Daniel11
New King James Version
1“Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.)
2And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.
3Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
4And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.
5“Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion.
6And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times.
7But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail.
8And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.
9“Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land.
10However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife.
11“And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy.
12When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail.
13For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.
14“Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, violent men of your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall fall.
15So the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist.
16But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his power.
17“He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him.
18After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him.
19Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
20“There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.
21And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue.
22With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant.
23And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people.
24He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.
25“He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him.
26Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain.
27Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time.
28While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.
29“At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter.
30For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. “So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.
31And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.
32Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.
33And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.
34Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue.
35And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.
36“Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.
37He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all.
38But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things.
39Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.
40“At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through.
41He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon.
42He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.
44But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.
45And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Daniel 11.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The vision of the Scriptures of truth. (1-45).
vv1-30
The angel shows Daniel the succession of the Persian and Grecian empires. The kings of Egypt and Syria are noticed: Judea was between their dominions, and affected by their contests. From 5-30, is generally considered to relate to the events which came to pass during the continuance of these governments; and from 21, to relate to Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a cruel and violent persecutor of the Jews. See what decaying, perishing things worldly pomp and possessions are, and the power by which they are gotten. God, in his providence, sets up one, and pulls down another, as he pleases. This world is full of wars and fightings, which come from men's lusts. All changes and revolutions of states and kingdoms, and every event, are plainly and perfectly foreseen by God. No word of God shall fall to the ground; but what he has designed, what he has declared, shall infallibly come to pass. While the potsherds of the earth strive with each other, they prevail and are prevailed against, deceive and are deceived; but those who know God will trust in him, and he will enable them to stand their ground, bear their cross, and maintain their conflict.
vv31-45
The remainder of this prophecy is very difficult, and commentators differ much respecting it. From Antiochus the account seems to pass to antichrist. Reference seems to be made to the Roman empire, the fourth monarchy, in its pagan, early Christian, and papal states. The end of the Lord's anger against his people approaches, as well as the end of his patience towards his enemies. If we would escape the ruin of the infidel, the idolater, the superstitious and cruel persecutor, as well as that of the profane, let us make the oracles of God our standard of truth and of duty, the foundation of our hope, and the light of our paths through this dark world, to the glorious inheritance above.
Key Words
אֲנִי: I
אֶחָד: properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first
שָׁנֶה: a year (as a revolution of time)
דָּֽרְיָוֵשׁ: Darejavesh, a title (rather than name) of several Persian kings
מָדַי: a Madian or native of Madai
עֹמֶד: a spot (as being fixed)
חָזַק: to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer
מָעוֹז: a fortified place; figuratively, a defence
עַתָּה: at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or expletive
נָגַד: properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praise
Cross References
Daniel 11Directly identifies the 'mighty king' as the king of Grecia (Alexander the Great).
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels the division of Alexander's great horn into the four winds of heaven.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Paul's description of the Lawless One echoic of the king exalting himself above every god.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Verbal link concerning the 'time appointed' for the end of the indignation.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Predicts the cessation of daily sacrifices and the setting up of the desolating abomination.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The angel references the continuous spiritual battle and his alliance with Michael.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Alexander's choler against the ram parallel to the King of the South's choler.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The little horn waxing great toward the 'pleasant' or 'glorious land' of Judea.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Antiochus destroying many peaceably by flatteries and craft, parallel to the vile person.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Links the 'prince of the host' or 'prince of the covenant' with Antiochus's desecrations.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Prophesies that ships of Chittim (Rome/Greece) would afflict Asser and Eber.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Reinforces the taking away of the daily sacrifice and the desolating abomination.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Uses the identical metaphor of an invading army overflowing and passing through the land.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels the vile king's destructive actions against the holy covenant and holy people.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels 'they that understand' with 'they that be wise' who shine.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The eschatological parallel of many being purified, made white, and tried.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Ezekiel's designation of Israel as the glory of all lands, here the 'glorious land.'
Supported by JFB
Betrayal by those who feed on his meat, sharing Psalm 41's motif.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Thematic link regarding 'forbidding to marry,' compared with 'nor the desire of women.'
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Demonstrates absolute sovereign autocracy, doing 'according to his will.'
Supported by Matthew Poole