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Text Of Daniel 11 |
Paraphrase Of Daniel 11 |
| 1 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. | 1. Daniel received the vision in the time of Darius the Mede. |
| 2 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. | 2. After Cyrus there will be three more Persian kings; Smerdis, Cambyses, Darius I Hystaspis. After them a fourth, Xerxes (richest of all) will rise to power and use these riches to stir up opposition against Greece. |
| 3 And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. | 3. A mighty king, Alexander the Great, will gain power and rule with great military success. |
| 4 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. | 4. But at his height he will lose his power and his kingdom will be divided not between his kin (he would have no legitimate heir to the throne), but to Lysimachus, Cassander, Seleucus I Nicator, and Ptolemy I Soter. However, their rule will lack his success and they will eventually lose the kingdom. |
| 5 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. | 5. And the king of Egypt, Ptolemy I Soter, will be strong, and so will one of his generals, Seleucus I (who fled to him during the struggle for power). However, Ptolemy I will be stronger than Seleucus and will dominate. |
| 6 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. | 6. Some time later, they will seek to ease tensions by marrying Bernice, daughter of Ptolemy II, to the Seleucid king, Antiochus II Theos. But the marriage will result in loss for all concerned, because Laodice, first wife of Antiochus II, will kill the king, Bernice, and Bernice's child. |
| 7 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: | 7. But a descendant of her ancestors, her brother, Ptolemy III Eurgetes, will gain power and attacks the Seleucid king, Seleucus II Callinicus, son of Laodice, and he will be very successful, gaining much territory. |
| 8 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. | 8. Ptolemy Eurgetes will returns to Egypt with many captives and much wealth. He will prosper and reign longer than his adversary, Seleucus II Callinicus of Syria. |
| 9 So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land. | 9. So after Ptolemy Eurgetes enjoys victory, he returns to his home with a strengthened kingdom. |
| 10 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. | 10. The sons of Seleucus II (Seleucus II had three sons who ruled, Seleucus III, Antiochus III, and Seleucus IV) will engage in war. Antiochus III will assemble great forces and attack the king of the south with varying degrees of success. |
| 11 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. | 11. And the Egyptian king, Ptolemy IV Philopater, will fight against him (Antiochus III) at the battle of Raphia in 217 BC and be victorious. Though Antiochus III would have a great army, his multitudes will be subdued by Ptolemy IV. |
| 12 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. | 12. And the king of Egypt and his army will be elated at such success. They will kill many and take many captive, but their success will not last. |
| 13 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. | 13. And the Seleucid king, Antiochus III, will raise another army greater than the first, and after some time he will attack again. |
| 14 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. | 14. At this time many warlike Jews will ally themselves with Antiochus III, and thus help him to victory, but this will be to their hurt (since Antiochus IV will thus be enabled to rule over Palestine). |
| 15 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. | 15. So Antiochus III will take the well fortified city of Sidon and other fenced cities. The Ptolemies will not be able to withstand. |
| 16 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. | 16. Antiochus will do as he pleases and be unbeatable. He will finally gain control of Palestine. |
| 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, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him. | 17. He will then seek to establish his home front. The Jews will be with him in this effort because he will attempt to placate them. He will contract a marriage between his daughter, Cleopatra, (whom he attempts to corrupt by using her as a political pawn) and Ptolemy V. The arrangement will not work to his advantage because Cleopatra will not betray her husband as her father, Antiochus III, wished. |
| 18 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. | 18. Then Antiochus III will turn his attention to the coasts of Asia Minor (197 BC, then Thracia in 196 BC and Greece 192 BC). A Roman general will put an end to his attack on their dominions in 191 BC at Thermopylae where he was defeated by Acilius Glabrio and again in 190 BC at Magnesium where he was defeated by Cornelius Scipio. These attempts at expanding his empire turned on him because when he was defeated he had to pay a great tax to the Romans. |
| 19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found. | 19. Antiochus III lost all the property west and north of the Taurus mountains. He will turn his attention to his own territory and Persia, where he will die. |
| 20 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 | 20. In the place of Antiochus III, Seleucus IV Philopater will come to power and send Heliodorus, his prime minister, throughout his kingdom to raise money. Soon after the money-raising expedition Seleucus IV will be slain by Heliodorus, not out of anger, but as a political expediency. |
