Daniel 5:19
New International Version
Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.

New Living Translation
He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. He killed those he wanted to kill and spared those he wanted to spare. He honored those he wanted to honor and disgraced those he wanted to disgrace.

English Standard Version
And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled.

Berean Standard Bible
Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down.

New American Standard Bible
Now because of the greatness which He granted him, all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages trembled and feared in his presence; whomever he wished, he killed, and whomever he wished, he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated, and whomever he wished he humbled.

NASB 1995
“Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled.

NASB 1977
“And because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations, and men of every language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed, and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated, and whomever he wished he humbled.

Legacy Standard Bible
And because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue feared and were in dread before him; whomever he wished he killed, and whomever he wished he kept alive, and whomever he wished he raised up, and whomever he wished he made low.

Amplified Bible
and because of the greatness that He gave him, all the peoples, nations, and speakers of every language trembled and feared him. Whomever he wished he killed, and whomever he wished he kept alive; whomever he wished he promoted and whomever he wished he humbled.

Christian Standard Bible
Because of the greatness he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages were terrified and fearful of him. He killed anyone he wanted and kept alive anyone he wanted; he exalted anyone he wanted and humbled anyone he wanted.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Because of the greatness He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages were terrified and fearful of him. He killed anyone he wanted and kept alive anyone he wanted; he exalted anyone he wanted and humbled anyone he wanted.

American Standard Version
and because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, 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 raised up, and whom he would he put down.

Contemporary English Version
God did such great things for him that people of all nations and races shook with fear. Your father had the power of life or death over everyone, and he could honor or ruin anyone he chose.

English Revised Version
and because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, 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 raised up, and whom he would he put down.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
People from every province, nation, and language trembled and were terrified by him, because God gave him power. Nebuchadnezzar killed whomever he wanted to kill, and he kept alive whomever he wanted to keep alive. He promoted whomever he wanted to promote, and he demoted whomever he wanted to demote.

Good News Translation
He was so great that people of all nations, races, and languages were afraid of him and trembled. If he wanted to kill someone, he did; if he wanted to keep someone alive, he did. He honored or disgraced anyone he wanted to.

International Standard Version
And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages revered and feared him. He executed those whom he desired to execute, he spared those whom he wished to spare, he promoted those whom he desired to promote, and he humbled those whom he wished to humble.

Majority Standard Bible
Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished.

NET Bible
Due to the greatness that he bestowed on him, all peoples, nations, and language groups were trembling with fear before him. He killed whom he wished, he spared whom he wished, he exalted whom he wished, and he brought low whom he wished.

New Heart English Bible
And because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would he killed, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
Because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed whom he wanted to, and he kept alive whom he wanted to. He raised up whom he wanted to, and he put down whom he wanted to.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and because of the greatness that He gave to him, all peoples, nations, and languages were trembling and fearing before him: whom he willed he was slaying, and whom he willed he was keeping alive, and whom he willed he was raising up, and whom he willed he was making low;

Young's Literal Translation
and because of the greatness that He gave to him, all peoples, nations, and languages were trembling and fearing before him: whom he willed he was slaying, and whom he willed he was keeping alive, and whom he willed he was raising up, and whom he willed he was making low;

Smith's Literal Translation
And from the greatness that he gave to him, all peoples, nations and tongues, were trembling and fearing from before him: whom he was willing he killed; and whom he was willing, he was saving alive; and whom be was willing, he was setting up; and whom he willed he was humbling.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And for the greatness that he gave to him, all people, tribes, and languages trembled, and were afraid of him: whom he would, he slew: and whom he would, he destroyed: and whom he would, he set up: and whom he would, he brought down.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And because of the greatness that he gave to him, all peoples, tribes, and languages trembled and were afraid of him. Whomever he wished, he put to death; and whomever he wished, he destroyed; and whomever he wished, he exalted; and whomever he wished, he lowered.

New American Bible
Because he made him so great, the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Whomever he willed, he would kill or let live; whomever he willed, he would exalt or humble.

New Revised Standard Version
And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed those he wanted to kill, kept alive those he wanted to keep alive, honored those he wanted to honor, and degraded those he wanted to degrade.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him; for whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive, and whom he would he promoted, and whom he would he humbled.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And from the greatness that he had given to him, all the nations and peoples and languages were shaken and afraid before him. He killed those whom he wished, and those whom he wished he let live, and whom he wished, he exalted, and whom he wished, he put down
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
and because of the greatness that He gave him, all the peoples, 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 raised up, and whom he would he put down.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and by reason of the majesty which he gave to him, all nations, tribes, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he smote; and whom he would he exalted; and whom he would he abased.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Daniel Interprets the Handwriting
18As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor. 19Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished. 20But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him.…

Cross References
Daniel 4:22
you, O king, are that tree! For you have become great and strong; your greatness has grown to reach the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.

Daniel 2:37-38
You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory. / Wherever the sons of men or beasts of the field or birds of the air dwell, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.

Jeremiah 27:5-7
By My great power and outstretched arm, I made the earth and the men and beasts on the face of it, and I give it to whom I please. / So now I have placed all these lands under the authority of My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I have even made the beasts of the field subject to him. / All nations will serve him and his son and grandson, until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will enslave him.

2 Chronicles 36:23
“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and may he go up.’”

Ezekiel 26:7
For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with cavalry and a great company of troops.

Isaiah 45:1-3
This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates will not be shut: / “I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron. / I will give you the treasures of darkness and the riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.

Jeremiah 25:9
behold, I will summon all the families of the north, declares the LORD, and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land, against its residents, and against all the surrounding nations. So I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and contempt, an everlasting desolation.

Habakkuk 1:6-7
For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans—that ruthless and impetuous nation which marches through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own. / They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty.

