Daniel 11:5-19
Expanded Bible
5 “The king of the South [C Ptolemy I; the South is the Ptolemaic kingdom with its chief city in Alexandria, Egypt] will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger [C Seleucus, the founding king of the Seleucid kingdom with its chief city in Antioch, Syria]. He will begin to rule his own kingdom with great power. 6 Then ·after a few [L at the end of] years, ·a new friendship will develop [they will enter an alliance]. The daughter of the king of the South will ·marry [L come to] the king of the North ·in order to bring peace [L to establish an agreement; C a marriage alliance between Berenice, daughter of the Ptolemaic king, and Antiochus II Theos of the Seleucid kingdom]. But she will not ·keep [retain] her power, and his ·family [L seed; or power] will not last. She, her husband, her child, and those who ·brought her to that country [supported her] will be ·killed [L given up; C they were poisoned in a political intrigue].
7 “But a ·person from her family [L branch of her roots] will ·become king of the South [L arise in his place] and will ·attack [L come against] the armies of the king of the North [C Ptolemy III waged war against Seleucus II]. He will go into that king’s ·strong, walled city [fortress] and will ·fight [act] and win. 8 He will take their gods, their metal idols, and their ·valuable [L favored; coveted; desired] things made of silver and gold back to Egypt as plunder. Then he will not bother the king of the North for a few years. 9 Next, ·the king of the North [L he] will ·attack [L come against] the king of the South, but he will ·be beaten back [return] to his own ·country [land; C the battles between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies would continue].
10 “His [C the king of the North] sons [C Seleucus III and Antiochus III the Great] will prepare for war. They will get a large ·army [multitude; horde] together that will move through the land, like a flood [C powerfully and quickly]. Later, that army will come back and fight all the way to the ·strong, walled city [fortress; C of the king of the South, Ptolemy IV; the fortress may refer to Gaza]. 11 Then the king of the South will become very angry and will march out to fight against the king of the North [C the battle of Raphia between Ptolemy IV and Antiochus III in 217 bc]. The king of the North will ·have [raise] a large ·army [multitude; horde], but he will ·lose the battle [L be delivered into his hand], 12 and the ·soldiers [multitude; horde] will be carried away. ·The king of the South will then be very proud [L His heart will be lifted up] and will ·kill [L fell] ·thousands of soldiers [L myriads; tens of thousands] from the northern army, but he will not ·continue to be successful [prevail; be victorious]. 13 The king of the North will gather another ·army [multitude; horde], larger than the first one. After ·several [a period of] years he will attack with a large ·army [force] and many ·weapons [or supplies].
14 “In those times many people will ·be [L rise up] against the king of the South. ·Some of your own people who love to fight [Wild/Violent men; L Sons who make breaches among your people; C Jewish men] will ·turn [L lift themselves up] against the king of the South, ·thinking it is time for God’s promises to come true [L to fulfill the vision]. But they will ·fail [stumble; falter]. 15 Then the king of the North will come. He will ·build [throw up] ·ramps to the tops of the city walls [siege engines] and will capture a ·strong, walled [fortified] city. The southern ·army [forces] will not ·have the power to fight back [endure; last]; even their best soldiers will not be strong enough to ·stop the northern army [endure; last]. 16 So the ·king of the North [L one who invades him] will do whatever he ·wants [pleases]; no one will be able to ·stand [endure; last] against him. He will gain power and control in the beautiful land [C of Judah; 8:9] and ·will have the power to destroy it [L all of it will be in his hand/power]. 17 The king of the North will ·decide [L set his face] to ·use [bring] all his power to fight against the king of the South, but he will make a peace agreement with the king of the South. The king of the North will give one of his daughters as a wife to the king of the South so that he can ·defeat [destroy] him [C Cleopatra was given to Ptolemy V in marriage to serve as a spy]. But those plans will not ·succeed [stand; endure; last] or help him [C Cleopatra changed loyalties]. 18 Then the king of the North will turn his attention to the coastlines [C cities along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea; Antiochus was able to take some cities in Asia Minor] and will capture ·them [L many]. But a commander [C the Roman consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio commanded him to cease warfare] will put an end to ·the pride of the king of the North [L his scorn], turning his ·pride [scorn] back on him. 19 After that happens the king of the North will go back to the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities of his own country, but he will ·lose his power [L stumble and fall]. ·That will be the end of him [L …and not be found; C Antiochus III died in 187 bc].
