1 ALSO I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.
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.
3 And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
4 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.
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.
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.
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:
8 And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.
9 So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.
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.
11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.
12 And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.
13 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.
14 And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
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.
16 But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.
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.
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.
19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
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.
21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.
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.
26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
27 And both these kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.
28 Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.
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.
30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
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.
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.
33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.
34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.
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.
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.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 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.
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
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.

1Also I, in the first yeere of Darius the Mede, euen I stood to confirme and to strengthen him.

2And now will I shew thee the trueth. Behold, there shall stand vp yet three Kings in Persia, & the fourth shalbe farre richer then they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stirre vp all against the realme of Grecia.

3And a mighty King shal stand vp, that shall rule with great dominion, and doe according to his will.

4And when he shall stand vp, his kingdome shall be broken, and shall be diuided toward the foure winds of heauen; and not to his posteritie, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdome shall be pluckt vp, euen for others besides those.

5 And the King of the South shall be strong, and one of his princes, and he shall be strong aboue him, and haue dominion: his dominion shall be a great dominion.

6And in the end of yeeres they shall ioyne themselues together: for the Kings daughter of the South shall come to the King of the North to make an agreement, but she shall not retaine the power of the arme, neither shall he stand, nor his arme: but she shall be giuen vp, and they that brought her, and he that begate her, and he that strengthened her in these times.

7But out of a branch of her rootes shall one stand vp in his estate, which shall come with an armie, and shall enter into the fortresse of the King of the North, and shall deale against them, and shall preuaile:

8And shall also carie captiues into Egypt their gods with their princes, and with their precious vessels of siluer and of gold, and he shall continue moe yeeres then the King of the North.

9So the King of the South shall come into his kingdome, and shall returne into his owne land.

10But his sonnes shall be stirred vp, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come and ouerflow and passe through: then shall he returne, and be stirred vp euen to his fortresse.

11And the King of the South shall be moued with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, euen with the King of the North: and hee shall set forth a great multitude, but the multitude shall be giuen into his hand.

12And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted vp: and he shall cast downe many tenne thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.

13For the King of the North shall returne, and shall set forth a multitude greater then the former, and shall certainly come (after certaine yeeres) with a great armie & with much riches.

14And in those times there shall many stand vp against the King of the South: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselues to establish the vision, but they shall fall.

15So the King of the North shall come, and cast vp a mount, and take the most fenced cities, and the armes of the South shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.

16But he that commeth against him, shall doe according to his owne will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.

17He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdome and vpright ones with him: thus shall he doe, and he shall giue him the daughter of women corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.

18After this shall he turne his face vnto the yles, and shall take many, but a prince for his own behalfe shall cause the reproch offred by him to cease without his owne reproch: he shall cause it to turne vpon him.

19Then he shall turne his face towards the fort of his owne lande: but he shall stumble and fall, and not bee found.

20Then shall stand vp in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdome, but within few dayes he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battell.

21And in his estate shall stand vp a vile person, to whom they shal not giue the honour of the kingdome: but hee shall come in peaceably, and obtaine the kingdome by flatteries.

22And with the armes of a flood shall they bee ouerflowen from before him, and shall be broken: yea also the prince of the couenant.

23And after the league made with him he shall worke deceitfully, for hee shall come vp, and shall become strong with a small people.

24He shall enter peaceably euen vpon the fattest places of the prouince, and he shall doe that which his fathers haue not done, nor his fathers fathers, he shall scatter among them the praye and spoile, and riches: yea and he shall forecast his deuices against the strong holdes, euen for a time.

25And he shall stirre vp his power, and his courage against the king of the South with a great army, and the king of the South shall bee stirred vp to battell with a very great and mightie armie: but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast deuices against him.

26Yea they that feede of the portion of his meate, shall destroy him, and his armie shall ouerflow: and many shall fall downe slaine.

27And both these kings hearts shall be to doe mischiefe, and they shall speake lies at one table: but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall bee at the time appointed.

28Then shall hee returne into his land with great riches, and his heart shall be against the holy couenant: and he shall doe exploits, and returne to his owne land.

29At the time appointed he shall returne, and come toward the South: but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieued and returne, and haue indignation against the holy Couenant: so shal he doe, he shall euen returne, and haue intelligence with them that forsake the holy Couenant.

