The Meaning of Daniel 5:21 Explained

Daniel 5:21

KJV: 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.

YLT: and 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.

Darby: 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 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.

ASV: 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; 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Daniel 5:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Daniel 5:17-31 - Weighed And Found Wanting
Daniel was unperturbed and undismayed. Calm and collected, he recognized his Father's handwriting, and read it, as the instructed may decipher a scroll which is illegible to the ordinary gaze. What to him were the gewgaws of the palace? With the wings of the angel of death overshadowing that awe-struck throng, it was of small importance that Belshazzar promised him the purple robe and chain of gold. It seems sometimes as though those fingers were busy still writing their awful sentence on the walls of national revelry. While a nation is drinking deep at its cups and countenancing uncleanness, the divine assay may be in progress and the verdict going forth: weighed and found wanting. There may be gold and glitter, revelry and mirth, the splendor of state, and the profusion of rich viands; but what of these if the people are ignorant, irreligious, and impure? Then, indeed, dry-rot has set in! The root sin of all is pride. May the Spirit of God, who ever brings with Him light and understanding and excellent wisdom be found in us, as in Daniel. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Daniel 5:21 mean?

And from sons of men the he was driven and his heart like beasts the - was made and with wild donkeys the his dwelling [was] with grass like oxen they fed him and with dew of heaven the his body was wet until till he knew that rules God - Most High the in kingdom of men the and [he] whom - He chooses Appoints - over it
וּמִן־ בְּנֵי֩ אֲנָשָׁ֨א טְרִ֜יד וְלִבְבֵ֣הּ ׀ עִם־ חֵיוְתָ֣א [שוי] (שַׁוִּ֗יְו‪‬) וְעִם־ עֲרָֽדַיָּא֙ מְדוֹרֵ֔הּ עִשְׂבָּ֤א כְתוֹרִין֙ יְטַ֣עֲמוּנֵּ֔הּ וּמִטַּ֥ל שְׁמַיָּ֖א גִּשְׁמֵ֣הּ יִצְטַבַּ֑ע עַ֣ד דִּֽי־ יְדַ֗ע דִּֽי־ שַׁלִּ֞יט אֱלָהָ֤א [עליא] (עִלָּאָה֙) בְּמַלְכ֣וּת אֲנָשָׁ֔א וּלְמַן־ דִּ֥י יִצְבֵּ֖ה יְהָקֵ֥ים [עליה] (עֲלַֽהּ)

וּמִן־  And  from 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: מִן  
Sense: from, out of, by, by reason of, at, more than.
בְּנֵי֩  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן  
Sense: son, child.
אֲנָשָׁ֨א  of  men  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אֱנָשׁ  
Sense: man, human being.
טְרִ֜יד  he  was  driven 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טְרַד  
Sense: (P’al) to drive away, drive from, chase away.
וְלִבְבֵ֣הּ ׀  and  his  heart 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לְבַב  
Sense: heart, mind.
עִם־  like 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
חֵיוְתָ֣א  beasts  the 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: חֵיוָה  
Sense: beast, animal.
[שוי]  - 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
(שַׁוִּ֗יְו‪‬)  was  made 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שְׁוָה  
Sense: (Pael) to become like.
וְעִם־  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
עֲרָֽדַיָּא֙  wild  donkeys  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural determinate
Root: עֲרָד  
Sense: wild ass.
מְדוֹרֵ֔הּ  his  dwelling  [was] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מְדֹור  
Sense: dwelling place.
עִשְׂבָּ֤א  with  grass 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: עָשׁ 
Sense: moth.
כְתוֹרִין֙  like  oxen 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine plural
Root: תֹּור  
Sense: bull, young bull, ox (for sacrifice).
יְטַ֣עֲמוּנֵּ֔הּ  they  fed  him 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: טְעֵם  
Sense: (P’al) to feed, cause to eat.
וּמִטַּ֥ל  and  with  dew 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: טַל  
Sense: dew.
שְׁמַיָּ֖א  of  heaven  the 
Parse: Noun, mdd
Root: שְׁמַיִן  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
גִּשְׁמֵ֣הּ  his  body 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גְּשֵׁם  
Sense: body.
יִצְטַבַּ֑ע  was  wet 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צְבַע  
Sense: to dip, wet (something).
עַ֣ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: even to, until, up to, during conj.
דִּֽי־  till 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
יְדַ֗ע  he  knew 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יְדַע  
Sense: to know.
דִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
שַׁלִּ֞יט  rules 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: שַׁלִּיט  
Sense: having mastery, having authority, ruling.
אֱלָהָ֤א  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אֱלָהּ  
Sense: god, God.
[עליא]  - 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular determinate
(עִלָּאָה֙)  Most  High  the 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular determinate
Root: עִלָּי  
Sense: highest, the Most High.
בְּמַלְכ֣וּת  in  kingdom 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מַלְכוּ  
Sense: royalty, reign, kingdom.
אֲנָשָׁ֔א  of  men  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אֱנָשׁ  
Sense: man, human being.
וּלְמַן־  and  [he]  whom 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Interrogative
Root: מַן  
Sense: who?, what?, whoever, whosoever.
דִּ֥י  - 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
יִצְבֵּ֖ה  He  chooses 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צְבָה  
Sense: to desire, be inclined, be willing, be pleased.
יְהָקֵ֥ים  Appoints 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם  
Sense: to arise, stand.
[עליה]  - 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
(עֲלַֽהּ)  over  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.