John Gill Commentary Daniel 5:6

"Then the king`s countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another." — Daniel 5:6 (ASV)

Then the kings countenance changed
Or, "his brightness" {l}; 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 loosed ;
or, "the girdles of his loins" ^F13 ; which were loosed or broke, through the agitation he was in; or he was all over in a sweat, so that he was obliged to loose his girdle; or, as persons in great fear and consternation, he was seized with a pain in his back; it opened as it were; nor could he hold his urine; as Grotius and others; see (Isaiah 45:1) , where this seems to be prophesied of:

and his knees smote one against another ;
as is the case of persons in a great tremor, or under a panic. "Et subito genua intremuere timore".--Ovid.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F13: (hurx yrjq) "cingula lumborum ejus", Pagninus, Junius & Tremellius, Cocceius.