31And armes shal stand on his part, and they shall pollute the Sanctuarie of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shal place the abomination that maketh desolate.

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

33And they that vnderstand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captiuitie, and by spoile many dayes.

34Now when they shall fall, they shalbe holpen with a litle help: but many shall cleaue to them with flatteries.

35And some of them of vnderstanding shall fall, to trie them, and to purge, and to make them white, euen to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

36And the king shall doe according to his will, and he shall exalt himselfe, and magnifie himselfe aboue euery god, and shall speake marueilous things against the God of gods, & shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined, shall be done.

37Neither shall hee regard the god of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnifie himselfe aboue all.

38But in his estate shall he honour the god of forces: and a God whome his fathers knew not, shall hee honour with gold, and siluer, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

39Thus shall hee doe in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule ouer many, and shall diuide the land for gaine.

40And at the time of the end shall the king of the South push at him, and the king of the North shal come against him like a whirlewind with charets, and with horsemen, and with many ships, and he shall enter into the countreys, and shall ouerflow and passe ouer.

41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countreys shall be ouerthrowen: but these shall escape out of his hand, euen Edom, and Moab, and the chiefe of the children of Ammon.

42He shall stretch foorth his hand also vpon the countreys, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

43But he shall haue power ouer the treasures of gold and of siluer, and ouer all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shalbe at his steps.

44But tidings out of the East, and out of the North shall trouble him: therefore he shall goe foorth with great fury to destroy, and vtterly to make away many.

45And hee shall plant the tabernacles of his palace betweene the seas in the glorious holy mountaine, yet he shall come to his end, and none shall helpe him.

I == Dan 5:31 ; 9:1

III == Dan 7:6 ; 8:4-5 ; 11:16 , 36

IV == Dan 8:8 , 22

VII == Dan 11:20

X == Isa 8:8 ; Dan 9:26 ; 11:7

XIII == Dan 4:16 ; 12:7

XVI == Josh 1:5 ; Dan 8:4 , 7 , 9 ; 11:3 , 36 41 , 45

XVII == 2nd Chr 20:3 ; Dan 9:26

XIX == Job 20:8 ; Ps 37:36 ; Ezek 26:21

XX == Dan 11:7

XXI == Dan 11:7

XXI == Dan 7:8 ; 8:9 , 23 , 25

XXII == Dan 8:10-11 , 25 ; 11:10

XXIII == Dan 8:25

XXVI == Dan 11:10 , 22

XXVII == Dan 8:19 ; 11:29 , 35 , 40

XXVIII == Dan 11:22

XXIX == Dan 11:23 , 25

XXX == Num 24:24 ; Jer 2:10 ; Dan 11:28

XXXI == Dan 8:11 ; 12:11

XXXIII == Mal 2:7 ; Heb 11:35-40

XXXV == Dan 8:17 , 19 ; 11:29 , 40 ; 12:10 ; 1st Peter 1:7

XXXVI == Dan 7:8 , 25 ; 8:11 , 24-25 ; 9:27 ; 11:16 ; 2nd Thess 2:4 ; Rev 13:5-6

XXXVII == Isa 14:13 ; 2nd Thess 2:4 ; 1st Tim 4:3

XXXVIII -- Isa 44:9

XL == Isa 21:1 ; Ezek 38:4 , 15 ; Dan 11:10 , 22 , 35 ; Zech 9:14 ; Rev 9:16

XLI == Isa 11:14 ; Dan 11:16

XLIII == Ex 11:8 ; Judg 4:10

XLVIII == Ps 48:2 ; Dan 11:16 , 41 ; 2nd Thess 2:4 , 8 ; Rev 19:20

1 standing as a reinforcement and a bulwark for me.

2 Now I shall tell you the truth. "Three kings of Persia are yet to come; and a fourth shall acquire the greatest riches of all. Strengthened by his riches, he shall rouse all the kingdom of Greece.

3 But a powerful king shall appear and rule with great might, doing as he pleases.

4 No sooner shall he appear than his kingdom shall be broken and divided in four directions under heaven; but not among his descendants or in keeping with his mighty rule, for his kingdom shall be torn to pieces and belong to others than they.

