Psalms 75:5-7

75:5 Do not be so certain you have won!¹

Do not speak with your head held so high!²

75:6 For victory does not come from the east or west,

or from the wilderness.³

75:7 For God is the judge!⁴

He brings one down and exalts another.⁵

Daniel 2:21

2:21 He changes times and seasons,

deposing some kings

and establishing others.⁶

He gives wisdom to the wise;

he imparts knowledge to those with understanding;⁷

Daniel 2:37

Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

2:37 “You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has granted you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor.

Daniel 4:35

4:35 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing.⁸

He does as he wishes with the army of heaven

and with those who inhabit the earth.

No one slaps⁹ his hand

and says to him, ‘What have you done?’

Daniel 5:18

5:18 As for you, O king, the most high God bestowed on your father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty.¹⁰

Daniel 5:23

5:23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You brought before you the vessels from his temple, and you and your nobles, together with your wives and concubines, drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone – gods¹¹ that cannot see or hear or comprehend! But you have not glorified the God who has in his control¹² your very breath and all your ways!

¹tn Heb “do not lift up on high your horn.”

²tn Heb “[do not] speak with unrestrained neck.” The negative particle is understood in this line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

³tn Heb “for not from the east or from the west, and not from the wilderness of the mountains.” If one follows this reading the sentence is elliptical. One must supply “does help come,” or some comparable statement. However, it is possible to take הָרִים (harim) as a Hiphil infinitive from רוּם (rum), the same verb used in vv. 4-5 of “lifting up” a horn. In this case one may translate the form as “victory.” In this case the point is that victory does not come from alliances with other nations.

⁴tn Or “judges.”

⁵tn The imperfects here emphasize the generalizing nature of the statement.

⁶tn Aram “kings.”

⁷tn Aram “the knowers of understanding.”

⁸tc The present translation reads כְּלָא (kÿla’), with many medieval Hebrew MSS, rather than כְּלָה (kÿlah) of BHS.

⁹tn Aram “strikes against.”

¹⁰tn Or “royal greatness and majestic honor,” if the four terms are understood as a double hendiadys.

¹¹tn Aram “which.”

¹²tn Aram “in whose hand [are].”