Daniel 11:2
in Daniel 11Now then, I will tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. By the power of his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and when he is waxed strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.
KJV
And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.
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This verse in Daniel 11
Commentary
12 notes on this verseThere shall stand up yet three kings - Gabriel had already spoken of Cyrus, who was now reigning; and after him three others should arise. These were, 1. Cambyses, the son of Cyrus. 2. Smerdis, the Magian, who was an impostor, who pretended to be another son of Cyrus. And, 3. Darius, the son of Hystaspes, who married Mandane, the daughter of Cyrus. Cambyses reigned seven years and five months; Smerdis reigned only seven months; and Darius Hystaspes reigned thirty-six years.
This site's exposition
the first year of Darius the Mede
on Daniel 11:1-4
The revealer of chapter 10 continues without a seam: the same messenger who fought beside Michael now shows the truth about kings to come. Three kings yet in Persia and a fourth far richer stirring up all against Grecia, then a mighty king with great dominion whose kingdom is broken toward the four winds, not to his posterity: the bench reads the corridor as history read it, Xerxes' invasion, Alexander, and the four-way division among generals none of them his heirs, and the precision here is the reason the date of the book has been disputed since Porphyry, a dispute the notes state as history with Jerome's answer beside it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"Still three," he says, "kings shall arise in Persia and the fourth will be rich with greater riches than all." [Daniel 11:2] For after Cyrus, Darius arose, then Artaxerxes, next Xerxes. These three were kings. Scripture is fulfilled. "And the fourth will be rich with greater riches." [Daniel 11:2] Who is this but Darius, who after reigning and being glorious, became wealthy and rose against all the kingdoms of the Greeks?
Verse 2. "And now I shall proclaim the truth to thee." And the meaning is this: "Because thou desirest to know what shall befall the kings of Persia, hearken thou to the order of events and hear the answer to thy request." "And behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be enriched exceedingly above them all, and when he shall have grown mighty through his wealth, he shall stir up all men against the kingdom of Greece."
And so he says to him, "Behold, still three kings shall arise in Persia and the fourth will be rich with greater riches than all. And after he himself masters his riches he shall rise against all the kingdoms of the Greeks. And a mighty king shall arise, and he shall be lord of a great dominion and he shall do according to his will. And as his kingdom rises it shall be shattered and divided to the four winds of heaven." [Daniel 11:2-4] And so we have already described these things above when we made the account concerning the four beasts, but since now Scripture describes all these things again in detail, it is absolutely necessary also for us to make a second account, so that we do not forsake Scripture as idle and indemonstrable.
"And now," he says, "I will proclaim to you the truth." [Daniel 11:2] And so was the truth able to proclaim some other thing beyond the truth? The truth was what was seen by Daniel and he proclaimed the truth. He himself, with the truth being revealed in the world, teaches the truth. On account of which the blessed disciples are taught by Christ.
The Medieval Church1 voice
After Cyrus, who reigned first, there were numerous kings in Persia until those three. But the angel indicates by "three kings" those who were called with the name Darius, because there were only three kings who had the same name Darius. And by revealing through …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): 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, ch. ix.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
He - Xerxes was more potent than all the other three, because his father Darius had gathered an incredible mass for him, which he himself increased for six years together, before he made his expedition against Greece.
And now will I show thee the truth,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
(Ahasuerus, Artaxerxes, and Darius, in Ezr 4:6, 7, 24). The Ahasuerus of Esther (see on Da 9:1) is identified with Xerxes, both in Greek history and in Scripture, appearing proud, self-willed, careless of contravening Persian customs, amorous, facile, and changeable (Da 11:2). fourth . . . riches . . . against . . .