Isaiah 14:4-6
you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended! / The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers. / It struck the peoples in anger with unceasing blows; it subdued the nations in rage with relentless persecution.

Jeremiah 51:20-23
“You are My war club, My weapon for battle. With you I shatter nations; with you I bring kingdoms to ruin. / With you I shatter the horse and rider; with you I shatter the chariot and driver. / With you I shatter man and woman; with you I shatter the old man and the youth; with you I shatter the young man and the maiden. ...

Revelation 17:12-13
The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings along with the beast. / These kings have one purpose: to yield their power and authority to the beast.

Revelation 13:7
Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.

Revelation 19:16
And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Matthew 28:18
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

that he.

Daniel 3:4
Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

Daniel 4:22
It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

Jeremiah 25:9
Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

whom he would he slew.

Daniel 2:12,13
For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon…

Daniel 3:6,20,29
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace…

Proverbs 16:14
The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.

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Alive Bestowed Dreaded Elevated Feared Grandeur Greatness High Kept Killed Languages Majesty Nations Peoples Position Raised Slew Spared Trembled Whomever Wished
Daniel 5
1. Belshazzar's impious feast.
5. A hand-writing unknown to the magicians, troubles the king.
10. At the commendation of the queen Daniel is brought.
17. He, reproving the king of pride and idolatry,
25. reads and interprets the writing.
30. The monarchy is translated to the Medes














Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him
This phrase highlights the divine sovereignty and authority granted by God. The Hebrew root for "greatness" is "gadol," which signifies not just size but also importance and majesty. The greatness bestowed upon King Nebuchadnezzar was not of his own making but a gift from God, emphasizing the biblical theme that all authority is ultimately derived from the divine. This serves as a reminder of God's control over earthly kingdoms and His ability to raise leaders according to His purpose.

all the peoples, nations, and men of every language
This phrase underscores the vastness of Nebuchadnezzar's empire, which was a melting pot of cultures and languages. The historical context here is the Babylonian Empire, known for its diversity and extensive reach. The phrase reflects the biblical narrative of God's influence over all nations, as seen in the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) and later in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), where the gospel is to be preached to all nations.

feared and trembled before him
The words "feared" and "trembled" convey a sense of awe and reverence, but also terror. The Hebrew word for "feared" is "yare," which can mean both reverence and dread. This duality reflects the power and authority that Nebuchadnezzar wielded, which was both respected and feared by those under his rule. It serves as a reminder of the awe-inspiring power of God, who is to be revered above all earthly kings.

Whom he wished he killed, and whom he wished he kept alive
This phrase illustrates the absolute power that Nebuchadnezzar held over life and death, a power that is ultimately God's alone. The historical context here is the absolute monarchy of ancient Near Eastern kings, who had the authority to decide the fate of their subjects. This serves as a cautionary tale of the dangers of unchecked human power and a reminder that true justice and mercy come from God.

whom he wished he exalted, and whom he wished he humbled
The ability to exalt or humble is a divine prerogative, as seen in the biblical principle that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). The Hebrew root for "exalted" is "rum," meaning to lift up, while "humbled" is "shaphel," meaning to bring low. This reflects the biblical theme of God's sovereignty in raising and lowering leaders according to His will, as seen in the accounts of Joseph, David, and ultimately Jesus Christ, who was exalted after being humbled on the cross.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Because of
וּמִן־ (ū·min-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 4481: From, out of, by, by reason of, at, more than

the greatness
רְבוּתָא֙ (rə·ḇū·ṯā)
Noun - feminine singular determinate
Strong's 7238: Greatness

that
דִּ֣י (dî)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 1768: Who, which, that, because

He bestowed
יְהַב־ (yə·haḇ-)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3052: To give, to put, imperatively, come

on him,
לֵ֔הּ (lêh)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

all
כֹּ֣ל (kōl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3606: The whole, all, any, every

peoples,
עַֽמְמַיָּ֗א (‘am·may·yā)
Noun - masculine plural determinate
Strong's 5972: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

nations,
אֻמַיָּא֙ (’u·may·yā)
Noun - feminine plural determinate
Strong's 524: A collection, community of persons

and [men of every] language
וְלִשָּׁ֣נַיָּ֔א (wə·liš·šā·nay·yā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural determinate
Strong's 3961: Speech, a nation

trembled
הֲו֛וֹ (hă·wōw)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1934: To become, come to pass, be

in fear
וְדָחֲלִ֖ין (wə·ḏā·ḥă·lîn)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 1763: To slink, to fear, be formidable

before him.
קֳדָמ֑וֹהִי (qo·ḏā·mō·w·hî)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6925: Before

He killed
קָטֵ֗ל (qā·ṭêl)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6992: To kill

whom he wished
צָבֵ֜א (ṣā·ḇê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6634: To be inclined, desire, be pleased

and kept alive
מַחֵ֔א (ma·ḥê)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2418: To live

whom
דִּֽי־ (dî-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 1768: Who, which, that, because

he wished;
צָבֵא֙ (ṣā·ḇê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6634: To be inclined, desire, be pleased

he exalted
מָרִ֔ים (mā·rîm)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7313: To be high, to rise, raise

whom
וְדִֽי־ (wə·ḏî-)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 1768: Who, which, that, because

he wished
צָבֵא֙ (ṣā·ḇê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6634: To be inclined, desire, be pleased

and humbled
מַשְׁפִּֽיל׃ (maš·pîl)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8214: To depress, sink

whom
וְדִֽי־ (wə·ḏî-)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 1768: Who, which, that, because

he wished.
צָבֵ֖א (ṣā·ḇê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6634: To be inclined, desire, be pleased


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OT Prophets: Daniel 5:19 And because of the greatness that he (Dan. Da Dn)
Daniel 5:18
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