Daniel 11
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 11
1 “As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I came forth to support and strengthen him.
Early Struggles between Seleucids and Ptolemies.[a] 2 “Now I shall tell you the truth about these things. Three more kings shall arise in Persia. Then a fourth will appear who will be far richer than all of them, and when he has enhanced his power through his wealth, he will mobilize the entire empire against the kingdom of Greece.[b]
3 “Then a powerful king[c] shall arise who will govern a vast empire and do whatever he pleases. 4 But as his power continues to increase, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out to the four winds of heaven. However, it will not be inherited by his descendants, nor will it be ruled in the same fashion, for his kingdom will be uprooted and pass to others rather than to his descendants.
5 “The king of the south shall grow strong, but one of his princes shall grow even stronger and rule an empire greater than his. 6 After some years the two will enter into an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north. However, she will not be able to retain her power, and his offspring will not endure. She will be handed over, along with her attendants and her child and her husband.[d]
7 “Later on, a descendant[e] from her line will arise to take her place. He shall penetrate the defenses of the king of the north, enter his stronghold, and succeed in conquering them. 8 He will even carry away into Egypt, as spoils of war, their gods, with their molten images and precious vessels of silver and gold. For several years he will refrain from attacking the king of the north.
9 “After that, the latter will invade the kingdom of the king of the south, but then return to his own country. 10 However, his sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army that will sweep forth like a flood and advance as far as the enemy’s fortress.[f]
11 “The king of the south will then become enraged and set out to engage in battle with the king of the north. The latter will muster an immense army that will suffer a crushing defeat and be carried off.[g] 12 The heart of the king of the south shall be exalted, and he shall slaughter tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail.[h] 13 For the king of the north will once again raise another army, even larger than before, and finally, after some years, he will advance with a huge force and a great abundance of supplies.
14 “During those times many will take up arms against the king of the south. However, those among your own people who are lawless will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but they will fail. 15 Then the king of the north will come and erect siege-works and capture the well-fortified city. The army of the south will not be able to withstand him, and not even the elite forces will be strong enough to resist.
16 “The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand him. He will establish a stronghold in the glorious land, and it shall fall completely into his power. 17 He will set his mind on conquering the entire kingdom and will make a treaty with the king of the south. Further, he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but this will not succeed or be to his advantage.[i]
18 “Next he will focus his attention on the coastlands and capture many of them, but a commander will put a stop to his outrageous conduct and turn his insolence back upon him.[j] 19 He shall then turn back to the strongholds of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, never to be seen again. 20 His successor[k] shall send forth a tax collector throughout the glorious kingdom, but within a short time this king will also be overthrown and meet his end, although not in anger or in battle.
21 Antiochus IV Epiphanes.“His place shall be taken by a despicable creature upon whom the royal insignia shall not be conferred. Rather, he will come forth without any warning and seize the kingdom through stealth and fraud. 22 A powerful army shall be completely routed and crushed by him. Both it and the prince of the covenant[l] will be destroyed.
23 “After he enters into an alliance, he will act deceitfully, and by treacherous means he will rise to power with only a few supporters. 24 Without advance warning he will invade the most prosperous provinces and do what his fathers or his grandfathers had never done, lavishing plunder, spoil, and riches among them, yet all the while devising plans against their strongholds, but only for a time.
25 “He shall arouse his strength and courage to lead a great army against the kingdom of the south. Meanwhile the king of the south will wage war with a much greater and more powerful army, but he will not succeed because of the plots devised against him. 26 Even those who shared his food will seek to destroy him. His army will be swept away, and many will be slain in battle.[m]
27 “The two kings, their hearts bent on evil though seated at the same table, will exchange lies, but they will not succeed, because the end will not take place until the appointed time. 28 Then the king of the north will return to his land with great riches, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will devise his future plans and return to his own land.
29 “At the appointed time he shall return again to the south, but this time the outcome will not be as it was before. 30 For ships of the Kittim shall come against him, and he will lose heart and withdraw. As he retreats he will vent his fury and direct his energy against the holy covenant, and he will once again show his favor to those who forsake that holy covenant.
