Commentary - Daniel 11:14-19

Bird's-eye view

This section of Daniel 11 continues the angel's stunningly detailed prophecy concerning the conflict between the Seleucid Empire (the king of the North) and the Ptolemaic Empire (the king of the South). We are not reading vague, cloudy predictions here; this is history written in advance, and with breathtaking precision. The passage focuses on the career of a particularly significant king of the North, Antiochus III, also known as Antiochus the Great. We see his rise to power, his military campaigns, his subjugation of the "Beautiful Land" (Israel), and his ultimate humbling at the hands of an emerging power from the west. The central theological truth being driven home is the absolute sovereignty of God over the affairs of men. These mighty kings and their vast armies, for all their pomp and fury, are merely pieces on God's chessboard. He moves them according to His will to accomplish His purposes, chief of which is the preparation of the world for the coming of the Messiah, the true King.

The prophecy demonstrates that God is not an absentee landlord. He is intimately involved in the nitty-gritty of geopolitical maneuvering, military strategy, and even failed political marriages. For the people of God, caught in the middle of these conflicts, this detailed prophecy was a profound encouragement. It taught them that the chaos was not random. The God who could predict these events with such accuracy was the God who was in complete control of them. And if He was in control of the Gentile empires, He was certainly in control of the destiny of His covenant people.

Outline

Context In Daniel

Daniel 11 is the culmination of the final vision given to Daniel, which began in chapter 10. After a period of intense spiritual warfare described in chapter 10, a glorious angelic messenger comes to Daniel to reveal "what is inscribed in the writing of truth" (Dan 10:21). This revelation is a detailed prophetic history of the period following the breakup of Alexander the Great's empire. The first part of the chapter (11:2-13) sets the stage, describing the initial conflicts between the Ptolemies of Egypt (the South) and the Seleucids of Syria (the North). Our passage (11:14-19) zooms in on a pivotal moment in this ongoing struggle: the ascendancy of Antiochus III. This detailed history serves to bridge the gap between the time of Daniel and the time of the Maccabees, leading directly into the prophecy of the abominable Antiochus IV Epiphanes (11:21-35) and, ultimately, to the time of the end and the resurrection (12:1-3). The entire vision is designed to assure God's people that history is not a meaningless cycle of violence but a story with a plot, a purpose, and a victorious conclusion orchestrated by their covenant Lord.

Key Issues

History Written in Advance

Liberal scholars, flummoxed by the astonishing accuracy of this chapter, have long argued that it must have been written after the events it describes, likely during the Maccabean period. But this is simply a backhanded compliment to the power of God. It is an argument from unbelief, a refusal to accept that the God of the Bible can, and does, declare the end from the beginning. For the Christian, this precision is not a problem to be solved but a doctrine to be celebrated. It is a powerful apologetic for the divine inspiration of Scripture. God knows the future not because He is a really good guesser, but because He has decreed it. The kings of the North and South rage and scheme, but they do so within the boundaries established by the sovereign counsel of God. This passage is a potent reminder that the evening news, with all its chaos and confusion, is simply the unfolding of a story whose ending has already been written by the Author of history Himself.

Verse by Verse Commentary

14 “Now in those times many will stand against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also lift themselves up in order to cause the vision to stand, but they will fall down.

The prophecy continues, focusing on the reign of the young Ptolemy V in Egypt (the king of the South). His weakness invited attack, and "many" did indeed stand against him, including Philip V of Macedon who formed an alliance with Antiochus III. But the most striking part of this verse is the mention of rebels from within Daniel's own people, the Jews. These violent ones were likely a faction of Hellenizing Jews who, weary of Ptolemaic rule, decided to side with Antiochus III. They saw the shifting political tides and thought they could help God's prophecy along. They lifted themselves up "in order to cause the vision to stand," meaning they acted in what they believed was accordance with prophecy to establish what they hoped would be a better situation. But their efforts were born of political calculation, not faith. God does not need our sinful machinations to fulfill His word. And so, their rebellion is a failure: "they will fall down." Their revolt was eventually crushed by the Ptolemaic general Scopas. This is a standing warning against the kind of carnal zeal that seeks to accomplish God's purposes through worldly means.

15 Then the king of the North will come, cast up a siege ramp, and capture a well-fortified city; and the might of the South will not stand, not even their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand.

Despite the failure of the Jewish rebels, the king of the North, Antiochus III, presses his advantage. He comes down and does what the rebels could not. He lays siege to and captures a "well-fortified city." Historically, this points to Antiochus's successful capture of Sidon, where the Egyptian general Scopas and his best troops had taken refuge. The prophecy is precise: the "might of the South," including their "choicest troops," completely collapses. They had no "strength to make a stand." This victory at the Battle of Panium (around 200 B.C.) was decisive. It effectively ended Ptolemaic control over Judea and transferred the region into the hands of the Seleucids.

