Daniel 5 · Verse 21

Daniel 5:21

And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
Daniel 5:21, King James Version

Daniel 5:21 in other translations

BSBHe was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.
WEBHe was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals’, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will.
ASVand he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts’, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the Most High God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and that he setteth up over it whomsoever he will.
YLTand from the sons of men he is driven, and his heart with the beasts hath been like, and with the wild asses is his dwelling; the herb like oxen they cause him to eat, and by the dew of the heavens is his body wet, till that he hath known that God Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and whom He willeth He raiseth up over it.
DARBYand he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the Most High God ruleth over the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
BBEAnd he was sent out from among the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts', and he was living with the asses of the fields; he had grass for his food like the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he was certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives power over it to anyone at his pleasure.
WebsterAnd he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

What does Daniel 5:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. heart was made like ... beasts--literally, "he made his heart like the beasts," that is, he desired to dwell with them.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Daniel 5:18-31

Daniel reads Belshazzar's doom. He had not taken warning by the judgments upon Nebuchadnezzar. And he had insulted God. Sinners are pleased with gods that neither see, nor hear, nor know; but they will be judged by One to whom all things are open. Daniel reads the sentence written on the wall. All this may well be applied to the doom of every sinner. At death, the sinner's days are numbered and finished; after death…

Read the full comment on Daniel 5:18-31 →

Daniel 5:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּמִן\־u.min-and away fromH4481
בְּנֵי֩be.Nei[the] sons ofH1247
אֲנָשָׁ֨א'a.na.Sha'<the> humankindH606
טְרִ֜ידte.Ridhe was chasedH2957
וְלִבְבֵ֣הּ\׀ve.li.Vehand heart hisH3825
עִם\־'im-withH5974
חֵיוְתָ֣אcheiv.Ta'animal[s] theH2423
שַׁוִּ֗יְוshe.vithey madeH7739
וְעִם\־ve.'im-and [was] withH5974
עֲרָֽדַיָּא֙'a.ra.dai.Ya'wild donkeys theH6167
מְדוֹרֵ֔הּme.do.Rehdwelling place hisH4070
עִשְׂבָּ֤א'is.Ba'<the> grassH6211
כְתוֹרִין֙khe.to.Rinlike oxenH8450
יְטַ֣עֲמוּנֵּ֔הּye.Ta.'a.mu.Nehthey fed himH2939
וּמִטַּ֥לu.mi.Taland from [the] dew ofH2920
שְׁמַיָּ֖אshe.mai.Ya'heavens theH8065
גִּשְׁמֵ֣הּgish.Mehbody hisH1655
יִצְטַבַּ֑עyitz.ta.Ba'it became wetH6647
עַ֣ד'aduntilH5705
דִּֽי\־di-thatH1768
יְדַ֗עye.Da'he knewH3046
דִּֽי\־di-thatH1768
שַׁלִּ֞יטsha.Lit[was] having masteryH7990
אֱלָהָ֤א'e.la.Ha'<the> GodH426
עִלָּאָה֙i.la.ya'Most High theH5943
בְּמַלְכ֣וּתbe.mal.Khutover [the] kingdom ofH4437
אֲנָשָׁ֔א'a.na.Sha'<the> humankindH606
וּלְמַן\־u.le.man-and to whomeverH4479
דִּ֥יdiwhomH1768
יִצְבֵּ֖הyitz.Behhe will be pleasedH6634
יְהָקֵ֥יםye.ha.Keimhe will appointH6966
עֲלַֽהּ\׃a.la.yehover itH5922

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Daniel 5:21

  • Daniel 4:25

    That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

  • Ezekiel 17:24

    And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.

  • Daniel 4:35

    And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

  • Daniel 4:17

    This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

  • Job 30:3-7

    For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste. Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat. They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;) To dwell in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks. …

  • Daniel 4:32-33

    And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.

  • Exodus 9:14-16

    For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

  • Psalms 83:17-18

    Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.

  • Daniel 4:37

    Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he was driven.
4:25,32,33; Job 30:3-7
his heart was made like. or, he made his heart equal. etc.till.
4:17,25,32,35,37; Ex 9:14-16; Ps 83:17,18; Eze 17:24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Daniel 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:

  • Daniel 5:21

    And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

  • Daniel 5:22

    And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;

Read all of Daniel 5

Daniel 5:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y fué echado de entre los hijos de los hombres; y su corazón fué puesto con las bestias, y con los asnos monteses fué su morada. Hierba le hicieron comer, como á buey, y su cuerpo fué bañado con el rocío del cielo, hasta que conoció que el altísimo Dios se enseñorea del reino de los hombres, y que pondrá sobre él al que quisiere.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
et il fut chassé du milieu des fils des hommes, et son cœur fut rendu semblable à celui des bêtes, et sa demeure fut avec les ânes sauvages; on le nourrit d’herbe comme les bœufs, et son corps fut baigné de la rosée des cieux, jusqu’à ce qu’il connut que le Dieu Très-haut domine sur le royaume des hommes, et qu’il y établit qui il veut.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und er wurde von den Menschenkindern ausgestoßen, und sein Herz wurde dem der Tiere gleich, und seine Wohnung war bei den Wildeseln; man gab ihm Kraut zu essen wie den Rindern, und sein Leib wurde vom Tau des Himmels benetzt-bis er erkannte, daß der höchste Gott über das Königtum der Menschen herrscht, und darüber bestellt, wen er will.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et a filiis hominum ejectus est, sed et cor ejus cum bestiis positum est, et cum onagris erat habitatio ejus: fœnum quoque ut bos comedebat, et rore cæli corpus ejus infectum est, donec cognosceret quod potestatem haberet Altissimus in regno hominum, et quemcumque voluerit, suscitabit super illud.