Daniel 5:19
in Daniel 5Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down.
KJV
And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
⋯
This verse in Daniel 5
Commentary
9 notes on this verseVerse 19. "'He slew whomever he would and smote to death whomever he wished to; those whom he wished he set on high, and brought low whomever he would.'" Thus he sets forth the example of the king's great-grandfather, in order to teach him the justice of God and make it clear that his great-grandson too was to suffer similar treatment because of his pride.
This site's exposition
the Most High God gave
on Daniel 5:18-21
Before he reads the writing, Daniel retells chapter 4 in brief: the greatness God gave Nebuchadnezzar and the pride when “his heart became arrogant”. The king lived among the beasts “until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind”.
This site's exposition
He killed whom he wished
Adam Clarke called this the mark of a despot, whose will is the only rule of his conduct. Albert Barnes stressed that the greatness came from God. Jerome saw Daniel setting the elder king's example before Belshazzar to warn him of the same judgment for the same pride.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
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.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And for the majesty that he gave him,....
It is that by which the brutal part of the world, even of the world of mankind, both governs and is governed. [2.] His authority was so absolute that it was uncontrollable.
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.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Whom he would he slew - The genuine character of a despot, whose will is the only rule of his conduct.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And, for the majesty that he gave him - That is, on account of his greatness, referring to the talents which God had conferred on him, and the power which he had put in his hands. It was so great that all people and nations trembled before him. All people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him - Stood in awe of him. On the extent of his empire, see the note at Dan 3:4; Dan 4:1, Dan 4:22. Whom he would he slew ... - That is, he was an arbitrary - an absolute sovereign.
The words behind it
34 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּמִן־ | umin- | and from | H4481 → | 109 times |
| רְבוּתָא֙ | revuta' | greatness the | H7238 → | 5 times |
| דִּ֣י | di | which | H1768 → | 345 times |
| יְהַב־ | yehav- | he gave | H3052 → | 28 times |
| לֵ֔הּ | leh | to him | ||
| כֹּ֣ל | kol | all | H3606 → | 82 times |
| עַֽמְמַיָּ֗א | ʾamaiya' | peoples the | H5972 → | 15 times |
| אֻמַיָּא֙ | ʾumaiya' | nations the | H524 → | 8 times |
| וְלִשָּׁ֣נַיָּ֔א | velishanaiya' | and languages the | H3961 → | 7 times |
| הֲו֛וֹ | havo | they were | H1934 → | 71 times |
| זָיְעִ֥ין | zaain | trembling | H2112 → | |
| וְדָחֲלִ֖ין | vedachalin | and fearing | H1763 → | 6 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4481 → | 109 times |
| קֳדָמ֑וֹהִי | kodamohi | before him | H6925 → | 42 times |
| דִּֽי־ | di- | whom | H1768 → | 345 times |
| הֲוָ֨ה | havah | he was | H1934 → | 71 times |
| צָבֵ֜א | tzave' | pleased | H6634 → | 10 times |
| הֲוָ֣א | hava' | he was | H1934 → | 71 times |
| קָטֵ֗ל | katel | killing | H6992 → | 7 times |
| וְדִֽי־ | vedi- | and whom | H1768 → | 345 times |
| הֲוָ֤ה | havah | he was | H1934 → | 71 times |
| צָבֵא֙ | tzave' | pleased | H6634 → | 10 times |
| הֲוָ֣ה | havah | he was | H1934 → | 71 times |
| מַחֵ֔א | mache' | letting live | H2418 → | 6 times |
| וְדִֽי־ | vedi- | and whom | H1768 → | 345 times |
| הֲוָ֤ה | havah | he was | H1934 → | 71 times |
| צָבֵא֙ | tzave' | pleased | H6634 → | 10 times |
| הֲוָ֣ה | havah | he was | H1934 → | 71 times |
| מָרִ֔ים | marim | lifting up | H7313 → | 4 times |
| וְדִֽי־ | vedi- | and whom | H1768 → | 345 times |
| הֲוָ֥ה | havah | he was | H1934 → | 71 times |
| צָבֵ֖א | tzave' | pleased | H6634 → | 10 times |
| הֲוָ֥ה | havah | he was | H1934 → | 71 times |
| מַשְׁפִּֽיל׃ | mashpil | bringing low | H8214 → | 4 times |
וּמִן־and from
umin-H4481 →109 times
רְבוּתָא֙greatness the
revuta'H7238 →5 times
דִּ֣יwhich
diH1768 →345 times
יְהַב־he gave
yehav-H3052 →28 times
לֵ֔הּto him
leh
כֹּ֣לall
kolH3606 →82 times
עַֽמְמַיָּ֗אpeoples the
ʾamaiya'H5972 →15 times
אֻמַיָּא֙nations the
ʾumaiya'H524 →8 times
וְלִשָּׁ֣נַיָּ֔אand languages the
velishanaiya'H3961 →7 times
הֲו֛וֹthey were
havoH1934 →71 times
זָיְעִ֥יןtrembling
zaainH2112 →
וְדָחֲלִ֖יןand fearing
vedachalinH1763 →6 times
מִן־from
min-H4481 →109 times
קֳדָמ֑וֹהִיbefore him
kodamohiH6925 →42 times
דִּֽי־whom
di-H1768 →345 times
הֲוָ֨הhe was
havahH1934 →71 times
צָבֵ֜אpleased
tzave'H6634 →10 times
הֲוָ֣אhe was
hava'H1934 →71 times
קָטֵ֗לkilling
katelH6992 →7 times
וְדִֽי־and whom
vedi-H1768 →345 times
הֲוָ֤הhe was
havahH1934 →71 times
צָבֵא֙pleased
tzave'H6634 →10 times
הֲוָ֣הhe was
havahH1934 →71 times
מַחֵ֔אletting live
mache'H2418 →6 times
וְדִֽי־and whom
vedi-H1768 →345 times
הֲוָ֤הhe was
havahH1934 →71 times
צָבֵא֙pleased
tzave'H6634 →10 times
הֲוָ֣הhe was
havahH1934 →71 times
מָרִ֔יםlifting up
marimH7313 →4 times
וְדִֽי־and whom
vedi-H1768 →345 times
הֲוָ֥הhe was
havahH1934 →71 times
צָבֵ֖אpleased
tzave'H6634 →10 times
הֲוָ֥הhe was
havahH1934 →71 times
מַשְׁפִּֽיל׃bringing low
mashpilH8214 →4 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
Daniel 3:6And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.”
it leads to
- Matthew 13:50
and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Matthew 13:42
And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Jeremiah 29:22
Because of them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’
- Matthew 13:50
Through
Daniel 3:4Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “O people of every nation and language, this is what you are commanded:
it leads to
- Daniel 6:25
Then King Darius wrote to the people of every nation and language throughout the land: “May your prosperity abound.
- Daniel 4:1
King Nebuchadnezzar, To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth: May your prosperity be multiplied.
- Micah 6:16
You have kept the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their counsel. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of contempt; you…
- Daniel 6:25
Through
Proverbs 16:14The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
it leads to
- Proverbs 20:2
The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; whoever provokes him forfeits his own life.
- Proverbs 19:12
A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
- Proverbs 20:2
Where this verse is studied
About Daniel

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Daniel; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 3.17.3-4; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