5 "The king of the south shall grow strong, but one of his princes shall grow stronger still and govern a domain greater than his.

6 After some years they shall become allies: the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north in the interest of peace. But her bid for power shall fail: and her line shall not be recognized, and she shall be given up, together with those who brought her, her son and her husband. But later

7 a descendant of her line shall succeed to his rank, and shall come against the rampart and enter the stronghold of the king of the north, and conquer them.

8 Even their gods, with their molten images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, he shall carry away as booty into Egypt. For years he shall have nothing to do with the king of the north.

9 Then the latter shall invade the land of the king of the south, and return to his own country.

10 "But his sons shall prepare and assemble a great armed host, which shall advance like a flood, then withdraw. When it returns and surges around the stronghold,

11 the king of the south, provoked, shall go out to fight against the king of the north, whose great host shall make a stand but shall be given into his hand

12 and be carried off. In the pride of his heart, he shall lay low tens of thousands, but he shall not triumph.

13 For the king of the north shall raise another army, greater than before; after some years he shall attack with this large army and great resources.

14 In those times many shall resist the king of the south, and outlaws of your people shall rise up in fulfillment of vision, but they shall fail.

15 When the king of the north comes, he shall set up siegeworks and take the fortified city by storm. The power of the south shall not withstand him, and not even his picked troops shall have the strength to resist.

16 He shall attack him and do as he pleases, with no one to withstand him. He shall stop in the glorious land, dealing destruction.

17 He shall set himself to penetrate the entire strength of his kingdom. He shall conclude an agreement with him and give him a daughter in marriage in order to destroy the kingdom, but this shall not succeed in his favor.

18 He shall turn to the coastland and take many, but a leader shall put an end to his shameful conduct, so that he cannot renew it against him.

19 He shall turn to the strongholds of his own land, but shall stumble and fall, to be found no more.

20 In his stead one shall arise who will send a tax collector through the glorious kingdom, but he shall soon be destroyed, though not in conflict or in battle.

21 "There shall rise in his place a despicable person, to whom the royal insignia shall not be given. By stealth and fraud he shall seize the kingdom.

22 Armed might shall be completely overwhelmed by him and crushed, and even the prince of the covenant.

23 After allying with him, he shall treacherously rise to power with a small party.

24 By stealth he shall enter prosperous provinces and do that which his fathers or grandfathers never did; he shall distribute spoil, booty, and riches among them and devise plots against their strongholds; but only for a time.

25 He shall call on his strength and cleverness to meet the king of the south with a great army; the king of the south shall prepare for battle with a very large and strong army, but he shall not succeed because of the plots devised against him.

26 Even his table companions shall seek to destroy him, his army shall be overwhelmed, and many shall fall slain.

27 The two kings, resolved on evil, shall sit at table together and exchange lies, but they shall have no success, because the appointed end is not yet.

28 "He shall turn back toward his land with great riches, his mind set against the holy covenant; he shall arrange matters and return to his land.

29 At the time appointed he shall come again to the south, but this time it shall not be as before.

30 When ships of the Kittim confront him, he shall lose heart and retreat. Then he shall direct his rage and energy against the holy covenant; those who forsake it he shall once more single out.

31 Armed forces shall move at his command and defile the sanctuary stronghold, abolishing the daily sacrifice and setting up the horrible abomination.

32 By his deceit he shall make some who were disloyal to the covenant apostatize; but those who remain loyal to their God shall take strong action.

33 The nation's wise men shall instruct the many; though for a time they will become victims of the sword, of flames, exile, and plunder.

34 When they fall, few people shall help them, but many shall join them out of treachery.

35 Of the wise men, some shall fall, so that the rest may be tested, refined, and purified, until the end time which is still appointed to come.

36 "The king shall do as he pleases, exalting himself and making himself greater than any god; he shall utter dreadful blasphemies against the God of gods. He shall prosper only till divine wrath is ready, for what is determined must take place.

37 He shall have no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one in whom women delight; for no god shall he have regard, because he shall make himself greater than all.

38 Instead, he shall give glory to the god of strongholds; a god unknown to his fathers he shall glorify with gold, silver, precious stones, and other treasures.

