Daniel 11

Kingdoms Will Rise and Fall

1In the first year that Darius the Mede was king, I stood up to support Michael and fought with him against the prince of Persia. # 11:1 This is one of the most difficult and confusing chapter divisions in all the Bible. In this translation, 11:1 is placed here at the end of ch. 10 for clarity of the English narrative. Every scholar and translator consulted recognizes the difficulties of where this verse belongs. Some consider it an addition to the text and place it in brackets or a footnote. # 11:2 Dan. 11:1 has been merged into the text of Dan. 10:20–21 to enhance clarity. 2“I will now reveal the truth to you: # 11:2 One of the overarching lessons of Daniel, and of this chapter in particular, is that God rules over the kingdoms of this world. His knowledge of the future spans the ages; he alone can tell us things that will take place centuries in the future. The course of history is determined by God, not by kings, presidents, councils, alliances, nor by any other person. Nations and kingdoms rise and fall, but the plan of the ages is determined by God alone. Three more kings will rise to power in Persia; # 11:2 These three kings of Persia after the reign of Cyrus were Cambyses, Smerdis, and Darius I. a fourth will come who will be much richer than all the others. # 11:2 This fourth is Xerxes I, who reigned approximately 486–465 BC. His great wealth will cause his power to grow until his empire wages war against all the kingdoms of Greece. 3Then a warrior-king will arise who will govern a vast empire # 11:3 Or “rule with great authority.” and do whatever he pleases. # 11:3 This warlike king was Alexander the Great, who reigned approximately 336–323 BC. See Zech. 9:1–10 for Alexander’s advance and conquests. 4But at the zenith of his power, his empire will be shattered and scattered to the four winds of heaven, # 11:4 Alexander the Great’s empire was, indeed, divided into four sections after his death. though not to his descendants. It will not be as powerful as when he ruled it, for his dominion will be uprooted and will be passed on to others who are not his descendants.” # 11:4 After the death of Alexander the Great, it was not his sons who succeeded him but his military leaders.

The Egyptian and Syrian Treaty

5“The king of Egypt # 11:5 Or “the king of the south,” that is, Ptolemy I Soter, who ruled approximately 323–285 BC. will grow powerful, but one of his commanders # 11:5 Or “princes [rulers],” that is, Seleucus I Nicator (305–281 BC), who ruled Syria. This period became known as the Seleucid dynasty. will rise to become even more powerful and rule a kingdom greater than his. 6Then, after some years have passed, an alliance will form. And in order to ensure the peace, # 11:6 Or “to seal the agreement.” In ancient times, intermarriage between members of royalty in different kingdoms would keep the peace between the kingdoms represented. the daughter of the king of Egypt will marry the king of Syria. # 11:6 Or “the king of the north.” The literal references throughout ch. 11 denote, generically, the kings of the south and the north. However, her grip on power will not last for long, and the king, too, will lose his throne. In those days, she, her husband, # 11:6 Or “the one who supported [obtained] her.” her child, # 11:6 Or “her father” (Theodotion, Vulgate, Syriac). and those who escorted her to Syria will all be killed. # 11:6 Or “will be given up [surrendered].” A likely euphemism for being killed. This verse appears to be a reference to Bernice, the daughter of the Egyptian King Ptolemy II, who married Antiochus II of Syria (grandson of Seleucus) around 250 BC. Bernice, her husband, and her son died by poisoning. Yet later, 7one of her family members will rise to become the king of Egypt. He will come against the defenses of the walled city of the king of Syria and defeat the Syrian armies. # 11:7 Historically, this took place when Ptolemy III Euergetes, the brother of Bernice, took revenge for the death of his sister and waged war against Seleucus II of Syria, son of Antiochus II, in 246 BC. Euergetes means “doer of good deeds.” 8He will plunder their wealth and take it back to Egypt as spoils # 11:8 According to ancient historians, over two thousand five hundred costly items were taken among the spoils, including over forty thousand talents of silver. —all their precious gold, silver vessels, idols, and statues. For some time, he will leave the kingdom of Syria in peace. 9Eventually, the king of Syria # 11:9 This king of Syria was Seleucus II Callinicus, who invaded Egypt in 242 BC. will invade the kingdom of Egypt, but he will have to retreat to his own country. 10The king’s sons will prepare for war, assembling a powerful group of warriors. One of his sons # 11:10 That is, Antiochus III the Great (223–187 BC). will swiftly advance, sweeping over the land like a powerful flood. Their armies will press forward and fight # 11:10 The Hebrew text has a string of five consecutive verbs that when literally translated read: “It will come on to come on and will overflow and will pass along and will turn and will do battle.” A literal translation would bring little or no understanding to today’s English reader. all the way to the strong, walled fortress of the king of Egypt.

