Daniel 5:18

18 O! thou king, [the] highest God gave realm, and great worship, and glory, and honour, to Nebuchadnezzar, thy father. (O! thou king, the Most High God gave kingdom, and great worship, and glory, and honour, to Nebuchadnezzar, thy predecessor.)

Daniel 5:18 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 5:18

O thou king
"Hear" ^F20, O king; so Aben Ezra supplies it; what he was about to say first, in order to prepare him for the meaning of the handwriting, and the cause of it; or, "thou knowest", as Saadiah supplies it; namely, what follows: the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom:
a very large one, which reached to the ends of the earth: this was not to be ascribed to his predecessor that left it to him; or to his victorious arms, which increased it; or to his idol gods, to whom he attributed it; but to the most high God, from whom promotion alone cometh; and who, being above all gods and kings, sets up, and pulls down, as he pleases; he gave him his large dominions: and majesty, and glory, and honour;
greatness among men; glory and honour from them, on account of the majesty of his person and kingdom; the victories he obtained, and the great things he did to make him famous while he lived, and to perpetuate his memory after death.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 So Pagninus, Munster.

Daniel 5:18 In-Context

16 Certainly I have heard of thee, that thou mayest interpret dark things, and unbind bound things; therefore if thou mayest read the scripture, and show to me the interpreting thereof, thou shalt be clothed in purple, and thou shalt have a golden band about thy neck, and thou shalt be the third prince in my realm. (Certainly I have heard of thee, that thou can interpret secret, or hidden, things, and unbind bound things; and so if thou can read this writing, and tell me its interpretation, thou shalt be clothed in purple, and thou shalt have a gold band around thy neck, and thou shalt be the third in power in all my kingdom.)

17 To which things Daniel answered, and said before the king, Thy gifts be to thee, and give thou to another man the gifts of thine house; forsooth, king, I shall read the scripture to thee, and I shall show to thee the interpreting thereof. (To which Daniel answered, and said to the king, Let thy gifts be to thee, and give thou to someone else the gifts of thy house; but, O king, I shall read this writing to thee, and I shall tell thee its interpretation.)

18 O! thou king, [the] highest God gave realm, and great worship, and glory, and honour, to Nebuchadnezzar, thy father. (O! thou king, the Most High God gave kingdom, and great worship, and glory, and honour, to Nebuchadnezzar, thy predecessor.)

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,