39 To defend the strongholds he shall station a people of a foreign god. Whoever acknowledges him he shall provide with abundant honor; he shall make them rule over the many and distribute the land as a reward.

40 "At the appointed time the king of the south shall come to grips with him, but the king of the north shall overwhelm him with chariots and horsemen and a great fleet, passing through the countries like a flood.

41 He shall enter the glorious land and many shall fall, except Edom, Moab, and the chief part of Ammon, which shall escape from his power.

42 He shall extend his power over the countries, and not even the land of Egypt shall escape.

43 He shall control the riches of gold and silver and all the treasures of Egypt; Libya and Ethiopia shall be in his train.

44 When news from the east and the north terrifies him, he shall set out with great fury to slay and to doom many.

45 He shall pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the sea and the glorious holy mountain, but he shall come to his end with none to help him.

v 1,2. The angel gives more detail to Daniel’s earlier visions. The present ruler of Persia would be succeeded by four others: Cambyses, Psuedo-Smerdis, Darius 1 Hystaspes and Xerxes, known in Esther as Ahasuerus, 485-465 BC. He was the most powerful and wealthy of the four and fought wars against Greece. 

v 3. This mighty king is Alexander the Great mentioned in earlier visions, 8:5-8, who with a much smaller army used “Blitzkrieg” like the Germans for fast conquest. 

v 4. After his death the kingdom was divided among his four generals, 8:8. Chief were the Seleucids, kings of the south, and Ptolemies, kings of the north. For detailed intrigue over the next several years, see this section in Bible Knowledge Commentary.

v 5. Seleucus was murdered.

v 6. A marriage alliance was made, but the bride, Berenice was killed by the jilted wife, Laodice, and she proceeded to poison her former husband.

v 7,8. Berenice was avenged and Laodice was put to death.

v 9,10. King of the north died in fall from a horse, his son killed by conspirators.

v 11-13. King of the north invades and turns back king of the south.

v 14-17. Jews joined in attacking Egypt but gained no advantage and a marriage alliance between Egypt and Syria was unsuccessful.

v 18,19. Attempt of Antiochus 3 to reunite Alexander’s empire failed.

v 20. His son applied a heavy tax but he was poisoned, “not in battle”.

v 21,22. Antiochus 4 took the name of Epiphanies “The illustrious one”, but he was so contemptible he was nicknamed Epimanes “The madman”. He seized the throne by intrigue, but was able to keep it because he turned aside a large army.

v 23,24. He gained power by taking from the rich and giving to his followers.

v 25-27. He defeated the king of the south and they both tried deceptive peace.

v 28. He took wealth back home but couldn’t take all of Egypt, so he took his anger out on the Jews on return by desecrating the temple. 

v 29-30a. Antiochus Epiphanies moved on Egypt again, but Romans had come in ships from Cyprus and demanded he turn back. He had to return north in humiliation.

v 30b-32. Again took out frustration on Jews, the city and the temple, getting  renegade Jews to help. Faking peace, sent 22,000 soldiers in on Sabbath, plundering and killing many, taking women and children captive. In desecrating the temple he set up altar to Zeus on altar of burnt offering and compelled Jews to offer a pig on it  the 25th of each month to honor his birthday. It is probably more accurate that he was honoring the birth day of Tammuz. (See my separate article, TAMMUZ.) Antiochus Epiphanes offered a sow on Jerusalem’s altar on Dec. 25. He tried to stamp out all observance of Mosaic Law, and many Jews began to worship his false god. A remnant remained faithful, and he died insane in Persia. He is a type of Antichrist who breaks covenant in Tribulation.

v 33-35. The persecution lasted 1,150 days, 8:14 and began Maccabean revolt.

v 36-39. This shifts to Antichrist, the little horn of the fourth beast, 7:8, who will rule viciously in the last half of Tribulation and set himself up as god by military, miracles of false prophet, and the power of Satan, Rev. 13:2, 11-15 and redistribute land.

v 40-45. Before mid trib, Egypt etc. will come from south, Russia from the north to fight him. He will sweep in from Europe and conquer all but Edom, Moab and Ammon. He will hear of the massive army in the east and set himself up as Christ in Jerusalem. He will be defeated when Christ comes to earth.