DAN 11

Daniel 11:4

WEB

When he stands up, his kingdom will be broken and will be divided toward the four winds of the sky, but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom will be plucked up, even for others besides these.

BSB

But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the authority with which he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others.

KJV

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.

Matthew Henry

Verses 1–4

Daniel 11:1–4

Here, 1. The angel Gabriel lets Daniel know the good service he has done to the Jewish nation (Dan 11:1): "In the first year of Darius the Mede, who destroyed Babylon and released the Jews out of that house of bondage, I stood a strength and fortress to him, that is, I was instrumental to protect him, and give him success in his ward, and, after he had conquered Babylon, to confirm him in his resolution to release the Jews," which, it is likely, met with much opposition. Thus by the angel, and at the request of the watcher, the golden head was broken, and the axe laid to the root of the tree. Note, We must acknowledge the hand of God in the strengthening of those that are friends to the church for the service they are to do it, and confirming them in their good resolutions; herein he uses the ministry of angels more than we are aware of. And the many instances we have known of God's care of his church formerly encourage us to depend upon him in further straits and difficulties. 2. He foretels the reign of four Persian kings (Dan 11:2): Now I will tell thee the truth, that is, the true meaning of the visions of the great image, and of the four beasts, and expound in plain terms what was before represented by dark types. (1.) There shall stand up three kings in Persia, besides Darius, in whose reign this prophecy is dated, Dan 9:1. Mr. Broughton makes these three to be Cyrus, Artaxasta or Artaxerxes, called by the Greeks Cambyses, and Ahasuerus that married Esther, called Darius son of Hystaspes. To these three the Persians gave these attributes - Cyrus was a father, Cambyses a master, and Darius a hoarder up. So Herodotus. (2.) There shall be a fourth, far richer than they all, that is, Xerxes, of whose wealth the Greek authors take notice. By his strength (his vast army, consisting of 800,000 men at least) and his riches, with which he maintained and paid that vast army, he stirred up all against the realm of Greece. Xerxes's expedition against Greece is famous in history, and the shameful defeat that he met with. He who when he went out was the terror of Greece in his return was the scorn of Greece. Daniel needed not to be told what disappointment he would meet with, for he was a hinderer of the building of the temple; but soon after, about thirty years after the first return from captivity, Darius, a young king, revived the building of the temple, owning the hand of God against his predecessors for hindering it, Ezr 6:7. 3. He foretels Alexander's conquests and the partition of his kingdom, Dan 11:3. He is that mighty king that shall stand up against the kings of Persia, and he shall rule with great dominion, over many kingdoms, and with a despotic power, for he shall do according to his will, and undo likewise, which, by the law of the Medes and Persians, their kings could not. When Alexander, after he had conquered Asia, would be worshipped as a god, then this was fulfilled, that he shall do according to his will. That is God's prerogative, but was his pretension. But (Dan 11:4) his kingdom shall soon be broken, and divided into four parts, but not to his posterity, nor shall any of his successors reign according to his dominion; none of them shall have such large territories nor such an absolute power. His kingdom was plucked up for others besides those of his own family. Arideus, his brother, was made king in Macedonia; Olympias, Alexander's mother, killed him, and poisoned Alexander's two sons, Hercules and Alexander. Thus was his family rooted out by its own hands. See what decaying perishing things worldly pomp and possessions are, and the powers by which they are got. Never was the vanity of the world and its greatest things shown more evidently than in the story of Alexander. All is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Cross-references: Dan 11:1 · Dan 11:2 · Dan 9:1 · Ezra 6:7 · Dan 11:3 · Dan 11:4

Hebrew interlinear

H5975

עָמַדʻâmad/aw-mad'/

v — stand

Derivation: a primitive root;

to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive)

KJV: abide (behind), appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed, endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be (over), place, (be) present (self), raise up, remain, repair, serve, set (forth, over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-) stand (by, fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry.

