִֽיקָרָ֖ה | vikarah' | and honor the | H3367 → | 7 times |
| הֶעְדִּ֥יוּ | he'diyu | they removed | H5709 → | 9 times |
| מִנֵּֽהּ׃ | mineh | from him | H4481 → | 109 times |
וּכְדִי֙and as that
ukhediH1768 →345 times
רִ֣םit rose up
rimH7313 →4 times
לִבְבֵ֔הּheart his
livehH3825 →7 times
וְרוּחֵ֖הּand spirit his
veruchehH7308 →11 times
תִּֽקְפַ֣תit grew strong
tikfatH8631 →5 times
לַהֲזָדָ֑הto act presumptuously
lahazadahH2103 →
הָנְחַת֙he was deposed
hanechatH5182 →6 times
מִן־from
min-H4481 →109 times
כָּרְסֵ֣א[the] throne of
karese'H3764 →3 times
מַלְכוּתֵ֔הּkingdom his
malkhutehH4437 →57 times
וִֽיקָרָ֖הand honor the
vikarah'H3367 →7 times
הֶעְדִּ֥יוּthey removed
he'diyuH5709 →9 times
מִנֵּֽהּ׃from him
minehH4481 →109 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 3:13But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.
- Hebrews 10:24–25
And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.
- 2 Timothy 4:2
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:18
Therefore encourage one another with these words.
- Acts 11:23
When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to abide in the Lord with all their hearts.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Through
Jeremiah 13:18Say to the king and to the queen mother: “Take a lowly seat, for your glorious crowns have fallen from your heads.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 22:26
I will hurl you and the mother who gave you birth into another land, where neither of you were born—and there you both will die.
- 2 Kings 24:12
Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials all surrendered to the king of Babylon. So in the eighth year of his reign, the king of Babylon took him…
- 2 Kings 24:15
Nebuchadnezzar carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, as well as the king’s mother, his wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land. He took them into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
- Jeremiah 22:26
Where this verse is studied
About Daniel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Daniel; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 3.17.3-4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 5:20.