Daniel 11:36
in Daniel 11Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods; and he shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done.
KJV
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
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This verse in Daniel 11
Commentary
14 notes on this verseAnd the king shall do according to his will - This may apply to Antiochus, who exalted himself above every god, called himself a god, sported with all religion, profaned the temple, etc., etc. But others think an antichristian power in the Church is intended; for in the language of this prophecy king is taken for power, a kingdom, etc. That such a power did spring up in the Church that acted in an arbitrary manner against all laws, human and Divine, is well known.
This site's exposition
the king shall do according to his will
on Daniel 11:36-39
At verse 36 the readings divide, and the notes name them: the wilful king who magnifies himself above every god and speaks marvellous things against the God of gods is Antiochus continued, so part of the bench, while the older dispensational line and much of the church's reading hear a figure beyond Antiochus, the final adversary Paul's man of sin echoes (2 Thess 2:4 speaks this verse's language, exalting himself above all that is called God), positions stated with holders and no verdict. Neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women regarded, the God of forces honoured with gold in strongholds: the portrait outruns what history records of Antiochus at several points, which is the textual ground the far readings stand on, stated as evidence rather than settled.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
And so the prophet, having described what has already occurred and has been accomplished in its own time, he proclaims another mystery to us, making an indication of the end of times. For he speaks in this way, "And another shameless king shall arise and he shall be exalted over every god and shall be magnified and he shall say immoderate things and he shall prosper until the wrath is consummated. For it is to be consummated. And he shall not regard any god of his fathers nor desire women and he shall not regard any god, because he shall be magnified over all. And he shall glorify the god of Moazeim in his place and a god which his fathers did not know; he shall honor in gold and silver and precious stones and he shall multiply glory and shall subject many to them and divide the earth in gifts. And these shall be preserved from his hand, Edom and Moab and the chief of the sons of Ammon. And he shall stretch forth his hand upon the earth and the land of Egypt shall not be saved and he shall rule over the secret things of gold and silver and of all the desirable things of Egypt and Libya and Ethiopia in their fortresses. And he shall pitch his tent Efadano between the seas near the holy Mountain of Sabir and he shall come to his lot." [Daniel 11:36-45]
And so these things the prophet described in this way concerning the Antichrist, as he will be shameless and warlike and a tyrant daring to exalt himself over every god, who boasts in his own power and pillages the fortresses of cities, and bearing lofty things in gold and silver and precious stone, he shall speak immoderate words against God, wishing that he himself alone be worshiped as God. Concerning him all Scripture is not silent and the prophets announced beforehand his coming for the destruction of many, and the Lord has testified to these things, and the apostles taught these things concerning him, and John in the Apocalypse mystically revealed his name through a number. The Lord displayed this abomination of desolation and the apostle taught that this son of the devil arrives according to the working of Satan. This one, having struck the city of Tyre, will also desolate the land of Egypt, having waged war he will extend and destroy all the land of Libya, and he shall ruin the kingdom of the Ethiopians with his might in the slaughter of the sword. He, being lifted up over every king and every god, shall build the city of Jerusalem and he shall raise the converted Temple, he shall restore both all the land and its borders to the Jews, and having summoned their people from the slavery of the nations, he shall exhibit himself to them as king, and at this the faithless shall worship him as God and shall bend the knee to him, considering him to be the Christ, not apprehending what was spoken by the prophet, how he is a deceiver and not truth. […]
Antiochus will enjoy success, but not forever: "until his wrath has been spent," that is, until he kindles and draws out God's exceedingly great wrath. He calls the retribution God inflicts "his wrath," for the divine nature has no passion.
Verse 36. "And the king shall do according to his will, and he shall be lifted up and shall magnify himself against every god; and he shall speak arrogant words against the God of gods, and shall manage successfully until the wrath be accomplished (Vulgate: indignation); for the determination is made." Or else, as another has translated it: "for in him shall be the consummation."
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The king - Antiochus was an eminent type of antichrist; to whom many things that follow may be applied by way of accommodation: altho' they principally refer to Antiochus, and had their primary accomplishment in him. For that that is determined - That which God hath decreed to be done by him shall be done; and that which God hath purposed to be done upon him.
7 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
And here some think begins a prophecy of the antichrist, the papal kingdom. It is plain that St. Paul, in his prophecy of the rise and reign of the man of sin, alludes to this ( 2 Thess. ii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
), till he had run his length, and filled up the measure of his iniquity; for that which is determined shall be done, and nothing more, nothing short.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And the king shall do according to his will,....
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.
