Daniel 5:21

Humility God's power and sovereignty Pride

¹⁹ 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.

²⁰ But 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.

He 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.

²² But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.

²³ Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: He 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.
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.
WEB: He was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals’, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will.
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.
DARBY: 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 bathed with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the Most High God ruleth over the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
BLB: And he was driven away from the sons of men, and his heart was made like with the beast, and with the wild donkeys [was] his dwelling; they fed him grass like oxen, and with the dew of heaven his body became wet, until that he came to know that God Most High [is] ruling over the kingdom of men, and whomever that He chooses, He establishes over it.

ÅB: Han ble utstøtt fra menneskenes barn, og hans hjerte ble likt dyrenes, og hos villeslene var hans bolig; urter måtte han spise slik som oksene, og av himmelens dugg ble hans legeme vætet, inntil han sannet at den høyeste Gud råder over kongedømmet blant menneskene og setter den han vil, til å styre.
OTB: Han ble drevet bort fra menneskene og fikk dyrets sinn; han bodde med de ville eslene og spiste gress som kveg; hans kropp ble vætet av himmelens dugg inntil han erkjente at Den Høyeste Gud er hersker over menneskenes riker og setter over dem hvem Han vil.
B1930: Han blev utstøtt fra menneskenes barn, og hans hjerte blev likt dyrenes, og hos villeslene var hans bolig; urter måtte han ete likesom oksene, og av himmelens dugg blev hans legeme vætet, inntil han sannet at den høieste Gud råder over kongedømmet blandt menneskene og setter den han vil, til å styre.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

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, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.
Read in context
Ezekiel 17:24
Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’”
Read in context
Daniel 4:35
All 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 His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”
Read in context
Daniel 4:17
This 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 to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’
Read in context
Job 30:3–7
Gaunt from poverty and hunger, they gnawed the dry land, and the desolate wasteland by night.
Read in context
Daniel 4:32–33
You will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like an ox. And seven times will pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.”
Read in context
Exodus 9:14–16
Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.
Read in context
Psalms 83:17–18
May they be ever ashamed and terrified; may they perish in disgrace.
Read in context