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Daniel 5:19

in Daniel 5

Because 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 verse

A commentator

Jerome

St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FIVE · Written before 420.

Verse 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

A commentator

Hippolytus of Rome

Commentary on Daniel 3.17.3-4 · Written before 235.

proposed

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,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

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.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

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

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

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

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 words

Every 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.

  • 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 stops

Each 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 3:6

    And 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!’

  • Through

    Daniel 3:4

    Then 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…

  • Through

    Proverbs 16:14

    The 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.

Where this verse is studied

About Daniel

Daniel Interprets the Writing on the Wall — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Daniel Interprets the Writing on the Wall — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

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.