16 But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to stand in opposition to him; he will also stand for a time in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand.

Antiochus III, the king of the North, is now at the height of his power. He marches south and does "as he pleases." For a time, no one can successfully oppose him. As a result of his victory, he takes control of Judea, here called the Beautiful Land. This is a common designation for the covenant land of Israel (Dan 8:9; Jer 3:19). He stands in the land, and the text says he has "destruction in his hand." This could refer to the destructive power of his army, or it could be translated as "and completion shall be in his hand," meaning he would consolidate his control over the region. Initially, many Jews welcomed him as a liberator from the Ptolemies, but his dominion was still that of a pagan king, and his presence in the land was a constant reminder of Israel's subjugation.

17 And he will set his face to come with the authority of his whole kingdom, bringing with him an equitable proposal which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to destroy it. But she will not take a stand for him or be on his side.

Having conquered Judea, Antiochus sets his sights on conquering Egypt itself. But instead of a direct invasion, he opts for subtlety. He comes with an "equitable proposal", a peace treaty. The centerpiece of this treaty was a political marriage. He gave his own daughter, the famous Cleopatra I, to the young king of the South, Ptolemy V. The text refers to her as the "daughter of women," perhaps emphasizing her youth and beauty. Antiochus's motive was treacherous; he gave her "to destroy it," meaning he intended for his daughter to act as his agent within the Egyptian court, influencing Ptolemy to serve Seleucid interests. But the plan backfired magnificently. She will not take a stand for him or be on his side. Cleopatra proved to be more loyal to her new husband and her new country than to her father. God's sovereignty extends even to the loyalties of a pagan queen's heart.

18 Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many. But a ruler will make his reproach against him cease; moreover, he will repay him for his reproach.

Frustrated in his designs on Egypt, Antiochus III turns his attention westward. He "turn[s] his face to the coastlands," which refers to the coasts and islands of Asia Minor and Greece. He successfully captures a number of cities, expanding his empire and his influence. This expansion, however, brings him into direct conflict with a new, rising power: Rome. The prophecy speaks of a ruler (or commander) who will put a stop to Antiochus's arrogant campaign. This was the Roman consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio, who, along with his more famous brother Scipio Africanus, decisively defeated Antiochus at the Battle of Magnesia in 190 B.C. The Romans not only stopped his advance but also repaid him for his "reproach," his arrogant defiance. They imposed a humiliating treaty on him, forcing him to pay a massive indemnity and give up huge swaths of territory. The great king was brought low.

19 So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be found no more.

The final verse of this section describes the ignominious end of Antiochus the Great. Humbled and burdened by the massive debt to Rome, he returns to his own land. He turns his attention to the "fortresses of his own land," likely in an attempt to plunder temples to raise the money he needed. It was during one such attempt to loot a temple in Elymais that he was killed by the local populace in 187 B.C. The prophecy is stark and final: "he will stumble and fall and be found no more." The great conqueror who did as he pleased and stood in the Beautiful Land ends his life as a disgraced temple robber. His fall is as swift and certain as his rise, a potent illustration of the truth that pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Application

The first and most obvious application is a deep and abiding confidence in the sovereignty of God and the reliability of His Word. If God can map out the intricate political and military history of the Hellenistic empires centuries in advance, we can certainly trust Him with the details of our own lives and the future of His Church. We are often tempted to anxiety by the headlines, by the arrogant posturing of world leaders who seem to do as they please. This passage reminds us that they do nothing of the sort. They operate on a leash, and the hand holding that leash is the hand of our Father.

Secondly, we must beware the temptation of the "violent ones among your people." This is the temptation to adopt the world's methods of power, manipulation, and political calculation to advance the kingdom of God. When we believe we need to "help" God's plan along through our own cleverness or compromise, we show that we do not truly trust Him. The kingdom comes not through political alliance with Antiochus, but through faithful obedience to the King of kings, even when that obedience looks like weakness to the world. Our task is not to make the vision stand through our own striving; our task is to stand firm in faith, knowing that God will bring His vision to pass in His time and in His way.

Finally, the rise and fall of Antiochus the Great is a picture of the futility of all human kingdoms that set themselves against the purposes of God. He was great, but he was not absolute. He was powerful, but he was ultimately a pawn. His kingdom has vanished, but the kingdom of the Son of Man, that stone cut without hands, continues to grow and will one day fill the whole earth. Our hope is not in the shifting alliances of the kings of the North or South, but in the unshakable throne of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and whose kingdom shall not be destroyed.