Daniel 11:39
in Daniel 11He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing the land for a price.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god: whosoever acknowledgeth him he will increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price.
KJV
Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
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This verse in Daniel 11
Commentary
10 notes on this verse"And he shall take measures to fortify Maozim, together with a strange god whom he has acknowledged. And he shall increase glory and shall grant them power over many and shall divide the land as a free gift." Theodotion has interpreted as follows: "And he shall conduct these affairs so as to fortify garrisons with a strange god, and with them he shall manifest and increase glory; and he shall cause them to bear rule over many and divide up the land as a free gift." Symmachus rendered it "refuges" instead of "garrisons."
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 Fathers3 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. […]
He says that he will raise temples for himself and adorn them with silver, gold and precious stones and subject many people to them; that is, he will subject the many people who have been deceived by his signs or who have been weakened by …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,....
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)
Antiochus succeeded against Jerusalem, Sidon, Pelusium, Memphis. cause them--Antiochus "caused" his followers and the apostates "to rule over many" Jews, having "divided their land" (Judea), "for gain" (that is, as a reward for their compliance).
In the most strong holds with a strange god - Bishop Newton proposed the following translation, after justly finding fault with our common Version: “Thus shall he do to the defenders of Mauzzim, together with the strange god whom he shall acknowledge: he shall multiply honor, and he shall cause him to rule over many; and the earth he shall divide for a reward.” The defenders of Mauzzim, these saint and angel gods protectors, were the monks, priests, and bishops; of whom it may be truly said, “They were increased with honor, ruled over many, and divided the land for gain.” They have been honored and reverenced almost to adoration; their jurisdiction was extended over the purses and consciences of men; they have been enriched with the noblest buildings and largest endowments, and the choicest lands have been appropriated for Church lands. These are points of such public notoriety, that they require no proof. - Newton.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Thus shall he do in, the most strong holds - Margin, “fortresses of munitions.” The reference is to strongly fortified places; to those places which bad been made strong for purposes of defense. The idea is, that he would carry on his purposes against these places, as it were, under the auspices of this strange god. It was a fact, that in his wars Antiochus came into possession of the strong places, or the fortified towns of the nations which he attacked - Jerusalem, Sidon, Peluslum, Memphis - then among the strongest places in the world.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעָשָׂ֞ה | veasah | and he will act | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לְמִבְצְרֵ֤י | lemivtzerei | to [the] fortresses of | H4013 → | 37 times |
| מָֽעֻזִּים֙ | mauzim | strongholds | H4581 → | 36 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| אֱל֣וֹהַּ | ʾeloah | a god of | H433 → | 57 times |
| נֵכָ֔ר | nekhar | foreignness | H5236 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | [one] who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יַכִּ֖יר | hikir | he acknowledges | H5234 → | |
| יַרְבֶּ֣ה | yarbeh | he will increase | H7235 → | |
| כָב֑וֹד | khavod | honor | H3519 → | |
| וְהִמְשִׁילָם֙ | vehimshilam | and he will make rule them | H4910 → | 81 times |
| בָּֽרַבִּ֔ים | barabim | over the many [people] | H7227 → | 454 times |
| וַאֲדָמָ֖ה | vaadamah | and land | H127 → | 225 times |
| יְחַלֵּ֥ק | yechalek | he will divide up | H2505 → | |
| בִּמְחִֽיר׃ | bimchir | for a price | H4242 → |
וְעָשָׂ֞הand he will act
veasahH6213 →2628 times
לְמִבְצְרֵ֤יto [the] fortresses of
lemivtzereiH4013 →37 times
מָֽעֻזִּים֙strongholds
mauzimH4581 →36 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
אֱל֣וֹהַּa god of
ʾeloahH433 →57 times
נֵכָ֔רforeignness
nekharH5236 →
אֲשֶׁ֥ר[one] who
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יַכִּ֖ירhe acknowledges
hikirH5234 →
יַרְבֶּ֣הhe will increase
yarbehH7235 →
כָב֑וֹדhonor
khavodH3519 →
וְהִמְשִׁילָם֙and he will make rule them
vehimshilamH4910 →81 times
בָּֽרַבִּ֔יםover the many [people]
barabimH7227 →454 times
וַאֲדָמָ֖הand land
vaadamahH127 →225 times
יְחַלֵּ֥קhe will divide up
yechalekH2505 →
בִּמְחִֽיר׃for a price
bimchirH4242 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
About Daniel

This page draws on 11 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); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 11:39.
