Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Daniel 11

Dan 11:2 And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.

Behold, there shall stand up

The spirit of prophecy here returns to that which more immediately concerned Daniel and his royal masters—the near future of the empire in which he was so great a personage. Four kings were yet to follow in Media-Persia. Then will come Alexander the "mighty king" of Grecia (Dan 11:3). The division of Alexander's empire into four parts (Dan 11:4) as already predicted (Dan 8:22) is foretold. The troublous course of affairs in two parts of the disintegrated Alexandrian empire, Syria and Egypt, is then traced down to Dan 11:20. Here Antiochus Epiphanes, the "little horn" of Chapter 8, occupies the vision down to Dan 11:36. His pollution of the sanctuary is again mentioned. (Cf. Scofield Daniel 8:9, note.) From Dan 11:36 the interpretation is of the final "little horn" (Dan 7:8, 24-26). See Scofield Daniel 11:35, note.

three kings

Ahasuerus, (Ezr 4:6); Artaxerxes, (Ezr 4:7); and Darius called "Hystaspes" (Ezr 4:24).

fourth

Xerxes, who invaded Greece B.C. 483-480.

Dan 11:3 And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

a mighty king

Alexander the Great, B.C. 332. See Dan 8:5-8, 21, 22.

Dan 11:5 And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

south

i.e. "south" of Palestine. Egypt is meant.

his princes

i.e. One of Alexander's princes; historically Ptolemy Lagidae.

he shall be strong above him

Not the "king of the south" (Ptolemy Lagidae, to whom Egypt was given), but the "king of the north" (Dan 11:6), Seleucus, to whom Syria was given.

Dan 11:6 And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.

they shall join themselves together

i.e. the descendants and successors of Ptolemy Lagidae and Seleucus, not those very personages. The prediction was fulfilled in the marriage of Berenice, daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus, to Antiochus Theos, third king of Syria, B.C. 285-247.

Dan 11:7 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:

branch of her roots

Ptolemy Euergetes, brother of Berenice, who invaded Syria as described in Dan 11:7-9.

Dan 11:10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.

But his sons shall be stirred up

Dan 11:10-19, prophetic foreview of the wars of Egypt and Syria, Palestine, (Dan 11:17) the battleground, B.C. 284-175.

Dan 11:15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.

the king of the north

Antiochus the Great, B.C. 198.

Dan 11:17 He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.

he shall give him the daughter of women

Probably a reference to the marriage of Cleopatra to an Egyptian king, Ptolemy Philometor.

Dan 11:18 After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.

isles

i.e. of Greece.

a prince

i.e. Historically one of the Scipios: the power of Rome felt in the East for the first time.

Dan 11:20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.

a raiser of taxes

A reference to the tribute exacted of the son of Antiochus the Great by the Romans.

Dan 11:25 And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.

south

Egypt.

Dan 11:29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

come toward the south

Antiochus Epiphanes' second expedition against Egypt. Stopped by the mandate of Rome, (Dan 11:30), he turns against the Jews.

Dan 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

abomination

This is historic—the act of Antiochus Epiphanes. Mat 24:15 refers to Dan 12:11. See Scofield Daniel 9:27, note.

Dan 11:32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

the people that do know their God

e.g. the Maccabees. B.C. 168 and following.

Dan 11:35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

the time of the end

Here the prophetic foreview, having traced the history of the two parts of Alexander's empire which had to do with Palestine and the Jews, viz. Syria and Egypt, to the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, and having described his career, overleaps the centuries to "the time of the end," when he of whom Antiochus Epiphanes was a type, the "little horn" of Dan 7:8, the "Beast out of the sea" of Rev 13:4-10, shall appear (cf. Scofield Daniel 7:8, note). Prophecy does not concern itself with history as such, but only with history as it affects Israel and the Holy Land. Antiochus Epiphanes was insignificant as compared with historical personages whom the Bible does not mention, but he scourged the covenant people and defiled God's altar, thus coming into prophetic light. From Dan 11:36 the "little horn" of Dan 7:8, 24-26 fills the scene. His prosperity lasts until "the indignation" (the "time of trouble" of Dan 12:1 and Mat 24:21) is accomplished (Dan 11:36). This is parallel with Rev 17:10-14; 19:19-21. Dan 11:37-45 supply details not mentioned in the N.T. The expression "God of his fathers" (Dan 11:37) has been held to indicate that the "king" is an apostate Jew, but this does not accord with Dan 9:26, which was fulfilled by the Gentile armies of Rome. The "little horn" is an apostate, but from Christianity, not Judaism (cf. 1Jo 2:18, 19). Dan 11:38-45 describe his career. Substituting "the god of forces" (i.e. forces of nature) for the true God (Dan 11:38, 39), he soon presents himself as that god (cf. 2Th 2:3, 4). While his career lasts he is an irresistible conqueror (Dan 11:40-44). He establishes his palace in Jerusalem, probably at the time of his supreme act of blasphemous impiety (Dan 9:27; 12:11; Mat 24:15; 2Th 2:4). From this time begins the great tribulation (Dan 12:1; Mat 24:21) which runs its course during the last half of Daniel's seventieth week, viz. three and one half years (Dan 7:25; 12:7, 11; Rev 13:5). Scofield Revelation 19:20, note.

Dan 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

he shall exalt himself

The Beast. Dan 11:36-45; Daniel 12:11. (Dan 7:8; Rev 19:20.)

Dan 11:45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

the tabernacles of his palace

See Dan 11:2, note. [above]