Daniel 5:21

21 and he was cast out from the sons of men; but also his heart was set with beasts, and his dwelling was with wild asses; also he ate hay as an ox doeth, and his body was coloured with the dew of heaven, till he knew, that the Highest hath power in the realm of men, and he shall raise on it whomever he will. (and he was thrown out from among people; and his mind became like that of the beasts, and his habitation was with the wild donkeys, or with the wild beasts; and he ate grass, like an ox doeth, and his body was sprinkled with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged, that the Most High God hath power over the kingdom of people, and that he shall raise upon it whomever he will.)

Daniel 5:21 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 5:21

And he was driven from the sons of men
From their company, and from conversation with them; his madness was of that kind, that he chose rather to be with beasts than men; it drove him from men, and made him more desirous of being with beasts; or it was so intolerable, that his family, friends, and courtiers, were obliged to remove him from them, from his palace and court, and from all conversation with men, which he was incapable of through his frenzy and madness: and his heart was made like the beasts;
to have the same affections and desires as they have; to crave the same things they did, and like what they liked, and live as they lived: or, "he put his heart with the beasts" ^F24; either Nebuchadnezzar himself chose to be with them, and delighted in a beastly life; or God did it; he put such a heart into him, or so disposed it, that it became brutish; though to read the words impersonally, as before, seems best: and his dwelling was with the wild asses;
in a wilderness or field; or rather in some enclosed place, in one of his parks, where such creatures were kept for hunting; among these he dwelt, as being like them, having lost the use of his reason, and so was become stupid and sottish as they: and they fed him with grass like oxen;
as they are fed, and which he chose above any other food: and his body was wet with the dew of heaven;
being without clothes, and lying naked in some open place all night: till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and
that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will:
till he came to his senses, and was brought to see and own the sovereign dominion of the one, true, and living God, over all the kingdoms of the earth, and that they are at his dispose; ( Daniel 4:32 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 (ywv atwyx Me hbblw) "cor ejus cum bestiis posuit", Vatablus, Calvin; "animum suum cum bestis posuit", Cocceius.

Daniel 5:21 In-Context

19 And for [the] great worship which he had given to that Nebuchadnezzar, all peoples, lineages, and languages, trembled and dreaded him; he killed which he would, and he smote which he would, and he enhanced which he would, and he made low which he would. (And for the great power which he gave to that Nebuchadnezzar, all the peoples, and the tribes, or the nations, of every language, trembled and feared him; he killed whom he would, and he struck down whom he would, and he exalted, or he lifted up, whom he would, and he made low whom he would.)

20 Forsooth when his heart was raised [up], and his spirit was made obstinate in pride, he was put down off the seat of his realm (he was taken down off the throne of his kingdom); and his glory was taken away,

21 and he was cast out from the sons of men; but also his heart was set with beasts, and his dwelling was with wild asses; also he ate hay as an ox doeth, and his body was coloured with the dew of heaven, till he knew, that the Highest hath power in the realm of men, and he shall raise on it whomever he will. (and he was thrown out from among people; and his mind became like that of the beasts, and his habitation was with the wild donkeys, or with the wild beasts; and he ate grass, like an ox doeth, and his body was sprinkled with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged, that the Most High God hath power over the kingdom of people, and that he shall raise upon it whomever he will.)

22 And thou, Belshazzar, the son of him, meekedest not thine heart, when thou knewest all these things; (And thou, Belshazzar, his successor, hast not humbled, or made meek, thy heart, even though thou knewest all these things;)

23 but thou were raised [up] against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of his house were brought before thee, and thou, and thy best men, and thy wives, and thy concubines, drank wine in those vessels; and thou praisedest gods of silver, and of gold, and of brass, and of iron, and of tree, and of stone, that see not, neither hear, neither feel; certainly thou glorifiedest not God, that hath thy blast, and all thy ways in his hand. (but thou were raised up against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of his House were brought before thee, and thou, and thy best men, and thy wives, and thy concubines, drank wine from those vessels; and thou praisedest gods made of silver, and gold, and bronze, and iron, and wood, and stone, that see not, neither hear, nor feel; certainly thou glorifiedest not God, who hath thy breath, and all thy ways, in his hands.)