Daniel 5:19

19 Lo hizo tan poderoso que gente de toda raza, nación y lengua temblaba de temor ante él. El rey mataba a quienes quería matar y perdonaba a quienes quería perdonar; honraba a quienes quería honrar y humillaba a quienes quería humillar.

Daniel 5:19 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 5:19

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.

Daniel 5:19 In-Context

17 Daniel respondió al rey:
—Su Majestad, guarde sus regalos o déselos a otra persona, igual le diré el significado de lo que está escrito en la pared.

18 El Dios Altísimo le dio soberanía, majestad, gloria y honor a su antecesor, Nabucodonosor.

19 Lo hizo tan poderoso que gente de toda raza, nación y lengua temblaba de temor ante él. El rey mataba a quienes quería matar y perdonaba a quienes quería perdonar; honraba a quienes quería honrar y humillaba a quienes quería humillar.

20 Sin embargo, cuando su corazón y su mente se llenaron de arrogancia, le fue quitado el trono real y se le despojó de su gloria.

21 Fue expulsado de la sociedad humana. Se le dio la mente de un animal salvaje y vivió entre los burros salvajes. Comió pasto como el ganado y lo mojó el rocío del cielo, hasta que reconoció que el Dios Altísimo gobierna los reinos del mundo y designa a quien él quiere para que los gobierne.