11“Then the king of Egypt will fly into a rage and set out to launch an offensive against the king of Syria, who will have an immense army on his side. However, the king of Egypt will conquer the Syrian forces. # 11:11 This battle may refer to the battle at Raphia, where Ptolemy IV (king of Egypt) fought Antiochus III in 217 BC and defeated his immense army. (See Edwyn Bevan, The House of Seleucus vol. 1 [London: Edward Arnold Publisher, 1902], 318–20.) It was recorded that Ptolemy had “seventy thousand infantry, five thousand horses, and seventy-three elephants,” whereas Antiochus III’s forces numbered “sixty-two thousand infantry, six thousand cavalry, and a hundred and two elephants.” Antiochus III was defeated and lost some seventeen thousand men. (See Polybius, Histories, 5.79; 3 Macc. 1.) 12The king of Egypt will be filled with pride over his victory and of the many tens of thousands of soldiers he slaughtered, but he will not continue to be victorious.

13“Then the king of Syria will recruit an even larger army than before, and after some years, # 11:13 That is, twelve years later. he will advance a second time with a massive army, fully equipped with weapons and supplies. # 11:13 Once more, Antiochus III advanced to battle the Egyptians and pushed his way through the land of Israel all the way to the fortress city of Gaza, which fell in 201 BC.

14“At that time, many will take up arms against the king of Egypt. # 11:14 This is likely a reference to Ptolemy V Epiphanes, who was only six years old when he became king after the mysterious death of Ptolemy IV Philopator. (See Polybius, Histories, 15.25.3–18.) The Syrian king knew that Egypt was being ruled by a child and took his opportunity to launch his attack against the weakened Egyptian kingdom. The people of Judea were caught in between these battles between Ptolemaic rulers and the Seleucids (Syrians). The decisive battle between the kingdom of Egypt, led by the Egyptian general Scopas, and the forces of the kingdom of Syria was fought at Banas (later renamed Caesarea Philippi) in 200 BC. The Syrians ultimately defeated the Egyptians, which meant that Judea then came under Seleucid control. (See Edouard Will, Histoire politique du mond hellénistique, vol. 2 [Paris: Seuil, 2003], 102.) It was then that the Jews made a pact with Antiochus III with the hope of eventually gaining independence. Renegades from among your own people # 11:14 That is, pro-Syrian Jews. will rebel in the hope of realizing the vision; # 11:14 The Hebrew text is obscure and differs greatly from the Old Greek, which reads: “And in those times plots shall rise up against the king of Egypt, and he shall rebuild the ruins of your people, and he shall stand up in order to realize the prophecy, and they shall stumble.” but they will fail. 15Then the king of Syria will advance and build up siege-ramps to capture a strongly fortified city. # 11:15 That is, Sidon. The Egyptian forces will not stand their ground; even their elite troops will not be strong enough to resist. 16The invading king of Syria will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to resist him. He will occupy the land of splendor, # 11:16 That is, the land of Israel. See “beautiful land” in 8:9; “glorious land” in 11:41. and all of it will be under his control. # 11:16 Or “destruction is in his hand.”

17“Then, with the might of his entire kingdom, he will resolve to conquer Egypt by cunningly making a peace treaty # 11:17 Or “to do what is upright.” The point here is that the king of the north wants to utilize the ruse of a “peace treaty” as a means of deceiving the king of the south. with the king of Egypt. # 11:17 Or literally “and upright ones with him and he will do,” which makes little sense. The Hebrew is uncertain. The king of Syria will offer one of his daughters in marriage to the king of Egypt in order to defeat his kingdom, # 11:17 Or “to defeat it [or her].” but his plan will fall apart and will not work to his advantage. # 11:17 This verse is a reference to the marriage of the daughter of the Syrian king Antiochus III to the Egyptian king Ptolemy V. The daughter’s name was Cleopatra, who was given in marriage to Ptolemy in 193 BC. The Syrian king was planning to use this “alliance” to eventually overthrow the Egyptian dynasty, but Cleopatra took the side of her husband against her father. 18The king of Syria will next turn to the coastlands and capture many cities, but a foreign commander # 11:18 That is, a Roman consul (commander). This verse is likely a reference to the incursion of Antiochus III along the coast of Asia Minor and Greece. The Roman Consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio stopped his advance and defeated Antiochus III’s army of eighty thousand in 190 BC at Thermopylae and Magnesia. The details of the prophecies in this chapter are astounding in their accuracy. will put a stop to his arrogance and make him suffer the consequences of his defiant insolence. # 11:18 The meaning of the Hebrew text of this last clause is uncertain.

