Daniel 11:17
in Daniel 11He will resolve to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and will reach an agreement with the king of the South. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plan will not succeed or help him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable conditions; and he shall perform them: and he shall give him the daughter of women, to corrupt her; but she shall not stand, neither be for him.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Daniel 11
Commentary
10 notes on this verseHe shall also set his face - He shall use all the force he can to master Egypt, and engross it to himself. Upright ones - Many of the religious Jews joined with him: the rest of his army was a profane rabble of rude Heathens.
This site's exposition
the king of the south shall be strong
on Daniel 11:5-20
Sixteen verses of south against north, Ptolemies against Seleucids by the whole bench's reading, traced campaign by campaign: the king's daughter given north in a failed alliance, the branch of her roots avenging her, gods and vessels carried captive into Egypt, multitudes raised and cast down, the mount cast up against the fenced cities. At verse 16 the wars enter the glorious land, Judea as the road between the rivals, which is the corridor's whole point of view: the text watches empires through the land they trample. The raiser of taxes destroyed neither in anger, nor in battle closes the stretch, and the notes keep RESTRAINT here, the identifications carried once as the bench carries them rather than verse by verse.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
After these things happened Scripture says again, "And another king shall arise and he shall prevail over the earth and the king of the south shall arise and he shall take his daughters to wife." For it happened that a certain Alexander, the son of Philip arose. And in that time he rose up against Antiochus and, having made war with him, he killed him, and he ruled the kingdom. Then he sent to Ptolemy king of Egypt, saying, "Give to me your daughter Cleopatra to wife. For behold, I sit upon the throne of the kingdom of my fathers." [1 Maccabees 10:51-58] And then Ptolemy took his daughter and brought her into Ptolmaeus and gave her to Alexander to wife. And Scripture was fulfilled as it says, "and he shall take his daughters to wife." [Daniel 11:17] But it says, "And he shall corrupt her, she shall not be for him." [Daniel 11:17] And truly this was fulfilled. For when Ptolemy gave him his own daughter, he turned and saw the wondrous and glorious kingdom of Alexander, of which he was very eager to have, so he spoke deceitfully to Alexander. But Scripture says, "And the kings shall speak lies to one another at one table." [Daniel 11:27] For Ptolemy desired the kingdom of Alexander and ate with him at his table, but he thought evil and did not have agreement with him. And so Scripture was fulfilled. And at this point Ptolemy, having come to Egypt and having levied a great army, came to the country when Alexander had gone to Cilicia. For it happened at that time that Tarsus and Mallus were thrown into confusion. He wished to repress them and came against them in haste, having left his own wife Cleopatra there. Accordingly, Ptolemy went up to the country and mustered a watch guard against the city. […]
"And he shall set his face to come and possess all his kingdom, and he shall make upright conditions with him. And he shall give him the daughter of women, that she may overthrow him" (Vulgate: it). That is to say, the intention is to overthrow him, that is, Ptolemy, or else to overthrow it, that is, his kingdom. Antiochus not only wished to take possession of Syria, Cilicia, and Lycia, and the other provinces which had belonged to Ptolemy's party, but also to extend his empire to Egypt.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
In prosecution of his design, he shall give him his daughter Cleopatra to wife, designing, as Saul in giving his daughter Cleopatra to David, that she should be a snare to him, and do him a mischief; but she shall not stand on her father's side, nor be for him, but for her husband, and so that plot failed him. (4.) His war with the Romans is here foretold (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom,.... Antiochus, having conquered Coelesyria, Phoenicia, and Judea, should set his face towards the land of Egypt, having a greedy desire after it, and bend his mind and forces that way; form a design of invading it, and for that purpose determine to bring all the forces he could master together throughout his dominions. So Justin (b) says, that upon the death of Ptolemy Philopator, Antiochus king of Syria determined to seize on Egypt.