31 “Armed forces of his shall obey his command to desecrate the sanctuary, abolish the daily sacrifice, and install the abomination that causes desolation.[n] 32 He will seduce by his deceit those who break the covenant, but those people who are loyal to their God will stand firm and take action.
33 “Wise leaders of the nation shall instruct many, although for a time they will fall by the sword and fire or suffer captivity and exile. 34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, but many will have ulterior motives in offering support. 35 Some of the wise leaders will stumble so that they may be tested, refined, and purified, until the end time, which is still appointed to come.
36 “The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and considering himself to be greater than any god. He will utter monstrous blasphemies against the God of gods, and he will prosper until the period of divine wrath is completed, for what has been determined must be fulfilled. 37 He shall have no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the god beloved by women[o] or for any other god, for he shall consider himself greater than all.
38 “Instead of these, he will honor the god of fortresses, a god unknown to his ancestors. This god he shall honor with gold and silver, precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will assign the people of a foreign god to defend the fortresses, and he will confer great honors on those whom he favors by appointing them as rulers over many people and distributing land to them as a reward.[p]
40 The End Time.[q]“When the time comes for the end, the king of the south will prepare to attack the king of the north, but the latter will overwhelm him with chariots and cavalry and a large fleet. He will invade countries and sweep over them like a flood. 41 He will invade the beautiful land, and many countries will fall, but Edom and Moab and the leaders of the Ammonites will escape from his power.
42 “He will extend his power over many countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 He will seize control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, and the Libyans and Ethiopians will be subject to him.
44 “However, reports from the east and the north shall be a cause of alarm to him, and he will set out in great fury to bring ruin and total destruction to many. 45 He will pitch the tents of the royal pavilion between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with no one to help him.
Footnotes
- Daniel 11:2 A clear passage gives the succession of kings from Cyrus to Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The historian can easily construct a detailed account. The author’s interest is mainly in the struggle, now overt, now covert, between the Lagids of Egypt, in the south, and the Seleucids of Syria, in the north, both of them being heirs to Alexander’s empire. Due to his excesses, Antiochus IV Epiphanes would come to be regarded as the Antichrist who opposes the reign of God.
- Daniel 11:2 The three successors of Cyrus II (558–530 B.C.) were, in order: Cambyses (530–522 B.C.), Darius I (521–486 B.C.), and Xerxes I (485–465 B.C.). It was under Xerxes that the battles of Salamis and Thermopylae took place during the war against Greece. The greatest political and economic pressure, however, was exerted by Artaxerxes I (465–424 B.C.), who roused himself to hurl all the might of Persia against Greece; other kings would later continue to war against the Greeks.
- Daniel 11:3 A powerful king: Alexander the Great.
- Daniel 11:6 Antiochus II (261–246 B.C.) married Berenice, daughter of Ptolemy II.
- Daniel 11:7 A descendant: Ptolemy III avenged his sister Berenice by conquering Antioch, the capital of Syria.
- Daniel 11:10 Antiochus III the Great attacked Egypt.
- Daniel 11:11 Beneath the fortress of Raphia, on the border between Egypt and Palestine, Antiochus was defeated by Ptolemy IV.
- Daniel 11:12 Ptolemy conquered Palestine and Syria.
- Daniel 11:17 Antiochus made a treaty with Ptolemy and married the latter’s daughter.
- Daniel 11:18 After conquering some coastal cities, Antiochus suffered a great defeat by the Romans at Magnesia in 179 B.C.
- Daniel 11:20 His successor: Heliodorus, sent by Seleucus IV, sacked the Jerusalem temple (see 2 Mac 3:7-13).
- Daniel 11:22 The prince of the covenant was the high priest Onias III, who was deposed by Antiochus IV and then assassinated in 170 B.C.
- Daniel 11:26 Antiochus attacked Egypt and captured Ptolemy VI.
