Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 5:19
And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
19. and because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages, &c.] Cf. Dan 3:4.
trembled and feared before him ] dreading what he might do next.
whom he would he slew, &c.] he acted as though he possessed the attributes of Deity, and was accountable to no superior. Similar expressions are used elsewhere of the action of God: e.g. Deu 32:39; 1Sa 2:6-7; Psa 75:7.
set up ] lifted up (or exalted): the word used in Psa 75:7; Psa 89:19; Psa 113:7, &c.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And, for the majesty that he gave him – That is, on account of his greatness, referring to the talents which God had conferred on him, and the power which he had put in his hands. It was so great that all people and nations trembled before him.
All people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him – Stood in awe of him. On the extent of his empire, see the note at Dan 3:4; Dan 4:1, Dan 4:22.
Whom he would he slew … – That is, he was an arbitrary – an absolute sovereign. This is exactly descriptive of the power which Oriental despotic monarchs have.
Whom he would he kept alive – Whether they had, or had not, been guilty of crime. He had the absolute power of life and death over them There was no such instrument as we call a constitution to control the sovereign as well as the people; there was no tribunal to which he was responsible, and no law by which he was bound; there were no judges to determine on the question of life and death in regard to those who were accused of crime, whom he did not appoint, and whom he might not remove, and whose judgments he might not set aside if he pleased; there were no juries of peers to determine on the question of fact whether an accused man was guilty or not. There were none of those safeguards which have been originated to protect the accused in modern times, and which enter so essentially into the notions of liberty now. In an absolute despotism all power is in the hands of one man, and this was in fact the case in Babylon.
Whom he would he set up – That is, in places of trust, of office, of rank, etc.
And whom he would he put down – No matter what their rank or office.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 19. Whom he would he slew] The genuine character of a despot, whose will is the only rule of his conduct.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He ruled arbitrarily, and had power of life and death, he did what he would, his will was a law. And this lifted up his heart in pride, and hardened it as Pharaohs, for which, being incorrigible,
he was deposed from his kingly throne, as in the next verse.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. A purely absolute monarchy(Jer 27:7).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Dan 5:19. Whom he would he slew We have here a strong picture of the absolute and independent power of these princes: they regarded their subjects only as their slaves. Xerxes, having assembled the great men of his kingdom, when he had determined to undertake the war against Greece, said to them, “I have assembled you, that I might not seem to act solely by my own counsel; but remember, that I expect obedience, not advice from you.” See Calmet.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Dan 5:19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
Ver. 19. Whom he would he slew. ] De facto loquitur, non de iure. See the like 1Sa 8:10-17 . See Trapp on “ 1Sa 8:10 “ See Trapp on “ 1Sa 8:11 “ See Trapp on “ 1Sa 8:12 “ See Trapp on “ 1Sa 8:13 “ See Trapp on “ 1Sa 8:14 “ See Trapp on “ 1Sa 8:15 “ See Trapp on “ 1Sa 8:16 “ See Trapp on “ 1Sa 8:17 “ Lactantius a telleth of a certain tyrant, qui lucem vivis, terram mortuis denegabat, who would never let his subjects rest alive or dead.
a Lib. v. cap. 11.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
people = peoples.
whom he would, &c See note on “inferior” (Dan 2:39).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
that he: Dan 3:4, Dan 4:22, Jer 25:9-14, Jer 27:5-7, Hab 2:5, Rom 13:1
whom he would he slew: Dan 2:12, Dan 2:13, Dan 3:6, Dan 3:20, Dan 3:21, Dan 3:29, Pro 16:14, Joh 19:11
Reciprocal: Gen 44:18 – as Pharaoh 1Ki 21:7 – Dost thou now 2Ki 25:28 – the throne 1Ch 29:25 – bestowed 2Ch 32:13 – I and my Ezr 1:2 – hath given Pro 19:12 – king’s Ecc 8:3 – for Jer 4:7 – destroyer Jer 27:6 – I given all Jer 34:1 – all the kingdoms Jer 43:10 – I will send Jer 51:44 – the nations Jer 52:32 – set Eze 31:11 – the mighty Dan 4:30 – and for Dan 8:4 – but Dan 11:3 – do Dan 11:12 – his heart Mat 4:9 – I give Mat 20:25 – exercise dominion Joh 19:10 – knowest Eph 6:9 – forbearing 1Ti 6:17 – that they Rev 6:4 – power
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 5:19. For the majesty means in view of or because of that majesty, the nations trembled and feared. The first is from zuwa which Strong defines, To shake (with fear); the second is from dechal and the same lexicon defines it, To slink, i.e. (by implication) to fear, or (causatively) be formidable, We see these words are used in their worst or most unfavorable sense which agrees with the very next phrase, whom he would he slew. It is still to be understood that God gave to Nebuchadnezzar his great might and glory, but that does not mean that He approved of the abuses that the king made of the favors thus bestowed upon him.