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And now will I show thee the truth - That is, the truth about events that are to occur in the future, and which will accord with what is written in “the scripture of truth,” Dan 10:21. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia - The phrase “stand up means that there would be so many kings in Persia; that is, there would be three before the fourth which he mentions. The same Hebrew word here rendered “stand up” (עמד ‛âmad) occurs in Dan 11:3-4, Dan 11:6-8, Dan 11:14-16 (twice), Dan 11:17, Dan 11:20, Dan 11:21, Dan 11:25, Dan 11:31; also in Dan 12:1, Dan 12:13. In Dan 11:8 it is rendered “continue;” in Dan 11:15, “withstand;” in the other cases, “stand up,” or simply stand. Gesenius says it is a word used particularly of a new prince, as in Dan 8:23; Dan 11:2-3, Dan 11:20. He does not say that there would be none afterward, but he evidently designs to touch on the great and leading events respecting the Persian empire, so far as they would affect the Hebrew people, and so far as they would constitute prominent points in the history of the world. He does not, therefore, go into all the details respecting the history, nor does he mention all the kings that would reign. The prominent, the material points, would be the reign of those three kings; then the reign of the fourth, or Xerxes, as his mad expedition to Greece would lay the real foundation for the invasion of Persia by Alexander, and the overthrow of the Persian empire; then the life and conquests of Alexander, and then the wars consequent on the division of his empire at his death. The “three kings” here referred to were Cambyses, Smerdis, and Darius Hystaspis. As this communication was made in the third year of Cyrus Dan 10:1, these would be the next in order; and by the fourth is undoubtedly meant Xerxes. […]
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֕ה | veatah | and now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| אֱמֶ֖ת | ʾemet | truth | H571 → | 127 times |
| אַגִּ֣יד | ʾagid | I will tell | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לָ֑ךְ | lakh | to you | ||
| הִנֵּה־ | hineh- | there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| עוֹד֩ | ʾod | yet | H5750 → | 490 times |
| שְׁלֹשָׁ֨ה | sheloshah | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| מְלָכִ֜ים | melakhim | kings | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| עֹמְדִ֣ים | ʾomedim | [are] about to arise | H5975 → | 521 times |
| לְפָרַ֗ס | lefaras | for Persia | H6539 → | 28 times |
| וְהָֽרְבִיעִי֙ | veharevii | and the fourth [king] | H7243 → | |
| יַעֲשִׁ֤יר | yaashir | he will gain wealth | H6238 → | |
| עֹֽשֶׁר־ | ʾosher- | wealth | H6239 → | |
| גָּדוֹל֙ | gadol | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| מִכֹּ֔ל | mikol | more than everyone | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| וּכְחֶזְקָת֣וֹ | ukhechezkato | and according to strength his | H2393 → | |
| בְעָשְׁר֔וֹ | veashero | by wealth his | H6239 → | |
| יָעִ֣יר | yair | he will stir up | H5782 → | |
| הַכֹּ֔ל | hakol | <the> everyone | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מַלְכ֥וּת | malkhut | [the] kingdom of | H4438 → | 91 times |
| יָוָֽן׃ | yavan | Greece | H3120 → | 11 times |
וְעַתָּ֕הand now
veatahH6258 →433 times
אֱמֶ֖תtruth
ʾemetH571 →127 times
אַגִּ֣ידI will tell
ʾagidH5046 →370 times
לָ֑ךְto you
lakh
הִנֵּה־there!
hineh-H2009 →843 times
עוֹד֩yet
ʾodH5750 →490 times
שְׁלֹשָׁ֨הthree
sheloshahH7969 →432 times
מְלָכִ֜יםkings
melakhimH4428 →2525 times
עֹמְדִ֣ים[are] about to arise
ʾomedimH5975 →521 times
לְפָרַ֗סfor Persia
lefarasH6539 →28 times
וְהָֽרְבִיעִי֙and the fourth [king]
vehareviiH7243 →
יַעֲשִׁ֤ירhe will gain wealth
yaashirH6238 →
עֹֽשֶׁר־wealth
ʾosher-H6239 →
גָּדוֹל֙great
gadolH1419 →526 times
מִכֹּ֔לmore than everyone
mikolH3605 →5413 times
וּכְחֶזְקָת֣וֹand according to strength his
ukhechezkatoH2393 →
בְעָשְׁר֔וֹby wealth his
veasheroH6239 →
יָעִ֣ירhe will stir up
yairH5782 →
הַכֹּ֔ל<the> everyone
hakolH3605 →5413 times
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
מַלְכ֥וּת[the] kingdom of
malkhutH4438 →91 times
יָוָֽן׃Greece
yavanH3120 →11 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
Amos 3:7Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.
it leads to
- John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have…
- Genesis 18:17
And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
- Psalms 25:14
The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.
- Revelation 1:1
This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,
- Daniel 9:22–27
He instructed me and spoke with me, saying: “O Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding.
- John 15:15
Through
Revelation 21:5And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.”
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
- Isaiah 42:9
Behold, the former things have happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”
- Isaiah 43:19
Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Daniel

This page draws on 13 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); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 4.41.4-5; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 4.41.2-3; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 4.41.1; Ishodad of Merv, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 11:2; 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 (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