- Daniel 11:31 Abomination that causes desolation: see Dan 9:27; 12:11; this is the characterization of the altar to the pagan god Zeus Olympios set up in 168 B.C. by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, which prefigured a similar abomination that Jesus predicted would be erected (see Mt 24:15; Lk 21:10).
- Daniel 11:37 The god beloved by women is the god Tammuz (see Dan 8:14).
- Daniel 11:39 The reference is to Jupiter Capitolinus, whom Antiochus had come to know in Rome, where he had been taken after his defeat at Magnesia. He built a temple in honor of the god in Antioch.
- Daniel 11:40 The martyrs and sages who resisted will be glorified even in their bodies. This is one of the great passages that, toward the end of the Old Testament, announce the resurrection of the flesh (see Isa 26:19; 2 Mac 7:9-14, 23-26; 12:43-45); the Book of Wisdom had highlighted mainly the immortality of the soul (Wis 2:23-24; 3:1-9).
Daniel 11
New English Translation
11 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I[a] stood to strengthen him and to provide protection for him.) 2 Now I will tell you the truth.
The Angel Gives a Message to Daniel
“Three[b] more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth[c] king will be unusually rich,[d] more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against[e] the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a powerful king[f] will arise, exercising great authority and doing as he pleases. 4 Shortly after his rise to power,[g] his kingdom will be broken up and distributed toward the four winds of the sky[h]—but not to his posterity or with the authority he exercised, for his kingdom will be uprooted and distributed to others besides these.
5 “Then the king of the south[i] and one of his subordinates[j] will grow strong. His subordinate[k] will resist[l] him and will rule a kingdom greater than his.[m] 6 After some years have passed, they[n] will form an alliance. Then the daughter[o] of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she will not retain her power,[p] nor will he continue[q] in his strength.[r] She, together with the one who brought her, her child,[s] and her benefactor will all be delivered over at that time.[t]
7 “There will arise in his[u] place one from her family line[v] who will come against their army and will enter the stronghold of the king of the north and will move against them successfully.[w] 8 He will also take their gods into captivity to Egypt, along with their cast images and prized utensils of silver and gold. Then he will withdraw for some years from[x] the king of the north. 9 Then the king of the north[y] will advance against the empire of the king of the south, but will withdraw to his own land. 10 His sons[z] will wage war, mustering a large army that will advance like an overflowing river and carrying the battle all the way to the enemy’s[aa] fortress.[ab]
11 “Then the king of the south[ac] will be enraged and will march out to fight against the king of the north, who will also muster a large army, but that army will be delivered into his hand. 12 When the army is taken away, the king of the south will become arrogant.[ad] He will be responsible for the death[ae] of thousands and thousands of people,[af] but he will not continue to prevail. 13 For the king of the north will again muster an army, one larger than before. At the end of some years he will advance with a huge army and enormous supplies.
14 “In those times many will oppose[ag] the king of the south.[ah] Those who are violent[ai] among your own people will rise up in confirmation of[aj] the vision, but they will falter. 15 Then the king of the north will advance and will build siege mounds and capture a well-fortified city.[ak] The forces of the south will not prevail, not even his finest contingents.[al] They will have no strength to prevail. 16 The one advancing against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to stand before him. He will prevail in the beautiful land, and its annihilation will be within his power.[am] 17 His intention[an] will be to come with the strength of his entire kingdom, and he will form alliances.[ao] He will give the king of the south[ap] a daughter[aq] in marriage in order to destroy the kingdom, but it will not turn out to his advantage. 18 Then he will turn his attention[ar] to the coastal regions and will capture many of them. But a commander[as] will bring his shameful conduct to a halt; in addition,[at] he will make him pay for his shameful conduct.[au] 19 He will then turn his attention to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, not to be found again. 20 There will arise after him[av] one[aw] who will send out an exactor[ax] of tribute to enhance the splendor of the kingdom, but after a few days he will be destroyed,[ay] though not in anger or battle.
