Daniel 5:20 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Daniel 5:20 kjv
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:
Daniel 5:20 nkjv
But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.
Daniel 5:20 niv
But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.
Daniel 5:20 esv
But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.
Daniel 5:20 nlt
But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.
Daniel 5 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Pride leads to destruction. |
| Prov 18:12 | Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. | Haughty heart precedes downfall. |
| Isa 2:12 | For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low. | God opposes all who are proud. |
| Isa 13:11 | I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant and lay low the haughtiness of the ruthless. | God's judgment against arrogance. |
| Luke 1:52 | He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate. | God humbles the mighty. |
| Jas 4:6 | But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." | God opposes the proud. |
| 1 Pet 5:5 | ...Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." | Call for humility, God resists proud. |
| Job 40:11-12 | Pour out the overflowings of your anger, and look on everyone who is proud and abase him. Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low... | God abases the proud. |
| Ps 75:6-7 | For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes exaltation, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. | God controls exaltation/humiliation. |
| Dan 2:21 | He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. | God's sovereignty over kings. |
| Jer 27:5 | It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever I please. | God gives kingdoms as He wills. |
| Rom 13:1 | Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. | All authority is from God. |
| Exod 4:21 | And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all the wonders that I have put in your power before Pharaoh, and I will harden his heart... | God hardening a heart. |
| Heb 3:7-8 | Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness..." | Warning against hardening heart. |
| Deut 8:14 | then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God... | Pride leads to forgetting God. |
| 1 Sam 2:30 | ...the LORD declares: "Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed." | Glory (honor) can be taken by God. |
| Hos 4:7 | The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame. | God changes glory into shame. |
| Dan 4:30-31 | The king declared, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" While the words were still in the king's mouth... | Nebuchadnezzar's pride and immediate humbling. |
| Rom 15:4 | For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. | Past events written for instruction. |
| 1 Cor 10:6 | Now these things happened as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. | Old Testament events as warnings. |
| Matt 23:12 | Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. | Principle of humbling and exaltation. |
| Ps 10:4 | In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, "There is no God." | Pride leads to rejection of God. |
Daniel 5 verses
Daniel 5 20 meaning
Daniel 5:20 describes the divine judgment upon King Nebuchadnezzar due to his extreme pride and obstinacy. His elevated ego and unyielding spirit led him to act with arrogant defiance, resulting in his immediate removal from his royal authority and the stripping away of his kingly honor by God. This verse sets the stage for Daniel's interpretation concerning Belshazzar, who, despite knowing Nebuchadnezzar's fate, failed to learn this crucial lesson about God's sovereignty over human power.
Daniel 5 20 Context
Daniel 5 takes place during the reign of Belshazzar, co-regent in Babylon, decades after Nebuchadnezzar's direct rule. Belshazzar hosts a lavish feast and, in a profound act of sacrilege, commands the use of the gold and silver vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem by his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar. He and his nobles drink wine from these holy vessels, praising their own pagan gods while openly defying the God of Israel. This act of blatant blasphemy provokes an immediate divine response: a hand appears and writes an incomprehensible message on the wall. The king, terrified, calls for wise men, but only Daniel, after recounting Nebuchadnezzar's story, is able to interpret the writing. Daniel 5:20 explicitly references Nebuchadnezzar's past humbling, serving as a direct parallel and stark warning to Belshazzar, highlighting his willful ignorance of God's power and sovereignty. This historical context underscores that God, who humbled the mighty Nebuchadnezzar, holds ultimate authority over all earthly kingdoms and will not tolerate defiant pride.