| 21 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. | 21. In the place of Seleucus IV the contemptible Antiochus IV Epiphanes will take the throne. The expected heir (Demetrius I Soter, son of Seleucus IV) will not receive the kingdom. Instead Antiochus IV will win the kingdom by flattery and without battle. |
| 22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. | 22. He will be successful in war against great armies like that of Ptolemy VI Philometer. He will depose Onias III, the high priest. |
| 23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. | 23. Many made leagues with him but he will work deceitfully and break his word. He will gain much power though the Syrian people are not large. |
| 24 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. | 24. He will gain influence in the choicest places by trickery more than by force. He will do what his predecessors have not done in his quest for power. He will succeed in all this for some time. |
| 25 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. | 25. Antiochus IV will engage in war against Ptolemy VI. Ptolemy will have a great force, but it will not stand against the great army of Antiochus IV. |
| 26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. | 26. Some close associates of the Ptolemaic king will aid in his defeat, and his army will be overrun with many being slain. |
| 27 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. | 27. Antiochus Epiphanes and Ptolemy Philometer will make plans together, but this will mask only evil intentions. After Antiochus Epiphanes took Ptolemy Philometer captive, the Egyptians installed Ptolemy Physcon as their king. Antiochus offered to help Ptolemy Philometer return to power. He did this hoping to use Ptolemy Philometer to gain more power in Egypt. Ptolemy Philometer hoped to use Antiochus Epiphanes to regain greater power in Egypt and Palestine. Neither of these kings will ultimately benefit from all this since their end is appointed by God. |
| 28 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. | 28. Antiochus Epiphanes will return to his own land with many spoils. He will stop in Palestine and plunder the temple treasure, and then return to Syria. |
| 29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. | 29. At the time appointed by God Antiochus will again attack Egypt. This time it will not be as successful as the former invasions by Antiochus III or the next one in sequence by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. |
| 30 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. | 30. At the request of Egypt, ships from Cyprus, a Roman dominion, bearing Roman envoys, will come and order Antiochus Epiphanes to withdraw. He will return in humiliation, and exercise his rage on the temple and people of God. He will ally with Hellenist Jews to oppose orthodox Jews who cling to the holy covenant. |
| 31 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. | 31. Antiochus will send men and officers who will profane Jerusalem and the temple, causing the daily sacrifice to cease. He will desecrate the temple by offering pig's flesh on the altar and sprinkling the entire place with pig broth. |
| 32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. | 32. He will use the Hellenists Jews, making them more profane. The people of God will be loyal to God and have some success. |
| 33 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. | 33. The teachers among the Jews will teach many, but they too will have to suffer death or captivity during this period of persecution. |
| 34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. | 34. Despite this, the teachers will find some support in men like Judas Maccabeas. Some will cleave to these orthodox Jews to spy for the enemy. |
| 35 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. | 35. The persecution which loyal Jews will have to endure will work out for their own benefit, ultimately. They will have to suffer until God puts an end to the Seleucids. However, it will be a while before they come to an end. |
| 36 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. | 36. In review, this king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, will have his way in many situations. He will exalt himself above various pagan deities, and will especially speak against the true God of heaven. He will prosper until God is ready to destroy him. |
| 37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. | 37. He will not favor the pagan deity of his native land. He will not be touched by the cries of women. Instead, he will subject them and their children to awful torture. Most of all, he will honor himself above all others. |
| 38 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. | 38. In particular he will honor a certain deity of force, a god strange to his ancestors, and honor this god with expensive gifts. |
| 39 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. | 39. This is how Antiochus Epiphanes will behave in the strongholds he takes. He will glorify this strange god and exalt it and rule over many. Also, he will divide the land for his own profit. |
| 40 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. | 40. Reviewing the campaigns of Antiochus Epiphanes against Egypt, the Ptolemies will push at him and Antiochus Epiphanes will attack Egypt with many armaments. He will greatly succeed and overthrow many. |