21 “Then there will arise in his place a despicable person[az] to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred. He will come on the scene in a time of prosperity and will seize the kingdom through deceit. 22 Armies[ba] will be suddenly[bb] swept away in defeat[bc] before him; both they and a covenant leader[bd] will be destroyed.[be] 23 After[bf] entering into an alliance with him, he will behave treacherously; he will ascend to power with only a small force.[bg] 24 In a time of prosperity for the most productive areas of the province he will come and accomplish what neither his fathers nor their fathers accomplished. He will distribute loot, spoils, and property to his followers, and he will devise plans against fortified cities, but not for long.[bh] 25 He will rouse his strength and enthusiasm[bi] against the king of the south[bj] with a large army. The king of the south will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to prevail because of the plans devised against him. 26 Those who share the king’s fine food will attempt to destroy him, and his army will be swept away;[bk] many will be killed in battle. 27 These two kings, their minds[bl] filled with evil intentions, will trade[bm] lies with one another at the same table. But it will not succeed, for there is still an end at the appointed time. 28 Then the king of the north[bn] will return to his own land with much property. His mind will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action, and then return to his own land. 29 At an appointed time he will again invade the south, but this latter visit will not turn out the way the former one did. 30 The ships of Kittim[bo] will come against him, leaving him disheartened.[bp] He will turn back and direct his indignation against the holy covenant. He will return and honor[bq] those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 His forces[br] will rise up and profane the fortified sanctuary,[bs] stopping the daily sacrifice. In its place they will set up[bt] the abomination that causes desolation. 32 Then with smooth words he will defile[bu] those who have rejected[bv] the covenant. But the people who are loyal to[bw] their God will act valiantly.[bx] 33 These who are wise among the people will teach the masses.[by] However, they will fall[bz] by the sword and by the flame,[ca] and they will be imprisoned and plundered for some time.[cb] 34 When they stumble, they will be granted some help. But many will unite with them deceitfully. 35 Even some of the wise will stumble, resulting in their refinement, purification, and cleansing until the time of the end, for it is still for the appointed time.
36 “Then the king[cc] will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every deity and he will utter presumptuous things against the God of gods. He will succeed until the time of[cd] wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must occur.[ce] 37 He will not respect[cf] the gods of his fathers—not even the god loved by women.[cg] He will not respect any god; he will elevate himself above them all. 38 What he will honor is a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not acknowledge he will honor with gold, silver, valuable stones, and treasured commodities. 39 He will attack[ch] mighty fortresses, aided by[ci] a foreign deity. To those who recognize him he will grant considerable honor. He will place them in authority over many people, and he will parcel out land for a price.[cj]
40 “At the time of the end the king of the south will attack[ck] him. Then the king of the north will storm against him[cl] with chariots, horsemen, and a large armada of ships.[cm] He[cn] will invade lands, passing through them like an overflowing river.[co] 41 Then he will enter the beautiful land.[cp] Many[cq] will fall, but these will escape:[cr] Edom, Moab, and the Ammonite leadership. 42 He will extend his power[cs] against other lands; the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 He will have control over the hidden stores of gold and silver, as well as all the treasures of Egypt. Libyans and Ethiopians[ct] will submit to him.[cu] 44 But reports will trouble him from the east and north, and he will set out in a tremendous rage to destroy and wipe out many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas[cv] toward the beautiful holy mountain. But he will come to his end, with no one to help him.
Footnotes
- Daniel 11:1 sn The antecedent of the pronoun “I” is the angel, not Daniel. The traditional chapter division at this point, and the presence of a chronological note in the verse similar to ones used elsewhere in the book to position Daniel’s activities in relation to imperial affairs, sometimes lead to confusion on this matter.
- Daniel 11:2 sn Perhaps these three more kings are Cambyses (ca. 530-522 b.c.), Pseudo-Smerdis (ca. 522 b.c.), and Darius I Hystaspes (ca. 522-486 b.c.).
- Daniel 11:2 sn This fourth king is Xerxes I (ca. 486-465 b.c.).
- Daniel 11:2 tn Heb “rich with great riches.”