Daniel 5 20 Word analysis
- But when his heart was lifted up: Aramaic
rûm(רוּם) means "to be high, to be exalted." Here, it describes a swelling of inner pride, an elevated sense of self-importance that disregards God. This lifting up of the heart is a fundamental human failing that often precedes divine judgment, contrasting with a heart lifted in praise to God (Ps 28:7). - and his spirit was hardened: Aramaic
tĕqar(תְּקַר) means "to be firm, to be obstinate, made rigid." It signifies a deliberate inflexibility and resistance to truth, divine warning, or humble introspection. This is not mere ignorance but a wilful stubbornness, echoing Pharaoh's hardened heart (Exod 9:34) and reflecting an internal spiritual decay that becomes entrenched. - so that he dealt proudly: Aramaic
yəhardē(יִתְהַרְדֶּה) comes from a root suggesting "to be insolent, presumptuous, to behave arrogantly." This describes the outward manifestation and active expression of the internal pride and hardened spirit. It moves beyond merely being proud to acting in proud, defiant ways against God's known truth. - he was brought down from his kingly throne: The phrase implies an abrupt and powerful act of deposition, originating from a higher power. It's passive voice, indicating divine agency. His
kingly throne(כָּרְסִי מַלְכוּתֵה,korsî malḵûṯêh) represents his supreme political authority and royal status. The fall from this high position demonstrates God's absolute sovereignty over human rulers. - and his glory was taken from him: Aramaic
îqār(יִקָר) refers to honor, dignity, splendor, or renown—the outward respect and veneration due to a king.hupḥat(הֻפְחַת) means "was removed, diminished, stripped away." This loss signifies more than just power; it denotes a profound loss of reputation, divine favor, and intrinsic value associated with his office, turning into ignominy.
Words-group analysis:
- "his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened": This phrase pinpoints the internal, spiritual roots of Nebuchadnezzar's problem: a heart filled with self-exaltation and a will stubbornly closed to divine truth and humility. These two aspects represent the core internal rebellion against God.
- "so that he dealt proudly": This highlights the cause-and-effect. The internal state of pride and hardness of heart inevitably leads to external actions of arrogance and defiance against God. It signifies an unconstrained, public display of hubris.
- "he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him": This clause encapsulates the divine, irreversible consequence of such pride and rebellion. It represents a total dethroning—not only of political power but also of honor and recognition—a public humiliation by God that serves as a powerful testament to His ultimate control over human affairs and kingships.
Daniel 5 20 Bonus section
The story of Nebuchadnezzar's humbling in Daniel 4, which is alluded to in this verse, follows a distinct pattern often found in wisdom literature and prophetic warnings: pride (the boast about Babylon) -> warning (the dream) -> a period of grace/opportunity for repentance -> continued defiance/hardened heart -> judgment -> potential repentance and restoration (as with Nebuchadnezzar). Belshazzar, however, by verse 20's reference, moves immediately from an act of defiant pride to swift judgment without the intervening period of grace, primarily because he had a precedent and clear knowledge that he disregarded (Dan 5:22). This implies a heightened culpability. The use of Aramaic for these chapters (2:4-7:28) signifies that the message of God's dominion over gentile kingdoms was critical for the Gentile world to hear, acting as an international divine declaration rather than just a message for Israel.
Daniel 5 20 Commentary
Daniel 5:20 offers a powerful theological statement about divine sovereignty, human pride, and the inevitability of God's judgment against those who resist His authority. It functions as a historical example within Daniel's recounting to Belshazzar, a direct warning that the younger king demonstrably ignored. Nebuchadnezzar's pride and hardened heart, despite his previous encounters with Daniel and God's power, highlight humanity's capacity for willful defiance. God, who grants and removes power, responded directly by dismantling Nebuchadnezzar's kingship and dignity. The verse underscores that worldly success, power, or glory are never intrinsic but are always granted and ultimately subject to God's will. Belshazzar's failure to recognize this principle, despite having a "full knowledge" (Dan 5:22) of his predecessor's downfall, exemplifies a catastrophic spiritual blindness and impenitence. The ultimate message is that no earthly ruler or kingdom is beyond God's reach, and His justice ensures that the proud will be humbled.