עָמַד

take one’s stand

עָמַד 620 take one's stand, stand

Qal 435

1.

a. take one's stand, and (esp. pt.) stand, be in a standing attitude

b. stand forth

c. take a stand against, in opposition to

d. present oneself before

e. attend upon, be(come) servant of

f. stand afar

g. stand (silent)

h. stand (appealingly)

i. stand, subj. רֶגֶל

j. stand, of water

2.

a. stand still, stop, cease moving

b. = be inactive

c. = be attentive

d. stop, cease doing a thing

3.

a. tarry, delay

b. remain

c. continue, abide

d. endure

e. be steadfast

f. persist

4. make a stand, hold one's ground

5. stand upright

6.

a. arise, appear, come on the scene

b. stand forth, appear = come into being

c. rise up as foe

7. rare usages

Hiph. 83

1. station, set

2. cause to stand firm

3. cause to stand up, set up, erect

4. present one before king

5. appoint

6. other meanings

Hoph. be presented

H7665

שָׁבַרshâbar/shaw-bar'/

v — burst

Derivation: a primitive root;

to burst (literally or figuratively)

KJV: break (down, off, in pieces, up), broken (-hearted), bring to the birth, crush, destroy, hurt, quench, × quite, tear, view (by mistake for 7663).

שָׁבַר

vb — break

שָׁבַר 148 vb. break, break in pieces

Qal 53 break, lit.

Niph. 57 be broken

Pi. 26 shatter, break

Hiph. cause to break out, i.e. bring to the birth

Hoph. be broken, shattered (in heart)

H4438

מַלְכוּתmalkûwth/mal-kooth'/

n-f — rule, dominion

Derivation: or מַלְכֻת; or (in plural) מַלְכֻיָּה; from 4427;

a rule; concretely, a dominion

KJV: empire, kingdom, realm, reign, royal.

מַלְכוּת

n.f — royalty

מַלְכוּת n.f. royalty, royal power, reign, kingdom

1. royal power, dominion

2. reign

3. kingdom, realm

H2673

חָצָהchâtsâh/khaw-tsaw'/

v — cut, split, halve

Derivation: a primitive root (compare 2086));

to cut or split in two; to halve

KJV: divide, × live out half, reach to the midst, participle

חָצָה

vb — divide

חָצָה vb. divide

Qal

1. divide

2. shall not halve their days, i.e. enjoy even half of the normal number

Niph. be divided

H702

אַרְבַּעʼarbaʻ/ar-bah'/

n — four

Derivation: masculine אַרְבָּעָה; from 7251;

four

KJV: four.

אַרְבַּע

four

אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four

H7307

רוּחַrûwach/roo'-akh/

n-f — wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, region of the sky, spirit

Derivation: from 7306;

wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)

KJV: air, anger, blast, breath, × cool, courage, mind, × quarter, × side, spirit(-ual), tempest, × vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).

רוּחַ

n.f — breath

רוּחַ 378 n.f. (less oft. m.) breath, wind, spirit

1. breath of mouth or nostrils (33 t.)

2. wind (117 t.)

3. spirit, as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation = temper, disposition (76 t.)

4. spirit of the living, breathing being

5. spirit as seat of emotion

6. occasionally (and late) = seat or organ of mental acts

7. rarely of the will

8. רוּחַ esp. of moral character

9. spirit of God (94 t.)

H8064

שָׁמַיִםshâmayim/shaw-mah'-yim/

n-m — sky, aloft

Derivation: dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה; from an unused root meaning to be lofty;

the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)

KJV: air, × astrologer, heaven(-s).

שָׁמַי

n.m — heavens

[שָׁמַי] n.m. only pl. שָׁמַיִם 421 heavens, sky

1.

a. visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are

b. phrases

2.

a. as abode of God

b. Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind

3. הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations

H3808

לֹאlôʼ/lo/

adv — not, no

Derivation: or לוֹא; or לֹה; (Deuteronomy 3:11), a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

KJV: × before, or else, ere, except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (× as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, surely, as truly as, of a truth, verily, for want, whether, without.

