Daniel 5:6

“Then the kings countenance changed, etc.] Or, “his brightness”f203; his ruddy countenance, his florid looks, his gay airs; all his jollity and mirth, that appeared in his face, were changed into paleness, sadness, and confusion: and his thoughts troubled him; what should be the meaning of this; perhaps he might immediately fear it presaged ruin and destruction to him; the sins of his former life might at once come into his thoughts, and those particularly he had now been guilty of; his luxury and intemperance, his idolatry and profanation of the vessels of the sanctuary, which his conscience might accuse him of, and give him great distress and trouble: so that the joints of his loins were…”

“countenance--literally, "brightness," that is, his bright look. joints of his loins--"the vertebrÃ&brvbr of his back" [GESENIUS].”

“Then the king’s countenance was changed - The word rendered “countenance” is, in the margin, as in Daniel 5:9, “brightnesses.” The Chaldee word means “brightness, splendor” (זיו zı̂yv), and the meaning here is bright looks, cheerfulness, hilarity. The word rendered was changed, is in the margin changed it; and the meaning is, that it changed itself: probably from a jocund, cheerful, and happy expression, it assumed suddenly a deadly paleness. And his thoughts troubled him - Whether from the recollection of guilt, or the dread of wrath, is not said. He would, doubtless, regard this as some supernatural intimation, and his soul would be troubled. So that the joints of his loins were loosed -…”

“His knees smote - So soon can the terrors of God make the loftiest cedars, the tyrants of the earth. Daniel 5:10”

“the king's: Dan 5:9, Dan 2:1, Dan 3:19; Job 15:20-27, Job 20:19-27; Psa 73:18-20; Isa 21:2-4 countenance: Chal, brightness, Dan 5:9 was changed: Chal, changed it and his thoughts: Dan 5:10, Dan 4:5, Dan 4:19, Dan 7:28 so that: Psa 69:23; Isa 13:7, Isa 13:8, Isa 21:3, Isa 21:4 joints: or, girdles, Isa 5:27, Chal, bindings, or knots and his knees: Isa 35:3; Eze 7:17, Eze 21:7; Nah 2:10; Heb 12:12 Daniel 5:7”

“מלכּא (the king) stands absolutely, because the impression made by the occurrence on the king is to be depicted. The plur. זיוהי has an intensive signification: the colour of the countenance. Regarding זיו, see under Dan 4:33. The suffix to שׁנוהי is to be taken in the signification of the dative, since שׁנא in the Peal occurs only intransitively. The connection of an intransitive verb with the suff. accus. is an inaccuracy for which שׁוּבני, Eze 47:7, and perhaps also עשׂיתיני, Eze 29:3, afford analogies; cf. Ewald's Lehrb. 315b. In Dan 5:9, where the matter is repeated, the harshness is avoided, and עלוהי is used to express the change of colour yet more strongly. The meaning is: "the king…”