Daniel 11:4 kjv
And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.
Daniel 11:4 nkjv
And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.
Daniel 11:4 niv
After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.
Daniel 11:4 esv
And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.
Daniel 11:4 nlt
But at the height of his power, his kingdom will be broken apart and divided into four parts. It will not be ruled by the king's descendants, nor will the kingdom hold the authority it once had. For his empire will be uprooted and given to others.
Daniel 11 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel 11:3 | "Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills." | Directly preceding context |
| Daniel 8:4 | "What the ram was doing, it did with all its power and fierceness and brutality." | Connects to fierce nature |
| Daniel 8:24 | "His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power." | Supernatural backing mentioned |
| Daniel 7:20 | "The ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell—that is, that horn whose look was more imposing than its companions—" | Depicts aggressive rule |
| Daniel 7:25 | "He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law..." | Arrogance and persecution |
| Daniel 2:40 | "And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron crushes and breaks in pieces all these, and like iron that crushes all these, it shall break and crush." | Brutal dominion |
| Jeremiah 51:34 | "Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me, he has crushed me; he has made me an empty vessel; he has swallowed me like a monster; he has filled his belly with my delicacies; he has cast me away." | Parallels devastating impact |
| Ezekiel 28:6 | "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have become proud in your uplifted heart, and have said, ‘I am a god, I sit on the throne of God, in the heart of the seas,’..." | Self-exaltation and pride |
| Isaiah 14:13-14 | "You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’" | Similar arrogant aspirations |
| 2 Thessalonians 2:4 | "...who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God." | Echoes in a future Antichrist figure |
| Revelation 13:5 | "And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months." | Blasphemy and extended authority |
| Revelation 13:7 | "Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation." | Universal dominion and persecution |
| John 11:48 | "If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." | Fear of political consequences |
| Matthew 24:24 | "For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." | Deception and power |
| Acts 8:9-11 | "But there was a man named Simon who had previously been a sorcerer in the city, amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great..." | Associating with great power |
| 1 Timothy 6:20 | "O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge," | Warning against false claims |
| Revelation 17:13 | "These are of one mind and give their power and authority to the beast." | Unification under a tyrannical power |
| Jude 1:10 | "But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and by a process of natural instinct, like creatures without reason, they are destroyed by the very things that they do not understand." | Corruption through lack of wisdom |
| Romans 1:25 | "Because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen." | Idolatry and deception |
| 2 Timothy 3:8 | "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of corrupted mind and disqualified in respect of the faith." | Opposition to divine truth |
Daniel 11 verses
Daniel 11 4 Meaning
This verse describes the rise of a powerful king who will exercise absolute authority and act according to his own will. He will also cause immense destruction and lead many to ruin.
Daniel 11 4 Context
Daniel chapter 11 provides a detailed prophetic account of the conflicts and political shifts between the Ptolemaic and Seleucid dynasties, descendants of Alexander the Great. Verse 4 follows the description of Alexander the Great and the division of his kingdom. This verse specifically points to a king arising from the fragmented empire who will possess immense power and autonomy, acting solely on his own agenda, and causing widespread destruction. Historically, this is often interpreted as referring to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, whose reign was marked by aggressive policies, persecution of the Jews, and self-aggrandizement.
Daniel 11 4 Word Analysis
- וּקְמוּ (u'qûm): "and there shall arise." From the root קוּם (qum), meaning to stand up, arise, establish. It signifies the emergence of a powerful entity.
- מֶלֶךְ (melek): "king." A ruler, sovereign. This term points to a monarchical authority.
- עַז (‘az): "strong," "mighty." Indicating significant power and resilience.
- וּבְעָזוֹ (u'və‘âzô): "and in his strength," "and with his might." Emphasizes that his power is his own.
- יִשְׁלַט (yishlot): "he shall rule," "he shall have dominion." Denotes authoritative control and sovereignty.
- כִּרְצוֹנוֹ (kirṣônô): "according to his will," "as he pleases." Highlights complete autonomy and lack of external constraint. This points to unchecked ambition.
- וְיַעֲמִיד (vəya‘ămîd): "and he shall set up," "and he shall cause to stand." Suggests establishment or appointment.
- מֶלֶךְ (melek): "king." A specific monarch.
- שָׁלְטָן (sholtan): "dominion," "power," "rule." Reinforces the theme of absolute control.
- וְיַעֲבֹר (vəya‘ăbôr): "and he shall go through," "and he shall pass through." Implies traversing or conquering territories.
- לְחָרְבָּה (ləḥorbâh): "to destruction," "to desolation." Signifies devastation and ruin.
- וְתֹקֶף (vətoqef): "and the strength," "and the force." Similar to ‘az, emphasizing might.
- מַלְכוּתוֹ (malkhuthô): "his kingdom." The realm over which he rules.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "and there shall arise a mighty king": Sets the stage for a dominant individual. The strength is inherent to him.
- "who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills": Captures the essence of his absolute, self-directed power, free from any external accountability.
- "and after he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven": This phrase, appearing in some versions and translations related to the verse's preceding context, indicates that his own dynasty or dominion might not endure stably, but be divided. However, the immediate verse 4 focuses on his individual reign.
Daniel 11 4 Bonus Section
The concept of a ruler doing "as he wills" strongly echoes themes of divine sovereignty contrasted with human rebellion. While God's will is perfect and always accomplished (Psalm 115:3), a human king acting "as he wills" often implies an exercise of will that is contrary to divine command. This verse serves as a prophetic pointer to figures whose reigns exemplify this self-willed, destructive power. The imagery is consistent with powerful, aggressive empires and rulers seen throughout biblical history and prophecy, often symbolizing or preceding ultimate end-times' antagonists who embody ultimate defiance against God.
Daniel 11 4 Commentary
This verse delineates the characteristics of a powerful ruler who operates independently of any divine or moral law. His strength is formidable, and his actions are dictated solely by his personal desires and ambitions. This leads to significant destruction and devastation in his wake. Such unchecked authority, driven by self-will, is a recurring theme of ungodly power throughout Scripture. It underscores the devastating consequences when human rulers prioritize their own agenda over divine will, often leading to oppression and ruin for many.