Daniel 11:34 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery,

NIV: When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them.

NASB: Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy.

CSB: When they fall, they will be helped by some, but many others will join them insincerely.

NLT: During these persecutions, little help will arrive, and many who join them will not be sincere.

KJV: Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

NKJV: Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue.

In this part of a prophecy recorded by Daniel (Daniel 10:1), we see predictions fulfilled in the terrible persecution applied by Seleucid Emperor Antiochus IV Epiphanes. In the second century BC, he brutalized the people in and around Jerusalem. Included in his assault was a depraved, blasphemous violation of the temple and the altar of sacrifice (Daniel 11:30–32). Those who defied his prohibitions on Judaism suffered terribly, and tens of thousands were slaughtered (Daniel 11:33). This fate is referred to here as "stumbling."

Here, Daniel speaks of these suffering but faithful Israelites receiving assistance. Antiochus's outrageous assault on their faith led some Jewish people to resist. In a crucial event, Seleucid soldiers attempted to force a rural priest to sacrifice an unclean animal to a pagan God. The priest, Mattathais, defied the order. When another villager stepped forward to follow the command, Mattathais killed him and the crowd turned on the soldiers. This otherwise-minor incident escalated into a full-scale uprising now known as the Maccabean Revolt. The outcome of this resistance to Antiochus forms the basis for the modern celebration of Hanukkah.

As this verse predicted, however, not everyone associated with the revolt was motived by faith in God. Some are motivated by "flattery," which in this context means something self-serving or beneficial. Those who joined the movement with impure motives lacked God's help or a genuine prophet to inspire and guide them. What started out well deteriorated over time. Over the next century or so, the Roman Empire expanded and took control of Judea in 63 BC.

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.