Daniel 11 details a long series of conflicts between the "King of the North" and the "King of the South," representing the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires. It prophesies the rise of a "vile person" (Antiochus IV Epiphanes) who will desecrate the temple and persecute God's people. The chapter concludes with a prophecy of a future king who exalts himself above all gods, leading to a final conflict and his ultimate demise.
And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.
And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.
¶ And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.
And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.
But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:
And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.
But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.
And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.
And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.
For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.
And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.
But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.
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, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.
After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.
Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.
¶ And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.
And 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 forecast devices against him.
And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.
Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.
For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.
And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.
But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
Study Notes for Daniel 11
Verse 1
This verse links the current vision (begun in Dan. 10) to the previous reign of Darius the Mede, affirming the angel’s role as a divine messenger supporting God’s appointed rulers. The angel provides strength and confirmation for the unfolding prophetic history.
Verse 2
The three kings are generally identified as Cambyses, Pseudo-Smerdis, and Darius I. The fourth, 'far richer,' is Xerxes I, who launched a massive, unsuccessful invasion against Greece (c. 480 BC), fulfilling the prophecy to 'stir up all against the realm of Grecia.'
Verse 3
This 'mighty king' is universally understood to be Alexander the Great (336–323 BC), who conquered the Persian Empire rapidly and ruled with absolute authority.
Verse 4
Alexander’s kingdom was broken immediately upon his death, divided among his generals (the Diadochi) rather than inherited by his own lineage, fulfilling the prophecy of division 'toward the four winds of heaven.'
Verse 5
This verse begins the detailed account of the wars between the two most significant successor kingdoms: the King of the South (the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt) and the King of the North (the Seleucid dynasty in Syria and Mesopotamia). The king of the south here is Ptolemy I Soter; the strong prince is Seleucus I Nicator.
Verse 6
This refers to the political marriage (c. 252 BC) of Berenice (Ptolemaic princess, King of the South’s daughter) to Antiochus II (Seleucid King of the North). The alliance failed quickly; Berenice, her child, and her attendants were murdered, leading to the Third Syrian War.
Verse 7
The 'branch of her roots' is Ptolemy III Euergetes, Berenice’s brother, who successfully invaded the Seleucid territory (the fortress of the King of the North) to avenge his sister’s death.
Verse 8
Ptolemy III returned to Egypt with immense booty, including idols and vessels taken from the Seleucid Empire, and outlived Seleucus II Callinicus.
Verse 10
The sons of the King of the North (Seleucus III and Antiochus III 'the Great') assembled massive forces to retaliate against the Ptolemies, leading to the Fourth Syrian War.
Verse 11
This describes the Battle of Raphia (217 BC), where Ptolemy IV Philopator (King of the South) defeated Antiochus III (King of the North), despite the Seleucid army being larger.
Verse 12
Ptolemy IV’s victory led to arrogance and internal weakness in Egypt, preventing him from capitalizing on his success and ultimately setting the stage for Antiochus III's later return.
Verse 13
Antiochus III returned with a greater force (the Fifth Syrian War) 14 years after Raphia, seeking to recover lost territories.
Verse 14
The 'robbers of thy people' are Jewish factions who sided with Antiochus III against the Ptolemies, believing that supporting the Seleucids would fulfill God's vision of national restoration, but they were ultimately disappointed.
Verse 15
Antiochus III’s victory at the Battle of Paneas (200 BC) allowed him to permanently annex Judea (the 'glorious land') from the Ptolemies.
Verse 16
Antiochus III now controlled Judea ('the glorious land'), which suffered from the continuous warfare between the major powers.
Verse 17
Antiochus III attempted to neutralize Egypt by offering his daughter, Cleopatra I, in marriage to Ptolemy V. He intended for her to be a spy, but she sided with her husband, frustrating her father’s plans.
Verse 18
Antiochus III then turned to expansion in the Mediterranean ('the isles'), but his advance was checked by the rising Roman power ('a prince'), specifically Scipio Asiaticus, who defeated Antiochus at Magnesia (190 BC).
Verse 20
This successor is Seleucus IV Philopator, who ruled under the heavy financial burden imposed by the Romans (the 'raiser of taxes'). He was assassinated by his minister Heliodorus, 'neither in anger, nor in battle.'
Verse 21
This verse introduces Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the most notorious historical figure in the prophecy. He gained the throne through trickery and flattery, circumventing the legitimate heir (his nephew Demetrius).
Verse 22
Antiochus IV overcame all opposition. The 'prince of the covenant' likely refers to the legitimate High Priest Onias III, whom Antiochus removed and later had murdered (2 Maccabees 4:33-35).
Verse 24
Antiochus IV was known for his extravagant generosity and lavish gifts, using plunder to buy loyalty—a tactic unseen in previous Seleucid kings.
Verse 27
This describes a peace conference between Antiochus IV and Ptolemy VI, where both parties deceitfully negotiated while plotting against the other. The outcome was fixed by God's timetable: 'the end shall be at the time appointed.'
Verse 28
Returning from his first Egyptian campaign (170 BC), Antiochus IV vented his frustration over the inconclusive war by attacking Jerusalem, slaughtering many, and plundering the Temple treasures.
Verse 30
During his second Egyptian campaign (168 BC), Antiochus IV was confronted by the 'ships of Chittim' (Roman envoys led by Gaius Popillius Laenas). Rome demanded his immediate withdrawal, forcing him to retreat in humiliation.
Verse 31
Furious over the Roman humiliation, Antiochus IV unleashed his wrath on Judea. He sent forces to defile the Temple, stop the daily sacrifices, and install a pagan altar (the 'abomination that maketh desolate'), fulfilling the great persecution.
Verse 32
This highlights the contrast: those who abandon the covenant were corrupted, while the loyal Jews (the Maccabees and their followers) resisted and performed 'exploits' of faithfulness and courage.
Verse 33
The faithful teachers suffered martyrdom during the persecution, but their suffering served the greater purpose of instructing and strengthening others during the 'many days' of tribulation.
Verse 35
The suffering and falling of the faithful served a refining purpose ('to try them, and to purge, and to make them white'), continuing until the predetermined 'time of the end' for that specific period of trial.
Verse 36
The prophecy now shifts focus from the historical Antiochus IV to an ultimate, eschatological figure (often identified as the Antichrist). This 'King' will exhibit the same hubris as Antiochus, magnifying himself above all gods, until God’s final judgment arrives.
Verse 37
This king will reject both ancestral religion and any deity honored by others. The phrase 'desire of women' is difficult, possibly referring to marriage (family continuity), the goddess Ishtar, or even the promised Messiah, who is the 'desire' of Israel.
Verse 38
Instead of traditional gods, this king will worship 'the God of forces' (or 'fortresses' / 'might'), suggesting the deification of military power, strength, and conquest.
Verse 40
The 'time of the end' marks the beginning of the final global conflict. The imagery of the King of the North’s massive invasion describes a swift, overwhelming military action against the King of the South.
Verse 41
The Glorious Land (Israel) will be invaded, but certain surrounding nations—Edom, Moab, and Ammon—are prophetically marked as escaping his immediate control, perhaps indicating their geographical position or a specific role in the final events.
Verse 44
News from the east and north (possibly other world powers) interrupts the King’s control over the captured territories, provoking him to launch a final, destructive campaign against many nations.
Verse 45
The King establishes his headquarters in Jerusalem, between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. This act of ultimate defiance precedes his swift and final destruction, marking the end of human tyranny.
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