- Daniel 11:2 tn Or “All [of it] will arouse the kingdom of Greece.” The text is difficult. The text is traditionally taken to have the fourth king as the subject of the verb, making the relationship between הַכֹּל (hakkol, “all, the whole, everyone, everything”) and the kingdom of Greece difficult. Presumably “everyone” is the direct object, but the “kingdom” has the direct object marker אֶת (ʾet). This is very unlikely to be the preposition אֶת (ʾet, “with”) because the verb עוּר (ʿur, “to arouse”) uses the preposition עַל (ʿal) to mean “stir up against.” Nevertheless the meaning “against” is typically supplied or assumed from context. An alternative is to take הַכֹּל as the subject, meaning “all of it,” that is the power and wealth, will arouse [the interest] of the kingdom of Greece. This makes sense of the articular use of הַכֹּל, the parsing of the verb, and the direct object indicator, and also fits the context where in the next verse the Greek king rises up.
- Daniel 11:3 sn The powerful king mentioned here is Alexander the Great (ca. 336-323 b.c.).
- Daniel 11:4 tn Heb “and when he stands.”
- Daniel 11:4 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
- Daniel 11:5 sn The king of the south is Ptolemy I Soter (ca. 323-285 b.c.). The following reference to one of his subordinates apparently has in view Seleucus I Nicator (ca. 311-280 b.c.). Throughout the remainder of chap. 11 the expressions “king of the south” and “king of the north” repeatedly occur. It is clear, however, that these terms are being used generically to describe the Ptolemaic king (i.e., “of the south”) or the Seleucid king (i.e., “of the north”) who happens to be in power at any particular time. The specific identity of these kings can be established more or less successfully by a comparison of this chapter with the available extra-biblical records that discuss the history of the intertestamental period. In the following notes the generally accepted identifications are briefly mentioned.
- Daniel 11:5 tn Heb “princes.”
- Daniel 11:5 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the subordinate prince mentioned in the previous clause) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Daniel 11:5 tn Heb “be strong against.”
- Daniel 11:5 tn Heb “greater than his kingdom.”
- Daniel 11:6 sn Here they refers to Ptolemy II Philadelphus (ca. 285-246 b.c.) and Antiochus II Theos (ca. 262-246 b.c.).
- Daniel 11:6 sn The daughter refers to Berenice, who was given in marriage to Antiochus II Theos.
- Daniel 11:6 tn Heb “the strength of the arm.”
- Daniel 11:6 tn Heb “stand,” as also in vv. 7, 8, 11, 13.
- Daniel 11:6 tn Heb “and his arm.” Some understand this to refer to the descendants of the king of the north.
- Daniel 11:6 tc The present translation reads יַלְדָּה (yaldah, “her child”) rather than the MT יֹלְדָהּ (yoledah, “the one who begot her”). Cf. Theodotion, the Syriac, and the Vulgate.
- Daniel 11:6 sn Antiochus II eventually divorced Berenice and remarried his former wife Laodice, who then poisoned her husband, had Berenice put to death, and installed her own son, Seleucus II Callinicus (ca. 246-227 b.c.), as the Seleucid king.
- Daniel 11:7 sn The reference is to the king of Egypt.
- Daniel 11:7 tn Heb “the stock of her roots.”sn The reference to one from her family line is probably to Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes (ca. 246-221 b.c.).
- Daniel 11:7 tn Heb “will deal with them and prevail.”
- Daniel 11:8 tn The Hebrew preposition מִן (min) is used here with the verb עָמַד (ʿamad, “to stand”). It probably has a sense of separation (“stand away from”), although it may also be understood in an adversative sense (“stand against”).
- Daniel 11:9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Daniel 11:10 sn The sons of Seleucus II Callinicus were Seleucus III Ceraunus (ca. 227-223 b.c.) and Antiochus III the Great (ca. 223-187 b.c.).
