Daniel 11:34
in Daniel 11Now when they fall, they will be granted a little help, but many will join them insincerely.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help; but many shall join themselves unto them with flatteries.
KJV
Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.
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This verse in Daniel 11
Commentary
9 notes on this verseVerses 34, 35. "And when they shall have fallen, they shall be relieved with a small help; and many shall be joined to them deceitfully. And some of the learned shall fall, that they may be refined as by fire and that they may be chosen and made white even to the time before appointed, because there shall yet be another time." Porphyry thinks that the "little help" was Mattathias of the village of (variant: mountain of) Modin, for he rebelled against the generals of Antiochus and attempted to preserve the worship of the true God (1 Maccabees 2:1-41).
This site's exposition
not be as the former
on Daniel 11:29-35
The ships of Chittim turn him back, the Roman ultimatum at Alexandria in the common identification the bench carries, and his grief becomes indignation against the holy covenant. Verse 31 is the chapter's crux: the sanctuary polluted, the daily sacrifice taken away, and the ABOMINATION THAT MAKETH DESOLATE set up, the thread that runs 9:27, here, and 12:11, and which the Lord cites at Matt 24:15 as spoken of by Daniel the prophet, still future in his mouth: the readings on near and far fulfilment, Antiochus and a fulfilment beyond him, are named with holders and no date is set. The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits, and they that understand shall instruct many though they fall by sword and flame: the Maccabean generation is the bench's near reading, and the refining purpose, to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end, is the text's own.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
But after he heard these things, Matthias and his sons lamented concerning their brothers and they spoke to one another, saying, "If we all should do just as our brothers did, our enemies shall come and quickly remove us from the earth. And so if war comes upon us on the Sabbath let us stand and make war on behalf of our souls and on behalf of our customs." [1 Maccabees 2:39-40] Then after that point they ran down upon them and they pursued them from their boundaries and they entered into the city and circumcised the young boys, as many as they found uncircumcised, and they threw down the altars and all the sacred places and the deed brought prosperity into their hand. [1 Maccabees 2:45-47] But Daniel says, "they shall be held with little help." [Daniel 11:34] For then, after Matthias arose, Judas the Maccabee arose and helped them and delivered them from the hand of the Greeks and what was spoken in Scripture was fulfilled.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help,....
Note, Those that stand by the cause of religion when it is threatened and struck at, though they may not immediately be delivered and made victorious, shall yet have present help. And a little help must not be despised; but, when times are very bad, we must be thankful for some reviving.
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.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Now when they shall fall - When the storm of the tenth persecution under Diocletian, which lasted ten years, fell upon them, they were sorely oppressed. They shall be holpen with a little help - By Constantine; who, while he removed all persecution, and promoted the temporal prosperity of the Christian Church, yet added little to its spiritual perfection and strength. For many, now seeing the Christians in prosperity: - Cleave to them with flatteries - Became Christians Because the Emperor was such.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
a little help--The liberty obtained by the Maccabean heroes for the Jews was of but short duration. They soon fell under the Romans and Herodians, and ever since every attempt to free them from Gentile rule has only aggravated their sad lot.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help - By small accessions to their forces. The armies of the Maccabees were never “very” numerous; but the idea here is, that when they should be persecuted, there would be accessions to their forces, so that they would be able to prosecute the war. At first the numbers were very few who took up arms, and undertook to defend the institutions of religion, but their numbers increased until they were finally victorious. Those who first banded together, when the calamities came upon the nation, were Mattathias and his few followers, and this is the little help that is here referred to. See 1 Macc. 2. But many shall cleave to them - As was the case under Judas Maccabeus, when the forces were so far increased as to be able to contend successfully with Antiochus. With flatteries - Perhaps with flattering hopes of spoil or honor; that is, that they would not unite sincerely with the defenders of the true religion, but would be actuated by prospect of plunder or reward. For the meaning of the word, see the notes at Dan 11:21. The sense here is not that Judas would flatter them, or would secure their cooperation by flatteries, but that this would be what they would propose to their own minds, and what would influence them. Compare 1 Macc. 5:55-57: “Now what time as Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Galaad, and Simon his brother in Galilee before Ptolemais, Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the garrisons, heard of the valiant acts and warlike deeds which they had done. Wherefore they said, Let us also get us a name, and go fight against the pagan round about us.” Compare 2 Macc. 12:40; 13:21. There can be no doubt that many might join them from these motives. […]
The words behind it
8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבְהִכָּ֣שְׁלָ֔ם | uvhikashelam | and when stumble they | H3782 → | 62 times |
| יֵעָזְר֖וּ | yeazeru | they will be helped | H5826 → | 81 times |
| עֵ֣זֶר | ʾezer | help | H5828 → | |
| מְעָ֑ט | meat | a little | H4592 → | |
| וְנִלְו֧וּ | venilvu | and they will join themselves | H3867 → | |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רַבִּ֖ים | rabim | many [people] | H7227 → | 454 times |
| בַּחֲלַקְלַקּֽוֹת׃ | bachalaklakot | by intrigues | H2519 → |
וּבְהִכָּ֣שְׁלָ֔םand when stumble they
uvhikashelamH3782 →62 times
יֵעָזְר֖וּthey will be helped
yeazeruH5826 →81 times
עֵ֣זֶרhelp
ʾezerH5828 →
מְעָ֑טa little
meatH4592 →
וְנִלְו֧וּand they will join themselves
venilvuH3867 →
עֲלֵיהֶ֛םto them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
רַבִּ֖יםmany [people]
rabimH7227 →454 times
בַּחֲלַקְלַקּֽוֹת׃by intrigues
bachalaklakotH2519 →
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
1 John 4:1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.
- 2 Peter 2:1
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
- 1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- 2 John 1:7
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
- Proverbs 14:15
The simple man believes every word, but the prudent man watches his steps.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Through
Matthew 7:15Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
it leads to
- 1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- Matthew 24:11
and many false prophets will arise and mislead many.
- 2 Peter 2:1–3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
- 1 John 4:1
Where this verse is studied
About Daniel
This page draws on 9 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 4.44.1-4; 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) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.