Daniel 11:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: “And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail.

NIV: One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious.

NASB: But one of the descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and prevail.

CSB: In the place of the king of the South, one from her family will rise up, come against the army, and enter the fortress of the king of the North. He will take action against them and triumph.

NLT: But when one of her relatives becomes king of the south, he will raise an army and enter the fortress of the king of the north and defeat him.

KJV: But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:

NKJV: But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail.

In or around the year 536 BC (Daniel 10:1), the prophet Daniel received another prophetic vision. This is being explained to him by an angel (Daniel 10:18–21; 11:2), likely Gabriel (Daniel 8:15–16; 9:21–22; 10:10–11; Luke 1:26). So far, the angel has made predictions historically fulfilled more than two hundred years later through the lives of men such as Xerxes and Alexander the Great (Daniel 11:3–4). Also prophesied was the disastrous political plotting which saw Berenice, the daughter of Egypt's Ptolemy II Philadelphus, murdered not very long after her wedding to Syria's Antiochus II Theos (Daniel 11:5–6).

Here, the angel points to someone who shares ancestry with "her," meaning the "daughter" of prior verses. This person is a "branch" of "her roots." That would not imply a husband or child, but someone with common origins: a sibling. This figure will strike against the king of the north, taking revenge along with enormous spoils (Daniel 11:8). This will lead to further conflicts (Daniel 11:9–13).

As with all prophecies, history eventually proves that God's Word is truth (Daniel 11:2). Antiochus II died only a few months later, likely poisoned by his once-and-again wife: Berenice's rival, Laodice. The vengeful queen also seems to have had Berenice assassinated in the resulting chaos. Her first son, Seleucus II Callinicus, assumed a shaky hold on the throne of the empire. At the time of her death, Berenice's brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes, had assumed rule over Egypt. Seeking revenge, Euergetes immediately invaded from the south. He successfully defeated Seleucus II and returned to Egypt having captured tremendous wealth. He also eventually captured and executed Laodice, who was then supporting her second son, Antiochus Hierax, in his struggle for power with Seleucus II.

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.