Daniel 11
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1“As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. 2“Now will I show you the truth. Behold, three more kings will stand up in Persia; and the fourth will be far richer than all of them. When he has grown strong through his riches, he will stir up all against the realm of Greece. 3A mighty king will stand up, who will rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. 4When he stands up, his kingdom will be broken, and will be divided toward the four winds of the sky, but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom will be plucked up, even for others besides these. 5“The king of the south will be strong. One of his princes will become stronger than him, and have dominion. His dominion will be a great dominion. 6At the end of years they will join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement; but she will not retain the strength of her arm. He will also not stand, nor will his arm; but she will be given up, with those who brought her, and he who became the father of her, and he who strengthened her in those times. 7“But out of a shoot from her roots one will stand up in his place, who will come to the army, and will enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and will deal against them, and will prevail. 8He will also carry their gods, with their molten images, and with their goodly vessels of silver and of gold, captive into Egypt. He will refrain some years from the king of the north. 9He will come into the realm of the king of the south, but he will return into his own land. 10His sons will wage war, and will assemble a multitude of great forces, which will come on, and overflow, and pass through. They will return and wage war, even to his fortress. 11“The king of the south will be moved with anger, and will come out and fight with him, even with the king of the north. He will send out a great multitude, and the multitude will be given into his hand. 12The multitude will be lifted up, and his heart will be exalted. He will cast down tens of thousands, but he won’t prevail. 13The king of the north will return, and will send out a multitude greater than the former. He will come on at the end of the times, even of years, with a great army and with much substance. 14“In those times many will stand up against the king of the south. Also the children of the violent among your people will lift themselves up to establish the vision; but they will fall. 15So the king of the north will come and cast up a mound, and take a well-fortified city. The forces of the south won’t stand, neither will his chosen people, neither will there be any strength to stand. 16But he who comes against him will do according to his own will, and no one will stand before him. He will stand in the glorious land, and destruction will be in his hand. 17He will set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable conditions. He will perform them. He will give him the daughter of women, to corrupt her; but she will not stand, and won’t be for him. 18After this he will turn his face to the islands, and will take many; but a prince will cause the reproach offered by him to cease. Yes, moreover, he will cause his reproach to turn on him. 19Then he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land; but he will stumble and fall, and won’t be found. 20“Then one who will cause a tax collector to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory will stand up in his place; but within few days he shall be destroyed, not in anger, and not in battle. 21“In his place a contemptible person will stand up, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom; but he will come in time of security, and will obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 22The overwhelming forces will be overwhelmed from before him, and will be broken. Yes, also the prince of the covenant. 23After the treaty made with him he will work deceitfully; for he will come up, and will become strong, with a small people. 24In time of security he will come even on the fattest places of the province. He will do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers. He will scatter among them prey, plunder, and substance. Yes, he will devise his plans against the strongholds, even for a time. 25“He will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south will wage war in battle with an exceedingly great and mighty army; but he won’t stand; for they will devise plans against him. 26Yes, those who eat of his dainties will destroy him, and his army will be swept away. Many will fall down slain. 27As for both these kings, their hearts will be to do mischief, and they will speak lies at one table; but it won’t prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time. 28Then he will return into his land with great wealth. His heart will be against the holy covenant. He will take action, and return to his own land. 29“He will return at the appointed time, and come into the south; but it won’t be in the latter time as it was in the former. 30For ships of Kittim will come against him. Therefore he will be grieved, and will return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and will take action. He will even return, and have regard to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31“Forces will stand on his part, and they will profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and will take away the continual burnt offering. Then they will set up the abomination that makes desolate. 32He will corrupt those who do wickedly against the covenant by flatteries; but the people who know their God will be strong, and take action. 33“Those who are wise among the people will instruct many; yet they will fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, many days. 34Now when they fall, they will be helped with a little help; but many will join themselves to them with flatteries. 35Some of those who are wise will fall, to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the end; because it is yet for the time appointed. 36“The king will do according to his will. He will exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and will speak marvelous things against the God of gods. He will prosper until the indignation is accomplished; for that which is determined will be done. 37He won’t regard the gods of his fathers, or the desire of women, or regard any god; for he will magnify himself above all. 38But in his place he will honor the god of fortresses. He will honor a god whom his fathers didn’t know with gold, silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things. 39He will deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. He will increase with glory whoever acknowledges him. He will cause them to rule over many, and will divide the land for a price. 40“At the time of the end the king of the south will contend with him; and the king of the north will come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships. He will enter into the countries, and will overflow and pass through. 41He will enter also into the glorious land, and many countries will be overthrown; but these will be delivered out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He will also stretch out his hand on the countries. The land of Egypt won’t escape. 43But he will have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt. The Libyans and the Ethiopians will be at his steps. 44But news out of the east and out of the north will trouble him; and he will go out with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many. 45He will plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
World English Bible (public domain)
“"And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done."”
