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The Ptolemies Versus the Seleucids[a]

The King of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become stronger than he and rule a dominion greater than his.[b]

After some years, they will make an alliance. The daughter of the King of the South will come to the King of the North and make a fair agreement. However, she will not keep the strength of her arm, and he and his arm[c] will not endure. She will be given up—she and those who brought her, the one who fathered her,[d] and the one who strengthened her during these times.[e]

But one who is a branch from her root will arise in his place.[f] He will come against the army and come into the fortress of the King of the North. He will make war with them and win. He will also take their gods captive to Egypt with their cast images and with their valuable silver and gold vessels. For some years he will leave the King of the North alone. But the King of the North will come into the kingdom of the King of the South. Then he will return to his own land.

10 His sons[g] will stir themselves up and will gather a huge force of many armies, which will keep coming like an overflowing flood. They will stir themselves up again as far as his fortress.[h]

11 The King of the South will be enraged. He will go out and fight with the King of the North. The King of the North will raise up a great army, but the army will be handed over to the King of the South. 12 When the King of the North’s army is swept away, and the King of the South becomes arrogant, though he will cause tens of thousands to fall, he will not win.[i]

Antiochus the Great

13 The King of the North will again raise an army, which will be greater than the first army, and after some years he will keep coming with a great army and many supplies. 14 In those times, many will rise up against the King of the South. Violent men from your own people will lift themselves up in fulfillment of this vision, but they will fail. 15 The King of the North will come and build siege works and capture a fortified city. The forces of the south will not stand, not even its best troops, because they will have no strength to stand. 16 The one who comes against him[j] will do as he pleases, and no one will stand in his way. He will stand in the beautiful land,[k] and it will be completely in his power. 17 He will be determined to come with the power of his entire kingdom and to bring a treaty with him, which he will enforce. He will give his daughter to the King of the South in marriage in order to destroy the southern kingdom. But his plan will not succeed or turn out to his advantage. 18 He will focus his attack on the coastlands and capture many. However, a commander will put an end to his insolence. Moreover, he will make him pay for his insolence. 19 Then the King of the North will turn his face toward the fortresses of his land. He will stumble and fall and not be found.[l]

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 11:5 This is both one of the most amazing prophecies and one of the most difficult. Daniel, who lived in the 6th century bc, foretells in great detail events that happen from about 330 bc to 150 bc. The Ptolemies of Egypt and the Seleucids of Syria were two of the dynasties that succeeded Alexander. The Jews got caught in the middle of the conflict between them, and this led to a great persecution of the Jews. Consult commentaries and study Bibles for more details on this very complicated history.
  2. Daniel 11:5 The King of the South is Ptolemy of Egypt and his successors. The King of the North is Seleucus, a subordinate of Ptolemy who gained power in Syria, and his successors.
  3. Daniel 11:6 Variant seed, that is, descendant. The words for arm and seed look very much alike in Hebrew.
  4. Daniel 11:6 Variant her child
  5. Daniel 11:6 The kings are Ptolemy II and Antiochus II. The daughter of Ptolemy is Bernice, who was married to Antiochus. Antiochus eventually divorced Bernice and remarried his former wife Laodice, who then poisoned Antiochus, killed Bernice, and installed her own son as Seleucus II.
  6. Daniel 11:7 Bernice’s brother, Ptolemy III, warred against Seleucus II.
  7. Daniel 11:10 The sons of Seleucus II were Seleucus III and Antiochus III the Great. They fought against the Ptolemies.
  8. Daniel 11:10 The line of thought in this verse is difficult to follow.
  9. Daniel 11:12 This King of the South is Ptolemy IV.
  10. Daniel 11:16 That is, the King of the North, who comes against the King of the South
  11. Daniel 11:16 That is, Israel
  12. Daniel 11:19 Antiochus the Great had success against both Egypt and Greece, but his plans were frustrated by the intervention of the Romans. It was at this time that Israel, which was between Syria and Egypt, got caught up in the conflict.