Commentary - Daniel 11:5-9

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Daniel, the angel provides a stunningly detailed prophecy of the political turmoil that would follow the breakup of Alexander the Great's empire. This is not astrology or vague soothsaying; it is God demonstrating His absolute sovereignty over the affairs of men by writing history before it happens. The passage focuses on the rivalry between two of the successor kingdoms: the Ptolemaic dynasty in the South (Egypt) and the Seleucid dynasty in the North (Syria and Mesopotamia). These two powers would be in constant conflict, with the land of Israel caught squarely in the middle. The prophecy details their wars, their political maneuverings, and their short-lived alliances with a precision that has led liberal scholars, committed to a closed universe, to insist that it must have been written after the fact. But for the believer, this is a powerful confirmation that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. He is not a distant, deistic clockmaker; He is the sovereign Lord who raises up kings and brings them down, all to accomplish His ultimate purposes.

The intricate details of treaties, marriages, betrayals, and invasions serve a profound theological purpose. They show us that God's providence is not general but meticulous. He is not just in charge of the big picture; He governs the messy details, the sordid family squabbles of pagan kings, and the shifting fortunes of war. All of this political chaos was the stage being set for the coming of the Messiah. While these kings schemed for power and territory, God was working all things according to the counsel of His will, preparing the world for the incarnation of His Son, who would establish a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Outline

Context In Daniel

This passage is part of the final and most detailed vision given to Daniel, which begins in chapter 10 and continues to the end of the book. In chapter 10, a glorious angelic being, likely the pre-incarnate Christ, appears to Daniel and tells him he has come to explain what will happen to his people in the "latter days." This vision follows the grand, sweeping prophecies of chapters 2, 7, and 8, which outlined the succession of world empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Now, in chapter 11, the prophecy zooms in with a high-definition lens on the period between the Greek and Roman empires, focusing on the Hellenistic kingdoms that directly impacted Israel. The "king of the South" is the ruler of the Ptolemaic kingdom based in Egypt, and the "king of the North" is the ruler of the Seleucid kingdom based in Syria. This detailed prophecy serves to assure Daniel, and all of God's people, that even in times of intense political upheaval and apparent chaos, God is in complete control, working out His plan with unerring precision.

Key Issues

History Written in Advance

The kind of prophecy we find in Daniel 11 is a rock of offense to the modern, unbelieving mind. The detail is so precise, the predictions so accurate, that critics are forced into the position of declaring it must be history pretending to be prophecy. They date the book of Daniel to the Maccabean period in the second century B.C., turning the prophet into a forger. But this is simply the outworking of their anti-supernatural bias. They begin with the assumption that God cannot and does not intervene in history, and so predictive prophecy is impossible. Therefore, any text that looks like predictive prophecy must be fraudulent. This is not scholarship; it is question-begging of the highest order.

For the Christian, this passage is a profound encouragement. Our God knows the end from the beginning. The rise and fall of empires, the machinations of kings, the treaties and betrayals, none of it takes Him by surprise. He is not reacting to human events; He is directing them. The Ptolemies and Seleucids thought they were the masters of their own fate, carving out their destinies with sword and intrigue. But in reality, they were simply actors on a stage, speaking lines written for them by the Divine Playwright. This truth should give the believer immense confidence. The God who orchestrated the intricate dance of Hellenistic politics is the same God who holds our lives, our families, and our nations in His hand. He is sovereign, and He is good.

Verse by Verse Commentary

5 “Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will grow strong over him and obtain dominion; indeed, his domain will be a great dominion.

The prophecy picks up after the death of Alexander the Great. The "king of the South" refers to Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander's generals who seized control of Egypt. He did indeed "grow strong," establishing a stable and prosperous dynasty. The "one of his princes" who grows stronger than him is Seleucus I Nicator, the "king of the North." Initially, Seleucus was a subordinate general under Ptolemy, but he eventually broke away and established his own massive empire to the north and east of Judea, centered in Syria and Babylon. His dominion was, as the text says, a "great dominion," far larger geographically than Ptolemy's. Right out of the gate, the prophecy is fulfilled with breathtaking accuracy. These men were not building their own kingdoms; they were building the kingdoms God had assigned to them.

