Daniel 5:21
in Daniel 5He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts’, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the Most High God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and that he setteth up over it whomsoever he will.
KJV
And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
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This verse in Daniel 5
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThis 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
until he acknowledged that the Most
Matthew Henry read Daniel's words to the king as articles of impeachment, the charge read out before the sentence. Stating the charge first shows God just when He judges. Henry's first charge was that Belshazzar knew all this about his father and did not humble his heart.
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
In God's name, he exhibits articles of impeachment against Belshazzar. Before he reads him his doom, from the hand-writing on the wall, he shows him his crime, that God may be justified when he speaks, and clear when he judges. Now that which he lays to his charge is, (1.) That he had not taken warning by the judgments of God upon his father (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And he was driven from the sons of men,....
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
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And he was driven ... - See this fully explained in Dan 4:25-33.
The words behind it
32 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 away from | H4481 → | 109 times |
| בְּנֵי֩ | benei | [the] sons of | H1247 → | 19 times |
| אֲנָשָׁ֨א | ʾanasha' | <the> humankind | H606 → | 25 times |
| טְרִ֜יד | terid | he was chased | H2957 → | 4 times |
| וְלִבְבֵ֣הּ׀ | veliveh | and heart his | H3825 → | 7 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5974 → | 22 times |
| חֵיוְתָ֣א | cheivta' | animal[s] the | H2423 → | 20 times |
| שַׁוִּ֗יְו | shevi | they made | H7739 → | |
| וְעִם־ | veim- | and [was] with | H5974 → | 22 times |
| עֲרָֽדַיָּא֙ | ʾaradaiya' | wild donkeys the | H6167 → | |
| מְדוֹרֵ֔הּ | medoreh | dwelling place his | H4070 → | 4 times |
| עִשְׂבָּ֤א | ʾisba' | <the> grass | H6211 → | 12 times |
| כְתוֹרִין֙ | khetorin | like oxen | H8450 → | 7 times |
| יְטַ֣עֲמוּנֵּ֔הּ | yetaamuneh | they fed him | H2939 → | 3 times |
| וּמִטַּ֥ל | umital | and from [the] dew of | H2920 → | 5 times |
| שְׁמַיָּ֖א | shemaiya' | heavens the | H8065 → | 38 times |
| גִּשְׁמֵ֣הּ | gishmeh | body his | H1655 → | 5 times |
| יִצְטַבַּ֑ע | yitztaba' | it became wet | H6647 → | 5 times |
| עַ֣ד | ʾad | until | H5705 → | 35 times |
| דִּֽי־ | di- | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| יְדַ֗ע | yeda' | he knew | H3046 → | 47 times |
| דִּֽי־ | di- | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| שַׁלִּ֞יט | shalit | [was] having mastery | H7990 → | 10 times |
| אֱלָהָ֤א | ʾelaha' | <the> God | H426 → | 95 times |
| עִלָּאָה֙ | ilaya' | Most High the | H5943 → | 10 times |
| בְּמַלְכ֣וּת | bemalkhut | over [the] kingdom of | H4437 → | 57 times |
| אֲנָשָׁ֔א | ʾanasha' | <the> humankind | H606 → | 25 times |
| וּלְמַן־ | uleman- | and to whomever | H4479 → | 10 times |
| דִּ֥י | di | whom | H1768 → | 345 times |
| יִצְבֵּ֖ה | yitzbeh | he will be pleased | H6634 → | 10 times |
| יְהָקֵ֥ים | yehakeim | he will appoint | H6966 → | 35 times |
| עֲלַֽהּ׃ | alayeh | over it | H5922 → | 104 times |
וּמִן־and away from
umin-H4481 →109 times
בְּנֵי֩[the] sons of
beneiH1247 →19 times
אֲנָשָׁ֨א<the> humankind
ʾanasha'H606 →25 times
טְרִ֜ידhe was chased
teridH2957 →4 times
וְלִבְבֵ֣הּ׀and heart his
velivehH3825 →7 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5974 →22 times
חֵיוְתָ֣אanimal[s] the
cheivta'H2423 →20 times
שַׁוִּ֗יְוthey made
sheviH7739 →
וְעִם־and [was] with
veim-H5974 →22 times
עֲרָֽדַיָּא֙wild donkeys the
ʾaradaiya'H6167 →
מְדוֹרֵ֔הּdwelling place his
medorehH4070 →4 times
עִשְׂבָּ֤א<the> grass
ʾisba'H6211 →12 times
כְתוֹרִין֙like oxen
khetorinH8450 →7 times
יְטַ֣עֲמוּנֵּ֔הּthey fed him
yetaamunehH2939 →3 times
וּמִטַּ֥לand from [the] dew of
umitalH2920 →5 times
שְׁמַיָּ֖אheavens the
shemaiya'H8065 →38 times
גִּשְׁמֵ֣הּbody his
gishmehH1655 →5 times
יִצְטַבַּ֑עit became wet
yitztaba'H6647 →5 times
עַ֣דuntil
ʾadH5705 →35 times
דִּֽי־that
di-H1768 →345 times
יְדַ֗עhe knew
yeda'H3046 →47 times
דִּֽי־that
di-H1768 →345 times
שַׁלִּ֞יט[was] having mastery
shalitH7990 →10 times
אֱלָהָ֤א<the> God
ʾelaha'H426 →95 times
עִלָּאָה֙Most High the
ilaya'H5943 →10 times
בְּמַלְכ֣וּתover [the] kingdom of
bemalkhutH4437 →57 times
אֲנָשָׁ֔א<the> humankind
ʾanasha'H606 →25 times
וּלְמַן־and to whomever
uleman-H4479 →10 times
דִּ֥יwhom
diH1768 →345 times
יִצְבֵּ֖הhe will be pleased
yitzbehH6634 →10 times
יְהָקֵ֥יםhe will appoint
yehakeimH6966 →35 times
עֲלַֽהּ׃over it
alayehH5922 →104 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 4:17This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it…
it leads to
- Daniel 2:21
He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 4:25
You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven,…
- 1 Samuel 2:8
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth…
- Daniel 2:21
Through
Daniel 4:35All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain…
it leads to
- Job 42:2
“I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted.
- Psalms 135:6
The LORD does all that pleases Him in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and in all their depths.
- Psalms 115:3
Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.
- Romans 11:33–36
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
- Isaiah 40:15–17
Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are considered a speck of dust on the scales; He lifts up the islands like fine dust.
- Job 42:2
Where this verse is studied
About Daniel
This page draws on 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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.