- Daniel 11:10 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the enemy of the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Daniel 11:10 tn Heb “and he will certainly come and overflow and cross over and return and be aroused unto a fortress.” The translation has attempted to simplify the syntax of this difficult sequence.
- Daniel 11:11 sn This king of the south refers to Ptolemy IV Philopator (ca. 221-204 b.c.).
- Daniel 11:12 tn Heb “his heart will be lifted up.” The referent (the king of the south) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Daniel 11:12 tn Heb “cause to fall.”
- Daniel 11:12 tn Heb “of myriads.”
- Daniel 11:14 tn Heb “stand against.”
- Daniel 11:14 sn This was Ptolemy V Epiphanes (ca. 203-181 b.c.).
- Daniel 11:14 tn Heb “sons of violence.” “Son(s)” is sometimes used idiomatically in Hebrew to indicate that someone is characterized by a certain quality. So the expression “sons of violence” means that these individuals will be characterized by violent deeds.
- Daniel 11:14 tn Heb “to cause to stand.”
- Daniel 11:15 sn This well-fortified city is apparently Sidon. Its capture from the Ptolemies by Antiochus the Great was a strategic victory for the Seleucid kingdom.
- Daniel 11:15 tn Or “choice troops” (BDB 104 s.v. מִבְחָר), or “elite troops” (HALOT 542 s.v. מִבְחָר).
- Daniel 11:16 tn Heb “hand.”
- Daniel 11:17 tn Heb “and he will set his face” (cf. vv. 18, 19).
- Daniel 11:17 tc The present translation reads מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim, “alliances”) for the MT וִישָׁרִים (viysharim, “uprightness”).
- Daniel 11:17 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the king of the south) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Daniel 11:17 tn Heb “the daughter of the women.”sn The daughter refers to Cleopatra, the daughter of Antiochus, who was given in marriage to Ptolemy V.
- Daniel 11:18 tn Heb “his face,” as also in v. 19.
- Daniel 11:18 sn The commander is probably the Roman commander, Lucius Cornelius Scipio.
- Daniel 11:18 tn The Hebrew here is difficult in that the negative בִּלְתִּי (bilti, “not”) is used in an unusual way. The sense is not entirely clear.
- Daniel 11:18 tn Heb “his shameful conduct he will return to him.”
- Daniel 11:20 tn Heb “on his place.”
- Daniel 11:20 sn The one who will send out an exactor of tribute was Seleucus IV Philopator (ca. 187-176 b.c.).
- Daniel 11:20 sn Perhaps this exactor of tribute was Heliodorus (cf. 2 Macc 3).
- Daniel 11:20 tn Heb “broken” or “shattered.”
- Daniel 11:21 sn This despicable person to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred is Antiochus IV Epiphanes (ca. 175-164 b.c.).
- Daniel 11:22 tn Heb “arms.”
- Daniel 11:22 tc The present translation reads הִשָּׁטֹף (hishatof), Niphal infinitive absolute of שָׁטַף (shataf, “to overflow”), for the MT הַשֶּׁטֶף (hashetef, “flood”).
- Daniel 11:22 tn The words “in defeat” are added in the translation for clarification.
- Daniel 11:22 tn Heb “a prince of the covenant.”
- Daniel 11:22 tn Heb “broken” or “shattered.”
- Daniel 11:23 tn The preposition מִן (min) is probably temporal here (so BDB 583 s.v. 7.c; cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV), although it could also be understood here as indicating means (so J. Goldingay, Daniel [WBC], 279, n. 23a; cf. TEV, NLT).
- Daniel 11:23 tn Heb “nation.”
- Daniel 11:24 tn Heb “and unto a time.”
- Daniel 11:25 tn Heb “heart.”
- Daniel 11:25 sn This king of the south was Ptolemy Philometer (ca. 181-145 b.c.).
- Daniel 11:26 tc The present translation reads יִשָׁטֵף (yishatef, passive) rather than the MT יִשְׁטוֹף (yishtof, active).
- Daniel 11:27 tn Heb “heart,” as also in v. 28.
- Daniel 11:27 tn Heb “speak.”
