And for the majesty that he gave him
The greatness of his power, the largeness of his dominions, and
the vast armies he had at his command: all people, nations,
and languages, trembled and feared before him;
not only those that were subject to him, but those that had only
heard of him: who dreaded his approach unto them, and their
falling into his victorious hands, and being made vassals to him:
whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept
alive;
he ruled in an arbitrary and despotic manner, and kept the power
of life and death in his own hands; whom he would he put to
death, though ever so innocent; and whom he would he preserved
from death, though ever so deserving of it; he had no regard to
justice, but acted according to his own will and pleasure.
Jacchiades renders the last clause, "whom he would he smote": but
both the punctuation of the word, and the antithesis in the text,
require the sense our version gives, and which is confirmed by
Aben Ezra and Saadiah: and whom he would he set up: and
whom he would he put down;
according to his pleasure, he raised persons from a low estate to
great dignity, and put them into high posts of honour and profit,
as he did Daniel: and others he as much debased, turned them out
of their places, and reduced them to the lowest degree of
disgrace and poverty; and all according to his absolute and
irresistible will, without giving any reason for what he did.