Daniel 11:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies.

NIV: For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.

NASB: For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and after an interval of some years he will press on with a great army and much equipment.

CSB: The king of the North will again raise a multitude larger than the first. After some years he will advance with a great army and many supplies.

NLT: A few years later the king of the north will return with a fully equipped army far greater than before.

KJV: For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.

NKJV: For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.

Secular history fills in the details of the prophecies given to Daniel (Daniel 10:1; 11:2). In this passage, Scripture has mentioned clashes between a "king of the north" and a "king of the south." These correspond to the leaders of the Seleucid Empire and Ptolemaic Egypt. After the massive Battle of Raphia (Daniel 11:10–11), Ptolemy IV Philopator failed to press his advantage. Over the next few years, the Seleucid leader Antiochus III—later called Antiochus the Great—expanded his military and once again clashed with Egypt.

An ideal opportunity came when Philopator died, leaving his six-year-old son as the only heir. Antiochus's expanded forces regained much of the territory of Israel, including the well-protected city of Sidon (Daniel 11:14–16). Among those assisting Antiochus III were many Israelites, who likely hoped to earn independence through their efforts. Any thought of pressing further into Egypt was stalled by threats from the Roman Empire, and Antiochus eventually returned home and died (Daniel 11:17–19).

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.