Daniel 5:20

Dan 5:20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

Ver. 20. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride.] Pride is of a hardening property, causeth men to commit sin with a high hand, as Pharaoh. The increase of the spleen is the decrease of the body; so is pride of the soul, and overturneth the whole man. Evagrius noteth it for a special commendation of Mauritius the Emperor, that he was not puffed up with his preferments.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Dan 5:20-23. But when his heart was lifted up — The expressions here have a peculiar force, in marking the haughty insolence of King Nebuchadnezzar. His authority, as mentioned in the last verse, had been raised to the highest pitch; and on that account we find here that his mind was elated, and his spirit grown obdurate in pride and arrogance; instead of his ascribing all his honours and advantages to the real giver of them, the true God, whom he had been brought to acknowledge, and to the neglect of whom, and of improving by his grandfather’s sufferings, the prophet justly and judiciously attributes Belshazzar’s fate. Thou his son, &c., hast not humbled thy heart — Thou hast not been made sensible of thy own utter weakness, and thy absolute dependance on Jehovah, the true God, who thus abased thy father in the midst of his power and pride. But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven — As if thou hadst been equal, or even superior to him in wisdom and power. He instances in four particulars: 1st, They have brought the vessels of his house before thee — To profane them in your idolatrous feasts: 2d, Thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, &c., which see not, &c. 3d, Thou hast not glorified the true God, in whose hands thy breath is, and all thy ways: yea, 4th, Thou hast highly dishonoured, affronted, and reproached him.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5:20 A rebel against God characteristically has a heart and mind that are puffed up (or hardened) with arrogance (see Exod 7:13; Josh 11:20; Isa 14:3-5). Nebuchadnezzar was brought down when he became puffed up with arrogance, and Belshazzar would be as well.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

[Daniel 5:20] To act presumptuously (לַהֲזָדָה - lahazadah): [Meaning] in a way of insolence/presumption (דֶּרֶךְ זָדוֹן - derech zadon).

And the meaning of [the phrase later in Daniel 5:23] “and whose are all your ways” (וְכֹל אֹרְחָתָךְ לֵהּ - v'chol orchatecha leh) is: that you are in His hand, and He leads you to the place He desires, like the bridle of the horse in the hand of the rider. But Yefet [ben Ali] said [interpreting Daniel 5:23]: "And in your end, you will go to Him," along the lines of [the verse]: “and the spirit returns to God who gave it” [Ecclesiastes 12:7].

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

Verse 20. He was deposed from his kingly throne] Became insane; and the reins of government were taken out of his hands.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. was lifted up] Cf. Deu_8:14; Deu_17:20; Eze_31:10, &c.

and his spirit was hardened that he dealt proudly (R.V.)] ‘was hardened’ is literally was strong (i.e. stiff, unyielding): the same word (teḳaph) is used in the Targums for the Hebrew ḥâzaḳ, ḥizzçḳ ‘to be or make strong (hard)’ in Exo_7:13; Exo_7:22; Exo_9:12; Exo_9:35, &c. (of Pharaoh’s heart). Cf. Deu_2:30.

they took his glory] or, his glory was taken, according to the principle explained on Dan_4:25.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened it pride,.... When his heart was elated with his successes and victories, with the enlargement of his dominions, and with his grandeur and glory he had arrived unto; and his pride increased yet more, till he was strengthened and hardened in it: or, "to deal proudly" (u); and behave haughtily to God and man: or, "to do wickedly", as Jarchi interprets it; for pride and haughtiness of mind puts men, especially great men, kings and monarchs, on doing things extremely vile and wicked:

he was deposed from his kingly throne; not by his nobles and subjects, but by the hand of God, which struck him with madness, and made him unfit for government; obliged him to quit the throne, and to range among the beasts of the field, as is afterwards observed:

and they took his glory from him; the watchers, the angels, or the divine Persons that ordered the tree to be cut down to the roots, Dan 4:14, or it may be rendered impersonally, "and his glory was taken from him" (w); his glory as a man, being deprived of his reason, and acting like a brute beast; and his glory as a king, which departed from him for a season, while he was driven from men, from his royal palace and court, and lived among beasts, and fed as they did, as follows:

(u) "ad superbe agendum", Junius & Tremellius; "ad superbiendum", Piscator, Michaelis; "ut superbe ageret", Cocceius. (w) "et gloria ejus ablata est", V. L.; "honor ejus translatus fuit", Michaelis.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

But when his heart was lifted up - See Dan 4:30.

And his mind hardened in pride - Margin, “to deal proudly.” The state of mind indicated here is that in which there is no sense of dependence, but where one feels that he has all resources in himself, and need only look to himself.

He was deposed from his kingly throne - Margin, “made to come down.” That is, he was so deposed by the providence of God, not by the acts of his own subjects.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Which was explained before: all this Daniel minds him of to rub up his memory, that he might have the fuller blow in the application, Dan 5:22, for the aggravation of his crime.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

his heart was arrogant

Here "heart" refers to the king himself. AT: "the king was arrogant" (See: Synecdoche)

his spirit was hardened

Here "spirit" refers to the king himself. His stubbornness is spoken of as if he were hardened. AT: "the king became stubborn" (See: Synecdoche and Metaphor)

presumptuously

rudely and overly confident

he was brought down from his kingly throne

Here "throne" refers to his authority to rule. This can be stated in active form. AT: "the people took away his kingdom" (See: Metonymy and Active or Passive)

He was driven away from humanity

This can be stated in active form. AT: "The people chased him away from them" (See: Active or Passive)

he had the mind of an animal

Here "mind" represents his thoughts. AT: "he thought as an animal thinks" (See: Metonymy)

dew

the moisture on the ground that is found in the mornings

anyone he wishes

"whomever he chooses"

translationWords

heart

spirit

king

throne

majesty

donkey

cow

Most High

rule

heaven

kingdom

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

and when his heart became haughty [as translated,] and when his heart became haughty.

so that he dealt wickedly [as translated,] so that he dealt wickedly.

he was deposed Aram. הָנְחַת, lit. he took him down.

was removed from him. Aram. הֶעְדִּיו, He removed from him.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.