And as it is usual with the prophets, when they foretel the prosperity of the Jewish church, to make use of such expressions as were applicable to the kingdom of Christ, and insensibly to slide into a prophecy of that, so, when they foretel the troubles of the church, they make use of such expressions as have a further reference to the kingdom of the antichrist, the rise and ruin of that.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Antiochus forbade the worship of Jehovah by a decree "marvellous" for its wickedness: thus he was a type of Antichrist. Compare Da 7:8, "a mouth speaking great things." indignation . . . accomplished--God's visitation of wrath on the Jews for their sins (Da 8:19). that . . . determined-- (Da 9:26, 27;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And the king shall do according to his will - Shall be absolute and supreme, and shall accomplish his purposes. This refers, it seems to me, beyond question, to Antiochus Epiphanes, and was exactly fulfilled in him. He accomplished his purposes in regard to the city and temple in the most arbitrary manner, and was, in every respect, an absolute despot. It should be said, however, here, that most Christian interpreters suppose that the allusion here to Antiochus ceases, and that henceforward, it refers to Antichrist. So Jerome, Gill, Bp. Newton, and others; and so Jerome says many of the Jews understood it. The only reason alleged for this is, that there are things affirmed here of the “king” which could not be true of Antiochus. But, in opposition to this, it may be observed (a) that the allusion in the previous verses is undoubtedly to Antiochus Epiphanes. (b) There is no indication of any “change,” for the prophetic narrative seems to proceed as if the allusion to the same person continued. (c) The word “king” is not a word to be applied to Antichrist, it being nowhere used of him. (d) Such a transition, without anymore decided marks of it, would not be in accordance with the usual method in the prophetic writings, leaving a plain prediction in the very midst of the description, and passing on at once to a representation of one who would arise after many hundreds of years, and of whom the former could be considered as in no way the type. […]
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעָשָׂ֨ה | veasah | and he will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כִרְצוֹנ֜וֹ | khirtzono | according to pleasure his | H7522 → | 56 times |
| הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְיִתְרוֹמֵ֤ם | veyitromem | so he may exalt himself | H7311 → | 190 times |
| וְיִתְגַּדֵּל֙ | veyitgadel | and he may magnify himself | H1431 → | 117 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | above | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֵ֔ל | ʾel | god | H410 → | 241 times |
| וְעַל֙ | veal | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֵ֣ל | ʾel | [the] God of | H410 → | 241 times |
| אֵלִ֔ים | ʾelim | gods | H410 → | 241 times |
| יְדַבֵּ֖ר | yedaber | he will speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| נִפְלָא֑וֹת | niflaot | extraordinary [things] | H6381 → | |
| וְהִצְלִ֙יחַ֙ | vehitzliach | and he will succeed | H6743 → | 65 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| כָּ֣לָה | kalah | it has been completed | H3615 → | 208 times |
| זַ֔עַם | zaam | indignation | H2195 → | |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נֶחֱרָצָ֖ה | necheratzah | [what has been] decreed | H2782 → | 11 times |
| נֶעֱשָֽׂתָה׃ | neesatah | it will be done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
וְעָשָׂ֨הand he will do
veasahH6213 →2628 times
כִרְצוֹנ֜וֹaccording to pleasure his
khirtzonoH7522 →56 times
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְיִתְרוֹמֵ֤םso he may exalt himself
veyitromemH7311 →190 times
וְיִתְגַּדֵּל֙and he may magnify himself
veyitgadelH1431 →117 times
עַל־above
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֵ֔לgod
ʾelH410 →241 times
וְעַל֙and on
vealH5921 →5755 times
אֵ֣ל[the] God of
ʾelH410 →241 times
אֵלִ֔יםgods
ʾelimH410 →241 times
יְדַבֵּ֖רhe will speak
yedaberH1696 →1141 times
נִפְלָא֑וֹתextraordinary [things]
niflaotH6381 →
וְהִצְלִ֙יחַ֙and he will succeed
vehitzliachH6743 →65 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
כָּ֣לָהit has been completed
kalahH3615 →208 times
זַ֔עַםindignation
zaamH2195 →
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
נֶחֱרָצָ֖ה[what has been] decreed
necheratzahH2782 →11 times
נֶעֱשָֽׂתָה׃it will be done
neesatahH6213 →2628 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
2 Thessalonians 2:4He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 28:2
“Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre that this is what the Lord GOD says: Your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god; I sit in the seat of…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 7:25
He will speak out against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, intending to change the appointed times and laws; and the saints will be given into his hand for…
- Isaiah 14:13–14
You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of…
- Revelation 13:6–7
And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven.
- Ezekiel 28:6
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you regard your heart as the heart of a god,
- Ezekiel 28:2
Through
Isaiah 14:13You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of…
it leads to
- Daniel 8:10–12
It grew as high as the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the earth, and trampled them.
- Ezekiel 28:12–16
“Son of man, take up a lament for the king of Tyre and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect…
- Daniel 8:10–12
Through
Daniel 8:19and said, “Behold, I will make known to you what will happen in the latter time of wrath, because it concerns the appointed time of the end.
it leads to
- Habakkuk 2:3
For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay.
- Habakkuk 2:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Daniel
This page draws on 12 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 4.48.1-2; Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel 4.49.1-7; 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; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 11:36.