6 And after some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to carry out an equitable arrangement. But she will not retain her position of power, nor will he continue to stand with his power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who fathered her as well as he who strengthened her in those times.

This verse leaps forward about fifty years to a specific political maneuver. "After some years," Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the son of the first Ptolemy, sought to make peace with the king of the North, Antiochus II Theos. The "equitable arrangement" was a marriage alliance. Ptolemy II sent his daughter, Berenice, to marry Antiochus II. To make this happen, Antiochus had to divorce his first wife, Laodice. But the scheme backfired spectacularly. As the prophecy states, Berenice did not "retain her position of power." After her father Ptolemy II died, Antiochus II took back his first wife Laodice, who, fearing for her position, promptly poisoned him. She then had Berenice and her infant son murdered. Berenice was "given up," along with her Egyptian attendants ("those who brought her in") and her father ("the one who fathered her," who had recently died), and her husband ("he who strengthened her"). Every detail of this sordid, bloody affair was foretold. Human attempts to secure peace and power through political maneuvering are fragile and often end in disaster. God pours contempt on the pride of princes.

7 But one of the descendants of her line will stand in his place, and he will come against their military force and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and display strength.

The story continues. The murder of Berenice demanded a response. "One of the descendants of her line" refers to Berenice's brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes, who inherited the throne of Egypt. Just as the text predicts, he stood up in his father's place and launched a massive invasion of the Seleucid kingdom to avenge his sister's murder. This campaign, known as the Third Syrian War, was a resounding success. He came against their military force, captured the Seleucid capital of Antioch ("the fortress of the king of the North"), and displayed immense strength, plundering the kingdom.

8 And also their gods with their metal images and their desirable vessels of silver and gold he will bring into captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will stand back from attacking the king of the North for some years.

The prophecy adds specific details to Ptolemy III's victory. He not only defeated the army but also carried off immense plunder, including their idols ("their gods with their metal images"). Historical records confirm that he brought back thousands of talents of silver and gold, and, significantly, recovered Egyptian idols that the Persian king Cambyses had stolen centuries earlier. This act earned him the title "Euergetes," or "Benefactor," from his grateful people. Having achieved his objective and needing to deal with a revolt back home, he did exactly as the prophecy said: he stood back from attacking the king of the North for some years, securing a peace treaty that was highly favorable to Egypt.

9 Then the latter will enter the kingdom of the king of the South, but will return to his own land.

The "latter" here refers to the king of the North, Seleucus II. Stinging from his defeat and humiliation, he attempted a counterattack. He gathered an army and marched south to invade Egypt ("enter the kingdom of the king of the South"). However, his campaign was an utter failure. His army was decimated by storms and the Egyptian defenses, and he was forced to limp back home in defeat ("will return to his own land"). The prophecy records not just the successes but the failures. God's script includes both victory and defeat, all woven into His sovereign plan.

Application

First, the stunning accuracy of this prophecy should build our confidence in the absolute authority and reliability of Scripture. If God can foretell the messy details of Hellenistic politics with perfect clarity, we can trust what He says about sin and salvation, about heaven and hell, and about His promises to us in Christ. The Bible is not a collection of religious sentiments; it is the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of the God who rules all things.

Second, we should learn to view current events through the lens of God's sovereignty. We live in a world of political turmoil, of scheming rulers, and of nations raging against one another. It is easy to become anxious or fearful. But Daniel 11 reminds us that behind the headlines, God is on His throne. The most powerful rulers on earth are but pawns in His hand. They do not have the final say; He does. Our trust should not be in princes, or in political solutions, but in the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Finally, this passage shows the futility of human plans that are not aligned with God's will. The kings of the North and South schemed for power, security, and legacy through treaties, marriages, and wars. And it all turned to dust and blood. Their great dominions are gone, their names footnotes in a history book. But the kingdom that God was building throughout this period, the kingdom of His Son, is an everlasting dominion. We are called not to build our own little empires of sand, but to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. That is the only dominion that will last.