The kingdom of Syria, which was set up by Seleucus Nicanor, or the conqueror; he was one of Alexander's princes, and became stronger than the other, and had the greatest dominion of all, was the most powerful of all Alexander's successors. It was said that he had no fewer than seven-two kingdoms under him.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Isa 44:2); the epithet applied by the Hebrews to their nation. It is here used not in praise; for in Da 11:14 (see on Da 11:14) they are called "robbers," or "men of violence, factious": it is the general designation of Israel, as having God for their God.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
He shall also set his face to enter - Antiochus purposed to have marched his army into Egypt; but he thought it best to proceed by fraudulence, and therefore proposed a treaty of marriage between him and his daughter Cleopatra, called here the daughter of women, because of her great beauty and accomplishments. And this he appeared to do, having “upright ones with him.” Or, as the Septuagint have it και ευθεια παντα μετ’ αυτου ποιησει, “and he will make all things straight with him;” that is, he acted as if he were influenced by nothing but the most upright views. But he intended his daughter to be a snare to Ptolemy, and therefore purposed to corrupt her that she might betray her husband. But she shall not stand on his side - On the contrary, her husband’s interests became more dear to her than her father’s; and by her means Ptolemy was put upon his guard against the intentions of Antiochus.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He shall also set his face - Antiochus. That is, he shall resolve or determine. To set one’s face in any direction is to determine to go there. The meaning here is, that Antiochus, flushed with success, and resolved to push his conquests to the utmost, would make use of all the forces at his disposal to overcome the Egyptians, and to bring them into subjection to his sway.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְיָשֵׂ֣ם׀ | veyasem | and he will set | H7760 → | 584 times |
| פָּ֠נָיו | panav | face his | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| לָב֞וֹא | lavo' | to come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בְּתֹ֧קֶף | betokef | with [the] power of | H8633 → | |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַלְכוּת֛וֹ | malkhuto | kingdom his | H4438 → | 91 times |
| וִישָׁרִ֥ים | visharim | and upright [things] | H3477 → | |
| עִמּ֖וֹ | imo | with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| וְעָשָׂ֑ה | veasah | and he will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וּבַ֤ת | uvat | and [the] daughter of | H1323 → | |
| הַנָּשִׁים֙ | hanashim | the women | H802 → | |
| יִתֶּן־ | yiten- | he will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| ל֣וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| לְהַשְׁחִיתָ֔הּ | lehashchitah | to destroy it | H7843 → | 146 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַעֲמֹ֖ד | taamod | it will stand | H5975 → | 521 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| ל֥וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| תִהְיֶֽה׃ | tihyeh | it will happen | H1961 → | 3559 times |
וְיָשֵׂ֣ם׀and he will set
veyasemH7760 →584 times
פָּ֠נָיוface his
panavH6440 →2123 times
לָב֞וֹאto come
lavo'H935 →2568 times
בְּתֹ֧קֶףwith [the] power of
betokefH8633 →
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
מַלְכוּת֛וֹkingdom his
malkhutoH4438 →91 times
וִישָׁרִ֥יםand upright [things]
visharimH3477 →
עִמּ֖וֹwith him
imoH5973 →1050 times
וְעָשָׂ֑הand he will do
veasahH6213 →2628 times
וּבַ֤תand [the] daughter of
uvatH1323 →
הַנָּשִׁים֙the women
hanashimH802 →
יִתֶּן־he will give
yiten-H5414 →2011 times
ל֣וֹto him
lo
לְהַשְׁחִיתָ֔הּto destroy it
lehashchitahH7843 →146 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תַעֲמֹ֖דit will stand
taamodH5975 →521 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
ל֥וֹto him
lo
תִהְיֶֽה׃it will happen
tihyehH1961 →3559 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 8:31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
it leads to
- Psalms 118:6
The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- Jeremiah 1:19
They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
- Psalms 56:11
in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- 1 John 4:4
You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
- Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the…
- Psalms 118:6
Through
2 Chronicles 20:3Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.
it leads to
- Daniel 9:3
So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
- 2 Chronicles 19:3
However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God.”
- Joel 1:14
Consecrate a fast; proclaim a solemn assembly! Gather the elders and all the residents of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.
- Daniel 9:3
Where this verse is studied
About Daniel
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Daniel; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 4.47.1-9; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER ELEVEN; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.