Daniel 11:36
Summary
Daniel chapter 11 provides a detailed prophecy of the future conflicts involving the Persian Empire, the emergence of a powerful Greek ruler, and subsequent struggles between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic kingdoms. The chapter begins with an angelic figure explaining to Daniel the events that will unfold, starting with the rule of Persian kings and leading to the rise of Alexander the Great. The prophecy then focuses on the turbulent interactions between the 'king of the North' and the 'king of the South,' representative of the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties, respectively. The chapter outlines numerous battles, alliances, and betrayals, illustrating a period of great turbulence and influencing the Jewish people caught between these rival powers. Amidst detailed historical predictions, the chapter reaches a zenith with the depiction of an arrogant ruler who exalts himself against God, hinting at future tribulations and the ultimate triumph of divine justice.
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Chapter outline
How Daniel 11 unfolds
Daniel 11:1–2 Darius and Persian Kings
Daniel begins by stating his role in supporting Darius as the first year of his reign marks the prophecy of upcoming Persian kings.
Daniel 11:3–4 Rise of a Mighty King
A powerful king, representing Alexander the Great, will arise but his kingdom will be divided after his death, not to his heirs.
Daniel 11:5–15 Conflict Between North and South
Subsequent verses detail the struggles between the king of the South and the king of the North, highlighting alliances and betrayals.
Daniel 11:16–29 The Arrogance of a New Ruler
The passage describes a ruler who will hold great power but will ultimately turn against the holy covenant and face consequences.
Daniel 11:30–39 Destruction and Deception
The text reveals how this ruler will use deceit and force against both faithful people and the covenant, corrupting many.
Daniel 11:40–45 Final Confrontations and Fate
The chapter concludes with the king of the North facing a final confrontation leading to his downfall and the overarching divine plan.
Key verses
Daniel 11:36Daniel 11:36 encapsulates the chapter's tension between human pride and divine sovereignty.
Main themes in Daniel 11
Prophecy and History
Prophecy and history intertwine throughout Daniel 11, particularly in verses 2-4, where the text outlines the reigns of several kings. These predictions serve as a detailed account of how divine plans unfold through the actions of these rulers, demonstrating the specific historical events that align with God's will. The chapter illustrates that God's sovereignty governs human affairs, reinforcing the idea that history is not random but guided by divine purpose.
Conflict and Power
The ongoing conflict between the king of the North and the king of the South is central to the narrative from verses 5-15, where their interactions are marked by battles and shifting alliances. These struggles for dominance highlight how power dynamics shape the destinies of nations and empires, revealing the intensity of the geopolitical landscape. This theme underscores the notion that such conflicts are not merely political but are influenced by broader cosmic forces at work.
Divine Sovereignty
Divine sovereignty is prominently displayed in Daniel 11, particularly in verses 36-39, where the text emphasizes God's ultimate control over the rise and fall of rulers. The account of various kings illustrates that their authority is subordinate to God's overarching plan for history. This theme reinforces the belief that, despite human rebellion and attempts to assert power, God’s purposes will ultimately prevail in the course of human events.
Pride and Hubris
The theme of pride and hubris emerges vividly in verse 36, where the king is depicted as one who magnifies himself above all. His arrogance and self-exaltation lead to significant consequences, serving as a sobering reminder of the pitfalls associated with opposing divine authority. This illustrates the broader biblical principle that pride often precedes downfall, highlighting the dangers inherent in elevating oneself above God.
Cross-references
Passages that echo Daniel 11
- Daniel 8The vision of a ram and goat in Daniel 8 connects with the power struggles foreseen in chapter 11.
- Daniel 12Daniel 12 develops the theme of ultimate triumph after tribulations, echoing the struggles highlighted in chapter 11.
- Daniel 7The beasts in Daniel 7 foreshadow the kings and kingdoms discussed in chapter 11, linking prophecy across both chapters.
- Revelation 13The arrogant ruler’s actions in chapter 11 connect with the descriptions of opposition to God found in Revelation 13.
- 2 Thessalonians 2The theme of rebellion against God in 2 Thessalonians 2 echoes the prideful ruler's actions in Daniel 11.
- Daniel 9The mention of the covenant in Daniel 11 connects to the themes of sin and restoration found in Daniel 9.
Study questions
Questions for studying Daniel 11
- Who does the angel say will rise to power in Persia?
- What events lead to the division of the mighty king's kingdom?
- How do the kings of the North and South interact throughout the chapter?
- What characterizes the ruler who exalts himself above all gods?
- How does the text depict conflict between divine sovereignty and human pride?
Daniel 11: frequently asked questions
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