- Daniel 11:28 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Daniel 11:30 sn The name Kittim has various designations in extra-biblical literature. It can refer to a location on the island of Cyprus, or more generally to the island itself, or it can be an inclusive term to refer to parts of the Mediterranean world that lay west of the Middle East (e.g., Rome). For ships of Kittim the Greek OT (LXX) has “Romans,” an interpretation followed by a few English versions (e.g., TEV). A number of times in the Dead Sea Scrolls the word is used in reference to the Romans. Other English versions are more generic: “[ships] of the western coastlands” (NIV, NLT); “from the west” (NCV, CEV).
- Daniel 11:30 sn This is apparently a reference to the Roman forces, led by Gaius Popilius Laenas, which confronted Antiochus when he came to Egypt and demanded that he withdraw or face the wrath of Rome. Antiochus wisely withdrew from Egypt, albeit in a state of bitter frustration.
- Daniel 11:30 tn Heb “show regard for.”
- Daniel 11:31 tn Heb “arms.”
- Daniel 11:31 tn Heb “the sanctuary, the fortress.”
- Daniel 11:31 tn Heb “will give.”
- Daniel 11:32 tn Or “corrupt.”
- Daniel 11:32 tn Heb “acted wickedly toward.”
- Daniel 11:32 tn Heb “know.” The term “know” sometimes means “to recognize.” In relational contexts it can have the connotation “recognize the authority of, be loyal to,” as it does here.
- Daniel 11:32 sn This is an allusion to the Maccabean revolt, which struggled to bring about Jewish independence in the second century b.c.
- Daniel 11:33 tn Heb “the many.”
- Daniel 11:33 tn Heb “stumble.”
- Daniel 11:33 tn Or “by burning.”
- Daniel 11:33 tn Heb “days.”
- Daniel 11:36 sn The identity of this king is problematic. If vv. 36-45 continue the description of Antiochus Epiphanes, the account must be viewed as erroneous, since the details do not match what is known of Antiochus’ latter days. Most modern scholars take this view, concluding that this section was written just shortly before the death of Antiochus and that the writer erred on several key points as he tried to predict what would follow the events of his own day. Conservative scholars, however, usually understand the reference to shift at this point to an eschatological figure, viz., the Antichrist. The chronological gap that this would presuppose to be in the narrative is not necessarily a problem, since by all accounts there are many chronological gaps throughout the chapter, as the historical figures intended by such expressions as “king of the north” and “king of the south” repeatedly shift.
- Daniel 11:36 tn The words “the time of” are added in the translation for clarification.
- Daniel 11:36 tn Heb “has been done.” The Hebrew verb used here is the perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of fulfillment.
- Daniel 11:37 tn Heb “consider.”
- Daniel 11:37 tn Heb “[the one] desired by women.” The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Daniel 11:39 tn Heb “act against.”
- Daniel 11:39 tn Heb “with.”
- Daniel 11:39 tn Or perhaps “for a reward.”
- Daniel 11:40 tn Heb “engage in thrusting.”
- Daniel 11:40 tn The referent of the pronoun is most likely the king of the south, in which case the text describes the king of the north countering the attack of the king of the south.
- Daniel 11:40 tn Heb “many ships.”
- Daniel 11:40 tn This most likely refers to the king of the north who, in response to the aggression of the king of the south, launches an invasion of the southern regions.
- Daniel 11:40 tn Heb “and will overflow and pass over.”
- Daniel 11:41 sn The beautiful land is a cryptic reference to the land of Israel.
- Daniel 11:41 tn This can be understood as “many people” (cf. NRSV) or “many countries” (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).
- Daniel 11:41 tn Heb “be delivered from his hand.”
- Daniel 11:42 tn Heb “hand.”
- Daniel 11:43 tn Or “Nubians” (NIV, NCV); Heb “Cushites.”
- Daniel 11:43 tn Heb “Libyans and Cushites [will be] at his footsteps.”
- Daniel 11:45 sn Presumably seas refers to the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.