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Daniel 11:5-19
Amplified Bible
5 “Then the king of the South (Egypt) will be strong, along with one of his princes who will be stronger than he and have dominance over him; his domain will be a great dominion. 6 After some years [a]the Syrian king of the North and the Egyptian king of the South will make an alliance; the [b]daughter (Berenice) of the king of the South will come to the [c]king of the North to make an equitable and peaceful agreement (marriage); [d]but she will not retain the power of her position, nor will he retain his power. She will be handed over with her attendants and her father as well as he who supported her in those times. 7 But out of a branch of her [familial] roots will one (her brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes I) arise in his place, and he will come against the [Syrian] army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and will prevail. 8 Also he will carry off to Egypt their [Syrian] gods with their cast images and their precious and costly treasure of silver and of gold, and he will refrain from waging war against the king of the North for some years. 9 And the [e]king of the North will come into the realm of the king of the South, but he will retreat to his own country [badly defeated].
10 “His sons will prepare for battle and assemble a multitude of great forces; which will keep on coming and overflow [the land], and pass through, so that they may again wage war as far as his fortress. 11 The king of the South (Ptolemy IV Philopator of Egypt) will be enraged and go out and fight with the king of the North (Antiochus III the Great); and [f]the Syrian king will raise a great multitude (army), but the multitude shall be given into the hand of the Egyptian king. 12 When the multitude (army) is captured and carried away, the heart of the Egyptian king will be proud (arrogant), and he will cause tens of thousands to fall, but he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will again raise a multitude (army) greater than the one before, and after several years he will advance with a great army and substantial equipment.
14 “In those times many will rise up against the king of the South (Egypt); also the violent men among your own people will arise in order to fulfill the [earlier] visions, but they will fail. 15 Then the king of the North (Syria) will come and build up siege ramps and capture a well-fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even the finest troops, for there will be no strength to stand [against the Syrian king]. 16 But he (Syria) who comes against him (Egypt) will do exactly as he pleases, and no one will be able to stand against him; he (Antiochus III the Great) will also stay for a time in the Beautiful and Glorious Land [of Israel], with destruction in his hand. 17 He will be determined to come with the power of his entire kingdom, and propose equitable conditions and terms of peace, which he will put into effect [by making an agreement with the king of the South]. He will also give him his [g]daughter (Cleopatra I), in an attempt to overthrow the kingdom, but it will not succeed or be to his advantage. 18 After this, he (Antiochus III the Great, King of Syria) will turn his attention to the [h]islands and coastlands and capture many [of them]. But a commander (Lucius Scipio Asiaticus of Rome) will put an end to his aggression [toward Rome’s territorial interests]; in fact, he will repay his insolence and turn his audacity back upon him. 19 Then he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land [of Syria], but he will stumble and fall and not be found.
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- Daniel 11:6 Lit they will.
- Daniel 11:6 Berenice was the daughter of Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
- Daniel 11:6 King Antiochus II Theos of Syria.
- Daniel 11:6 King Antiochus II, Berenice and their baby were later murdered by the divorced wife of Antiochus II.
- Daniel 11:9 Seleucus II Callinicus, successor to Antiochus II Theos.
- Daniel 11:11 Lit the latter.
- Daniel 11:17 Cleopatra I, daughter of Antiochus III the Great, king of Syria, was married to Ptolemy V Epiphanes of Egypt. She supported her husband instead of her father during his attempt to conquer Egypt.
- Daniel 11:18 Greek and Mediterranean territories under Rome’s influence.
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