19“He will then retreat to the well protected fortresses of his own country. In time, he will be defeated, lose his grip on power, and disappear. # 11:19 History records that Antiochus III, defeated by the Roman commander, was subjected to paying an enormous tax to Rome. After returning to his homeland (Syria), he tried to destroy the temple of the gods, which infuriated his citizens. Due to a plot hatched by the people and carried out by his prime minister, Heliodorus, they assassinated Antiochus III in 187 BC. 20His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the wealth of his kingdom. # 11:20 Or literally “one sending over an exactor of splendor of kingdom.” The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. In a short time, however, the king will die, # 11:20 One of the sons of Antiochus III, Seleucus IV, succeeded his father to the throne of Syria. He sent his finance minister, Heliodorus, to Jerusalem to seize the temple treasure. But Heliodorus failed in his attempt, and he eventually assassinated King Seleucus IV. though not in the heat of battle.”

Syria’s Evil King

21The man in white linen continued: “In his place will rise a despised usurper of the throne, who had no claim to royal status. # 11:21 This is a reference to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who ruled approximately 175–164 BC. He will attack the kingdom when the people least suspect it, and he will seize the kingdom through deceit. # 11:21 Or “flatteries,” “intrigue,” “trickery,” or “fraud.” The rightful heir to the throne was the son of Seleucus IV, named Demetrius, but his brother Antiochus IV seized it when his brother was assassinated. Later, Antiochus IV took the name of Epiphanes, which means “God manifest.” 22He will totally sweep away every opposing army that stands before him and crush them. He will even kill the high priest # 11:22 Or “the prince of the covenant.” Hebrew will occasionally use the word for prince in reference to the high priest. In 171 BC, Antiochus IV Epiphanes ordered the assassination of Onias III, the Jewish high priest. of the covenant. 23And after he forms an alliance with him, he will act deceitfully and, despite his initial small following, he will grow ever stronger. 24Then unexpectedly, he will, by stealth, invade rich, fertile provinces and achieve what none of his ancestors did. And he will distribute the spoils and lavish them upon his followers. He will plot to defeat opposing forces protected in fortified positions # 11:24 That is, the fortified strongholds of Egypt. and will succeed, but only for a short time.

25“He will stir up his might and courage, muster a large army, and wage war against the king of Egypt. # 11:25 This is a likely reference to the invasion of Egypt by Antiochus IV in 170 BC. However, the king of Egypt will fight back with an even greater army—a massive and powerful army—but he will be defeated because of secret plans devised against him. 26His closest advisers, # 11:26 Or “Those who eat his rich food,” a figure of speech for those who are closest to him and eat together. who eat at the king’s table, will attempt to kill him. His army will be swept away, and many will fall in the slaughter.

27“These two kings will sit at the same table and exchange lies with their hearts filled with evil motives. But their plans will come to nothing, for the time set by God has still not yet come. 28Then the treacherous king of Syria will start back home with his great spoils. He will set his heart against the holy covenant, # 11:28 The phrase “the holy covenant” is likely a figure of speech for the Jewish religion. take action against it, # 11:28 After his invasion of Egyptian territory, Antiochus IV returned with a large amount of captured loot. On his way back to Syria he carried out an attack on Jerusalem. Jerome, the theologian and historian, wrote in the fifth century that “both the Greek and the Roman historians relate that after Antiochus had been expelled from Egypt, and had gone back once more, he came to Judaea, that is, against the holy covenant, and that he despoiled the temple and removed a huge amount of gold; and then, having stationed a garrison in the citadel, he returned to his own land.” (See Josephus, Ant. 12.5.1.) and then return to his own land. 29In the time God has appointed, # 11:29 God has a divine master plan for human history. He is the one who appoints the times and seasons for people and nations. he will go back to attack Egypt again, but this time the outcome will not be as before. 30Roman ships # 11:30 Or literally “the ships of Kittim.” The word Kittim originally referred to people from the island of Cyprus but later became identified with Mediterranean peoples in general. The Qumran writers and the Septuagint used the term Kittim consistently to refer to the Romans. Indeed, the Romans intervened and forced Antiochus IV and his armies to retreat out of Egypt in 168 BC. will oppose him, and he will lose heart. He will retreat and take out his indignation against the holy covenant and show favor to those who forsake that holy covenant.

31“He will then dispatch his armed forces to enter and profane the sacred temple-stronghold. # 11:31 Or literally “the sanctuary, the fortress.” They will abolish the daily sacrifice and, in its place, set the blasphemous abomination that brings desolation. # 11:31 Or “commit the desolating sacrilege.” (See James B. Jordan, The Handwriting on the Wall: A Commentary on the Book of Daniel [Powder Springs, GA: American Vision, 2007], 581–82.) King Antiochus IV Epiphanes ordered his troops to penetrate the temple in December 168 BC. He abolished the celebration of Jewish worship and placed on top of the altar of the temple another altar, dedicated to the Greek god Zeus, and offered unclean animals there (such as pigs). See Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14. 32The Syrian king will entice with flattery those who betray the holy covenant, but those who know their God will stand firm and valiantly resist.