לֹא

adv — not

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

H319

אַחֲרִיתʼachărîyth/akh-ar-eeth'/

n-f — last, end, future, posterity

Derivation: from 310;

the last or end, hence, the future; also posterity

KJV: (last, latter) end (time), hinder (utter) -most, length, posterity, remnant, residue, reward.

אַחֲרִית

n.f — after-part

אַחֲרִית 61 n.f. after-part, end

H4915

מֹשֶׁלmôshel/mo'-shel/

n-m — empire, parallel

Derivation: (1) from 4910; (2) from 4911;

empire; a parallel

KJV: dominion, like.

מֹ֫שֶׁל

n.[m.] — dominion

[מֹ֫שֶׁל] n.[m.] dominion;—sf. Zc 9:10 (of Mess. king); Dn 11:4 (of Alexander).

מֹ֫שֶׁל

n.[m.] — likeness

[מֹ֫שֶׁל] n.[m.] likeness, one like; only sf. Jb 41:25

H834

אֲשֶׁרʼăsher/ash-er'/

r — who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

Derivation: a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.

KJV: × after, × alike, as (soon as), because, × every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), × if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), × though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.

אֲשֶׁר

part. of relation — who

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

בַאֲשֶׁר

adv — in which

בַאֲשֶׁר

a. in (that) which

b. adv. in (the place) where

c. conj. in that, inasmuch as

d. on account of whom?

כַּאֲשֶׁר

conj — according as

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

1. according to that which, according as, as

2. with a causal force, in so far as, since

3. with a temporal force, when

מֵאֲשֶׁר

adv — who

מֵאֲשֶׁר

a. from (or than) that which

b. adv. from (the place) where

c. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H4910

מָשַׁלmâshal/maw-shal'/

v — rule

Derivation: a primitive root;

to rule

KJV: (have, make to have) dominion, governor, × indeed, reign, (bear, cause to, have) rule(-ing, -r), have power.

מָשַׁל

vb — rule

מָשַׁל vb. rule, have dominion, reign

Qal

1. human subj., rule, have dominion over

2. of heavenly bodies

3. of God

Hiph. cause to rule; exercise dominion

H3588

כִּיkîy/kee/

conj — relative conjunction

Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

כִּי

conj — that

כִּי conj. that, for, when

1. that

2.

a. Of time, when, of the past

b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

3. Because, since

כִּי אם־

relative conjunction

כִּי אם־

1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

a. that if

b. for if

2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

a. limiting the prec. clause, except

b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

c. after an oath, surely

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

H5428

נָתַשׁnâthash/naw-thash'/

v — tear away

Derivation: a primitive root;

to tear away

KJV: destroy, forsake, pluck (out, up, by the roots), pull up, root out (up), × utterly. s

נָתַשׁ

vb — pull up

נָתַשׁ vb. pull or pluck up, root out

Qal pull or pluck up

Niph. it shall not be rooted up

Hoph. and she was rooted up

H312

אַחֵרʼachêr/akh-air'/

a — hinder, next, other

Derivation: from 309;

properly, hinder; generally, next, other, etc.

KJV: (an-) other man, following, next, strange.

אַחֵר

adj — another

אַחֵר adj. another

H905

בַּדbad/bad/

n-m — separation, part, branch, bar, chief, apart, only, besides

Derivation: from 909;

properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart, only, besides

KJV: alone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff, strength.

בַּד

n.m — separation

בַּד, בָּ֑ד n.m. separation, concr. part

1. prop. in a state of separation, alone, by itself

2. concr. part

3. parts, specif. extended from something

H428

אֵלֶּהʼêl-leh/ale'-leh/

d — these, those

Derivation: prolonged from 411;

these or those

KJV: an-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).

אֵ֫לֶּה

pr.pl.m — these

אֵ֫לֶּה pr.pl.m. & f. these

a. in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)

b. repeated, אלהואלה, thesethose

c. with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)

d. with preps.

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