Daniel 11 19

Daniel 11:19 kjv

Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

Daniel 11:19 nkjv

Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

Daniel 11:19 niv

After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more.

Daniel 11:19 esv

Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.

Daniel 11:19 nlt

He will take refuge in his own fortresses but will stumble and fall and be seen no more.

Daniel 11 verses

Daniel 11 19 Meaning

The verse describes the king of the north turning back and bringing again his army, more numerous and stronger than before, to prosecute the war with increased determination. This signifies a resurgence of power and a renewed, more aggressive campaign after a setback.

Daniel 11 19 Context

Daniel 11 chronicles a prophecy detailing the succession of kings of the north (Seleucids) and south (Ptolemies) following Alexander the Great. This chapter vividly describes their ongoing conflicts and political maneuvering, often at the expense of the land of Israel. Verse 19 is situated within the narrative of the king of the north, identified by many scholars as Antiochus III the Great, a significant Seleucid ruler who engaged in prolonged wars with the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt. This specific verse depicts a pivotal moment where, after facing initial difficulties or setbacks (possibly referring to earlier military campaigns that were not entirely successful or decisive), he gathers a larger and more formidable force to decisively defeat his southern rival and assert his dominance, ultimately impacting the region.

Daniel 11 19 Word Analysis

• וְשָׁב (veshav): "And he returned."
  • Root: שׁוּב (shuv) - meaning "to turn back," "return," "again."
  • Significance: Indicates a reversal of circumstances, a regrouping, and a renewed offensive after a prior state of affairs, potentially a retreat or a pause in action.
• וְהֵשִׁיב (vehesheb): "and brought again."
  • Root: שׁוּב (shuv) - same root as "veshav," emphasizing the repeated nature of the action, but used transitively here meaning "to cause to return," "to bring back."
  • Significance: This suggests not just a personal return but the recall and mobilization of his forces, bringing them back to the field of conflict.
• חַיִל (chayil): "army," "force," "host."
  • Meaning: Refers to military strength, manpower, and martial capability. It encompasses a broader concept of military might.
  • Significance: The increase in "chayil" signifies a significant augmentation of military power, suggesting a more potent and potentially overwhelming force.
• וְהָיוּ (vehayu): "and they were."
  • Root: היה (hayah) - "to be," "to exist."
  • Significance: Introduces a statement of comparison, describing the state or quality of the forces.
• רַבִּים (rabbim): "many," "numerous."
  • Significance: Directly indicates a quantitative increase in the size of the army, emphasizing the overwhelming numbers.
• וְחָזָק (vechazak): "and strong."
  • Root: חזק (chazak) - "to be strong," "to strengthen," "to be firm."
  • Significance: Implies not only an increase in numbers but also an enhancement in the quality, training, or equipment of the army, making them more potent militarily.
• וּבָא (uv'a): "and came."
  • Root: בא (ba) - "to come," "to enter."
  • Significance: Denotes the arrival and actual deployment of this strengthened force into the theater of operations.
• כַּגַּג (kaggag): "like a flood," "as the flood."
  • Origin: Can also relate to "roof" or "gallery" but in military context often rendered as "flood." The Hebrew particle 'kaph' (כ) signifies "like" or "as."
  • Significance: This is a powerful simile, comparing the advance of the army to an unstoppable, overwhelming, and destructive flood. It conveys a sense of deluge and inevitable devastation. This imagery is often used in Scripture to describe the powerful and uncontainable advance of armies (e.g., Jer 46:8).
• לְמַלְקַוח (lemalquach): "to the destroying," "to waste," "to consume."
  • Root: לקח (laqach) - "to take," "to seize." Used here in a sense of seizing or consuming destructively. Some suggest root from לֶקַח (leqach) meaning "purchase" or "lesson" but in this context "destruction" is more fitting, or possibly "to snatch away" as spoils. Another possibility is from malqoach meaning "to plunder" or "to take away."
  • Significance: Explains the purpose or consequence of the king of the north's aggressive advance – to devastate and consume the territory or the opposing forces. It highlights the destructive nature of this renewed campaign.
• אֶל־מְלַכְתּוֹ (el-malkto): "against his kingdom" or "against the kingdom (of the south)."
  • Meaning: Specifies the target of this destructive campaign, referring to the territory or kingdom of his rival, the king of the south.
  • Significance: Clarifies that the ultimate objective is not just conquest but the subjugation and destruction of the enemy's power base and dominion.

Daniel 11 19 Bonus Section

The historical context strongly points to Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid Empire. After initial campaigns in the East, Antiochus returned to face the Egyptian-backed rulers in the Levant. Despite some initial setbacks and a strategic retreat following the Battle of Raphia (217 BCE), Antiochus III regrouped. He then waged a successful series of campaigns (202-198 BCE) against the Ptolemaic Kingdom, which included securing control over Phoenicia and Coele-Syria, culminating in the decisive Battle of Panium (Paneas) in 200 or 199 BCE. This victory effectively transferred these strategically vital territories from Egyptian to Seleucid control, fitting the prophetic description of the king of the north's resurgent and overwhelming military success. The prophecy's ability to describe such specific historical events, including the cyclical nature of conflict and shifts in power, is a key element for understanding its prophetic accuracy.

Daniel 11 19 Commentary

Verse 19 signifies a crucial escalation in the conflict between the northern and southern kingdoms. Following a period of engagement that perhaps did not yield the desired decisive victory, the king of the north regroups and mobilizes an even larger and stronger military force. The imagery of the army coming "like a flood" and "to destroy" vividly portrays the overwhelming and devastating nature of this renewed assault. This signifies a commitment to total conquest and a desire to utterly overwhelm the opposing kingdom. This action underscores the cyclical nature of conflict described in Daniel 11, where periods of respite or minor engagements are often followed by more intense and impactful campaigns as rivals seek to assert their dominance.