33“These who are filled with wisdom will help many understand what is happening. However, for a season, they will face severe testing. Some will go into captivity, some will be robbed, and some will be killed by the sword and by the flames. 34During this persecution, God’s people will receive little help, though many will join with them insincerely. 35Even some of the wise leaders will stumble, yet this will lead to them being purged, purified, and made clean—until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come.”

The Arrogant King

36“The king # 11:36 There is some ambiguity to the identity of this “king.” Contextually, it would be Antiochus IV; however, what follows is difficult to fit into what is known of his life. Some commentators believe this king was Roman, possibly Herod the Great. (See Philip Mauro, The Seventy Weeks and the Great Tribulation [Swengel, PA: Reiner Publications, 1965]; James Farquharson, The Latter Part of Daniel’s Last Vision and Prophecy [London: Smith, Elder, and Co., 1838].) will grow more and more arrogant and do whatever he pleases. He will exalt himself above every other god, and utter horrendous blasphemies against the God of all gods. # 11:36 This self-aggrandizement of Antiochus IV magnifying himself above every god is possibly a reference to the title he bestowed upon himself: Epiphanes. Epiphanes means “God manifest.” He will be successful until God’s wrath reaches the boiling point, for what God has decreed will certainly be fulfilled. 37The king will not respect the gods of his ancestors, # 11:37 That is, Zeus and Apollo. According to 2 Macc. 6:7, Antiochus IV also compelled his subjects to take part in the cult of Dionysus in Jerusalem. the god worshiped by women, # 11:37 Or “desired by women.” This is most likely a reference to the god called Tammuz in Hebrew or Adonis in Greek. This god was worshiped as the male god of fertility that helps women conceive. See Ezek. 8:14. (See also J. A. Montgomery, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Daniel, The International Critical Commentary [Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1927], 462; W. Sibley Towner, Daniel: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching [Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1984], 162; André Lacocque, The Book of Daniel, trans. David Pellauer [Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2018], 232; Louis F. Hartman and Alexander A. Di Lella, The Book of Daniel, Anchor Yale Bible Commentary, vol. 23 [New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2005], 301–2; A. A. Bevan, A Short Commentary on the Book of Daniel [Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013], 195–97.) nor any other god because he will consider himself the greatest god of all. 38Instead, he will glorify the god of strongholds. # 11:38 Or “the god of fortresses” or “the god of forces.” This is a possible reference to the supreme god of the ancient Roman pantheon, Jupiter. He will honor this god, unknown to his ancestors, with gold and silver, precious stones and costly gifts. # 11:38 See Joel 3:5. 39That king, with the help of his foreign god, will defend his own fortresses. # 11:39 Or “with the help of a foreign god, he will come against the strongest fortresses.” The Hebrew is uncertain. He will give great honor to those who accept him as ruler, and elevate them as high officials and parcel out the land to them as their reward for their loyalty.”

The Demise of the Arrogant King

40“At the time of the end, # 11:40 The “time of the end” may be a reference to the end of the persecution and tyrannical rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, or a reference to the end of the age, or simply “an appointed time.” the king of Egypt will lock horns with the king of Syria, but the king of Syria will come storming out against him like a whirlwind—with chariots, cavalry, and a great fleet of ships. He will pass through countries, overrun them, and sweep through them like a flood. 41He will even invade the glorious land, and many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab, and what remains of the Ammonites # 11:41 As translated from an amended Hebrew text and the Syriac; the traditional Hebrew text is “the leaders [beginnings] of the Ammonites.” will escape.

42“He will use his power to attack many countries, and Egypt will not escape his onslaught. 43He will confiscate all the Egyptian treasures, including its silver and gold. Libyans and Ethiopians # 11:43 Or “Cushites.” will be in submission to him. # 11:43 The Hebrew term here is somewhat vague in its denotation. The term bemis‘adaw literally means “in his steps.” The context clearly suggests that the Libyans and the Cushites (Ethiopians) were forced to march with the army of Antiochus IV as his enslaved captives.

44“Then reports will come from the east and the north that will trouble him, and he will set out with furious rage to bring death and complete destruction to many. # 11:44 The troubling “reports” that came to Antiochus IV were regarding two peoples in his empire, the Parthians in the eastern part of the Seleucid Kingdom and, to the north, the Armenians. Their uprisings forced him to go to these regions to establish order. 45He will pitch his lavish royal tents between the sea # 11:45 Although the Hebrew word for “sea” is plural in the original, most scholars (and translations) view the use of the plural without the definite article in its ancient poetic usage (see Deut. 33:19; Judg. 5:17). The “sea” is almost certainly the Mediterranean. and the beautiful mountain of the holy temple. Yet he will come to his end all alone, with no one to stand with him.” # 11:45 During his campaign against the Parthians, Antiochus IV Epiphanes was killed at Tabae in Persia in 164 BC.

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