Daniel 11:41 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites.

NIV: He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand.

NASB: He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon.

CSB: He will also invade the beautiful land, and many will fall. But these will escape from his power: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of the Ammonites.

NLT: He will enter the glorious land of Israel, and many nations will fall, but Moab, Edom, and the best part of Ammon will escape.

KJV: He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

NKJV: He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon.

Daniel has been describing a figure who will arise in the very end times before God's final judgment (Daniel 11:36–39). That figure will be attacked from the south and north (Daniel 11:40). Many Bible interpreters believe this corresponds to Ezekiel's prophecy of a large coalition from the north launching itself at Israel (Ezekiel 38:4, 11–15). Similar descriptions are found in the book of Joel (Joel 2:2, 20). Israel would be attacked, in this case, because of its treaty (Daniel 9:27) with this king's allies.

"The glorious land" is Israel. The leader of invading northern armies will bring widespread death and mayhem. However, some will be spared. It's unclear if the description of those "delivered" is a reference to people groups or to territories.

The groups mentioned here were historic and bitter enemies of Israel. The Ammonites and Moabites (Genesis 19:36–38) were hostile toward Israel during Israel's trek through the wilderness (Deuteronomy 23:3–4). The king of Moab once enlisted Ammonites and Amalekites to battle Israel (Judges 3:12–13). Second Samuel 10 reports an occasion when the Ammonites hired a Syrian army to battle the forces of King David. When Nehemiah and his workers were rebuilding Jerusalem's walls, they were opposed by hostile Gentile neighbors, including Tobiah the Ammonite (Nehemiah 4:3). As those people groups no longer hold territory, this part of Daniel's text may prophesy that those living in or around Israel who join with the northern forces will be accepted.

An alternative view is that these are references to geography, not ethnicity or culture. That would suggest that the northern invaders are selective in their attack. As of this writing, the modern nation of Israel does not include territories historically associated with Ammon, Moab, and Edom. Those are part of other nations; this prophecy may be noting that this is an attack on Israel, not neighbor states, or that those territories will ally with the north in this attack.

Daniel 11:36–45 is part of a prophecy given to Daniel; everything he was told was to occur after his own life. Viewed from the modern perspective, most of the predictions have been fulfilled in our past. In this passage, that viewpoint shifts to the future. In the last days before the final judgment, a time of tribulation, a notable figure will honor some kind of military god. He will be attacked by armies from the north, but the leader of those armies will hastily retreat to a location between the Mediterranean Sea and Israel, where he will perish.

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.