Daniel 5:20

20 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 his glory was taken from him;

Daniel 5:20 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 5:20

But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened it
pride
When his heart was elated with his successes and victories, with the enlargement of his dominions, and with his grandeur and glory he had arrived unto; and his pride increased yet more, till he was strengthened and hardened in it: or, "to deal proudly" ^F21; and behave haughtily to God and man: or, "to do wickedly", as Jarchi interprets it; for pride and haughtiness of mind puts men, especially great men, kings and monarchs, on doing things extremely vile and wicked: he was deposed from his kingly throne;
not by his nobles and subjects, but by the hand of God, which struck him with madness, and made him unfit for government; obliged him to quit the throne, and to range among the beasts of the field, as is afterwards observed: and they took his glory from him;
the watchers, the angels, or the divine Persons that ordered the tree to be cut down to the roots, ( Daniel 4:14 Daniel 4:17 Daniel 4:23 ) , or it may be rendered impersonally, "and his glory was taken from him" ^F23; his glory as a man, being deprived of his reason, and acting like a brute beast; and his glory as a king, which departed from him for a season, while he was driven from men, from his royal palace and court, and lived among beasts, and fed as they did, as follows:

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 (hdzhl) "ad superbe agendum", Junius & Tremellius; "ad superbiendum", Piscator, Michaelis; "ut superbe ageret", Cocceius.
F23 (hnm wydeh hyrqyw) "et gloria ejus ablata est", V. L.; "honor ejus translatus fuit", Michaelis.

Daniel 5:20 In-Context

18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnez'zar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty;

19 and because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him; whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive; whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down.

20 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 his glory was taken from him;

21 he was driven from among men, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; he was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of men, and sets over it whom he will.

22 And you his son, Belshaz'zar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,