2 And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.
3 Then aa mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and bdo according to his will.
4 And when he has arisen, ahis kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity bnor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.
Warring Kings of North and South
5 “Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shallbe a great dominion.
6 And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her1 authority, and neither he nor his2 authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times.
7 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.
8 And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their1 princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.
9 “Also thekingoftheNorth shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land.
10 However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come aand overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return bto his fortress and stir up strife.
11 “And the king of the South shall be amoved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the bmultitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy.
12 When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be1 lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail.
13 For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.
14 “Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also,1 violent men of your people shall exalt themselves2 in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall afall.
15 So the king of the North shall come and abuild a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the1 forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shallhave no strength to resist.
16 But he who comes against him ashall do according to his own will, and bno one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his1 power.
17 “He shall also aset his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and1 upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand withhim,bor be for him.
18 After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him.
19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall astumble and fall, band not be found.
20 “There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.
21 And in his place ashall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue.
22 With the force of a aflood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, band also the prince of the covenant.
23 And after the league ismade with him ahe shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small numberof people.
24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder,1 spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.
25 “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 devise plans against him.
26 Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall1 be swept away, and many shall fall down slain.
27 Both these kings’ hearts shallbe bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the aappointed time.
28 While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.
The Northern King’s Blasphemies
29 “At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter.
30aFor ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. “So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.
31 And forces shall be mustered by him, aand they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.
Verses 1-30 The angel shows Daniel the succession of the Persian and Grecian empires. The kings of Egypt and Syria are noticed: Judea was between their dominions, and affected by their contests. From ver. 5-30 , is generally considered to relate to the events which came to pass during the continuance of these governments; and from ver. 21 , to relate to Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a cruel and violent persecutor of the Jews. See what decaying, perishing things worldly pomp and possessions are, and the power by which they are gotten. God, in his providence, sets up one, and pulls down another, as he pleases. This world is full of wars and fightings, which come from men's lusts. All changes and revolutions of states and kingdoms, and every event, are plainly and perfectly foreseen by God. No word of God shall fall to the ground; but what he has designed, what he has declared, shall infallibly come to pass. While the potsherds of the earth strive with each other, they prevail and are prevailed against, deceive and are deceived; but those who know God will trust in him, and he will enable them to stand their ground, bear their cross, and maintain their conflict.
Verses 31-45 The remainder of this prophecy is very difficult, and commentators differ much respecting it. From Antiochus the account seems to pass to antichrist. Reference seems to be made to the Roman empire, the fourth monarchy, in its pagan, early Christian, and papal states. The end of the Lord's anger against his people approaches, as well as the end of his patience towards his enemies. If we would escape the ruin of the infidel, the idolater, the superstitious and cruel persecutor, as well as that of the profane, let us make the oracles of God our standard of truth and of duty, the foundation of our hope, and the light of our paths through this dark world, to the glorious inheritance above.
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