Daniel 11:18-28

18 "Then he will turn his face to the 1coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his scorn against him; moreover, he will 2repay him for his scorn.
19 "So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will 3stumble and fall and be 4found no more.
20 "Then in his place one will arise who will 5send an oppressor through the Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be shattered, though not in anger nor in battle.
21 "In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and 6seize the kingdom by intrigue.
22 "The overflowing 7forces will be flooded away before * him and shattered, and also the prince of the covenant.
23 "After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people.
24 "In a time of tranquility he will enter the 8richest parts of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his ancestors; he will distribute plunder, booty and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time.
25 "He will stir up his strength and courage against the 9king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely * large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, for schemes will be devised against him.
26 "Those who eat his choice food will destroy him, and his army will 10overflow, but many will fall down slain.
27 "As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on 11evil, and they will 12speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, for the 13end is still to come at the appointed time.
28 "Then he will return to his land with much plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land.

Daniel 11:18-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 11

In this chapter the angel makes good his promise to Daniel, that he would show him what was written in the Scripture of truth, concerning the monarchies of the earth, and what would befall his people the Jews in the latter days; and after he had observed that he had strengthened and confirmed Darius the Mede, who was the first king of the then present flourishing monarchy, Da 11:1, he foretells the number of the kings of Persia, and particularly describes the fourth, Da 11:2 predicts the rise of the Grecian monarchy under Alexander the great, and the disposition of it after his death, Da 11:3,4 and then proceeds to give an account of the two principal kingdoms of that monarchy, into which it was divided, the Seleucidae and Lagidae; and of their kings, the king of Egypt, and the king of Syria, under the names of the king of the south, and the king of the north, and of their power and agreement, Da 11:5,6 and then of their various wars between themselves and others, and the success of them, Da 11:7-20, and particularly of Antiochus, his character and manner of coming to the kingdom, and of his wars with the king of Egypt, and the issue of them, Da 11:21-29 and of his persecution of the Jews, and the distress he should bring on them, and the use it should be of to the godly among them, Da 11:30-35, and then his antitype, antichrist, is described; the western antichrist, his character and actions, Da 11:36-39 then the eastern, his power, wealth and riches, hail and rain, Da 11:40-45.

Cross References 13

  • 1. Genesis 10:5; Isaiah 66:19; Jeremiah 2:10; Jeremiah 31:10; Zephaniah 2:11
  • 2. Hosea 12:14
  • 3. Psalms 27:2; Jeremiah 46:6
  • 4. Job 20:8; Psalms 37:36; Ezekiel 26:21
  • 5. Isaiah 60:17
  • 6. 2 Samuel 15:6
  • 7. Daniel 9:26; Daniel 11:10
  • 8. Numbers 13:20; Nehemiah 9:25; Ezekiel 34:14
  • 9. Daniel 11:5
  • 10. Daniel 11:10, 40
  • 11. Psalms 52:1; Psalms 64:6
  • 12. Psalms 12:2; Jeremiah 9:3-5; Jeremiah 41:1-3
  • 13. Daniel 8:19; Daniel 11:35, 40; Habakkuk 2:3

Footnotes 9

  • [a]. Or "exactor" of tribute
  • [b]. Lit "adornment;" i.e. probably Jerusalem and its temple
  • [c]. Lit "Into tranquility and the richest...he will enter"
  • [d]. Or "province"
  • [e]. Lit "fathers' fathers"
  • [f]. Lit "heart"
  • [g]. Lit "break"
  • [h]. Or "be swept away, and many"
  • [i]. Lit "possessions"
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