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Daniel 11:20-39
New English Translation

20 There will arise after him[a] one[b] who will send out an exactor[c] of tribute to enhance the splendor of the kingdom, but after a few days he will be destroyed,[d] though not in anger or battle.

21 “Then there will arise in his place a despicable person[e] 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[f] will be suddenly[g] swept away in defeat[h] before him; both they and a covenant leader[i] will be destroyed.[j] 23 After[k] entering into an alliance with him, he will behave treacherously; he will ascend to power with only a small force.[l] 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.[m] 25 He will rouse his strength and enthusiasm[n] against the king of the south[o] 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;[p] many will be killed in battle. 27 These two kings, their minds[q] filled with evil intentions, will trade[r] 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[s] 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[t] will come against him, leaving him disheartened.[u] He will turn back and direct his indignation against the holy covenant. He will return and honor[v] those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 His forces[w] will rise up and profane the fortified sanctuary,[x] stopping the daily sacrifice. In its place they will set up[y] the abomination that causes desolation. 32 Then with smooth words he will defile[z] those who have rejected[aa] the covenant. But the people who are loyal to[ab] their God will act valiantly.[ac] 33 These who are wise among the people will teach the masses.[ad] However, they will fall[ae] by the sword and by the flame,[af] and they will be imprisoned and plundered for some time.[ag] 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[ah] 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[ai] wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must occur.[aj] 37 He will not respect[ak] the gods of his fathers—not even the god loved by women.[al] 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[am] mighty fortresses, aided by[an] 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.[ao]

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 11:20 tn Heb “on his place.”
  2. Daniel 11:20 sn The one who will send out an exactor of tribute was Seleucus IV Philopator (ca. 187-176 b.c.).
  3. Daniel 11:20 sn Perhaps this exactor of tribute was Heliodorus (cf. 2 Macc 3).
  4. Daniel 11:20 tn Heb “broken” or “shattered.”
  5. 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.).
  6. Daniel 11:22 tn Heb “arms.”
  7. Daniel 11:22 tc The present translation reads הִשָּׁטֹף (hishatof), Niphal infinitive absolute of שָׁטַף (shataf, “to overflow”), for the MT הַשֶּׁטֶף (hashetef, “flood”).
  8. Daniel 11:22 tn The words “in defeat” are added in the translation for clarification.
  9. Daniel 11:22 tn Heb “a prince of the covenant.”
  10. Daniel 11:22 tn Heb “broken” or “shattered.”
  11. 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).
  12. Daniel 11:23 tn Heb “nation.”
  13. Daniel 11:24 tn Heb “and unto a time.”
  14. Daniel 11:25 tn Heb “heart.”
  15. Daniel 11:25 sn This king of the south was Ptolemy Philometer (ca. 181-145 b.c.).
  16. Daniel 11:26 tc The present translation reads יִשָׁטֵף (yishatef, passive) rather than the MT יִשְׁטוֹף (yishtof, active).
  17. Daniel 11:27 tn Heb “heart,” as also in v. 28.
  18. Daniel 11:27 tn Heb “speak.”
  19. Daniel 11:28 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  20. 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).
  21. 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.
  22. Daniel 11:30 tn Heb “show regard for.”
  23. Daniel 11:31 tn Heb “arms.”
  24. Daniel 11:31 tn Heb “the sanctuary, the fortress.”
  25. Daniel 11:31 tn Heb “will give.”
  26. Daniel 11:32 tn Or “corrupt.”
  27. Daniel 11:32 tn Heb “acted wickedly toward.”
  28. 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.
  29. 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.
  30. Daniel 11:33 tn Heb “the many.”
  31. Daniel 11:33 tn Heb “stumble.”
  32. Daniel 11:33 tn Or “by burning.”
  33. Daniel 11:33 tn Heb “days.”
  34. 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.
  35. Daniel 11:36 tn The words “the time of” are added in the translation for clarification.
  36. Daniel 11:36 tn Heb “has been done.” The Hebrew verb used here is the perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of fulfillment.
  37. Daniel 11:37 tn Heb “consider.”
  38. Daniel 11:37 tn Heb “[the one] desired by women.” The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  39. Daniel 11:39 tn Heb “act against.”
  40. Daniel 11:39 tn Heb “with.”
  41. Daniel 11:39 tn Or perhaps “for a reward.”
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Daniel 11:20-39
New International Version

20 “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor.(A) In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.

21 “He will be succeeded by a contemptible(B) person who has not been given the honor of royalty.(C) He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. 22 Then an overwhelming army will be swept away(D) before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed.(E) 23 After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully,(F) and with only a few people he will rise to power. 24 When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers.(G) He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time.

25 “With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. 26 Those who eat from the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. 27 The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil,(H) will sit at the same table and lie(I) to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time.(J) 28 The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country.

29 “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. 30 Ships of the western coastlands(K) will oppose him, and he will lose heart.(L) Then he will turn back and vent his fury(M) against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.

31 “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice.(N) Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.(O) 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist(P) him.

33 “Those who are wise will instruct(Q) many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered.(R) 34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere(S) will join them. 35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined,(T) purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

The King Who Exalts Himself

36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself(U) above every god and will say unheard-of things(V) against the God of gods.(W) He will be successful until the time of wrath(X) is completed, for what has been determined must take place.(Y) 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 11:39 Or land for a reward
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