Daniel 11:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail.

NIV: When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant.

NASB: When the multitude is carried away, his heart will be haughty, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail.

CSB: When the army is carried off, he will become arrogant and cause tens of thousands to fall, but he will not triumph.

NLT: After the enemy army is swept away, the king of the south will be filled with pride and will execute many thousands of his enemies. But his success will be short lived.

KJV: And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.

NKJV: When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail.

Daniel is hearing predictions of the future from an angel (Daniel 10:1; 11:2). As compared to other prophecies, these are straightforward and literal, rather than heavily symbolic. History provides further details of the events which occurred several centuries after being recorded. Among these was the massive battle of Raphia (Daniel 11:10–11), fought at the southern edge of what is today known as the Gaza Strip. This verse notes that the battle claimed many thousands of Seleucid lives, as Egypt won a decisive victory. But the "king of the south," Ptolemy IV Philopator, let that success cloud his judgment.

Non-biblical ancient writings, such as the Third Book of Maccabees, suggest Philopator attempted to enter the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:33–34; Hebrews 9:2–4) in the temple at Jerusalem, but was supernaturally blocked. According to the story, he returned to Egypt and planned to publicly execute Jews, but the elephants he ordered to attack turned on his own men, instead. Whether or not these events happened, historians agree that Ptolemaic Egypt did not press their advantage after the battle of Raphia.

Over the next several years, Antiochus the Great waged successful campaigns to the east, expanding his military power and wealth before his death (Daniel 11:13–19).

Daniel 11:2–20 provides a political timeline beginning with Darius the Mede (Daniel 5:30–31). The history—given as prophecy to the prophet Daniel around 536 BC (Daniel 10:1)—involves military conflicts between Greeks and Persians and between empires ruling from Syria and Egypt. These accounts are given to Daniel by an angel, probably Gabriel (Daniel 10:18–21). Parts of these prophecies are unusually straightforward, relying much less on symbolism and plainly indicating the events which will occur.

This chapter is most easily understood in terms of the historical events which it predicts. These include the conflicts between Ptolemaic Egypt and the Seleucid Empire up through the second century BC. This mentions the infamous Antiochus IV Epiphanes and what eventually became the Maccabean Revolt. The last portion of prophecy looks to the end times: blasphemous rulers, an invasion from the north, and a major defeat.

Daniel is receiving a prophecy, in an encounter which began in chapter 10. The substance of that prophecy is mostly given in chapter 11. This predicts the major events relating to Judea leading up to the conquest of the Roman Empire. It also begins to speak of end-times events. This leads to chapter 12 and the final prophetic remarks given to Daniel. Chapter 11 connects to other prophetic segments of Scripture such as Ezekiel 38 and Joel 2. Occurrences recorded here are also used by Jesus to depict end times events (Matthew 24:15).

The book of Daniel contains famous Old Testament stories and prophecies. Daniel was taken from the Israelite people and made an advisor for a conquering empire. He demonstrates faithfulness and wisdom during many years serving in this role. Though Daniel does not deliver a public message, Jesus refers to him as a "prophet" (Matthew 24:15). The first portion of the book mostly describes Daniel's interpretations of dreams and other events. The second portion looks ahead to the end times. Daniel is classified in English Bibles as a "major" prophet, meaning the book is relatively long and the content has broad implications. The book of Revelation echoes and expands on many of the same themes.