God’s Word Translation
Daniel 11:5
5“The southern king will be strong, but one of his officers will become stronger than he is and rule a vast empire.
Daniel 11:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.
- New International Version (NIV)“The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion.
Context of Daniel 11:5
3“Then a warrior-king will come. He will rule a vast empire and do as he pleases. 4But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken into pieces and divided in the directions of the four winds of heaven. The empire will not be given to his descendants. It will no longer be like his empire, since it will be uprooted and given to others. “The southern king will be strong, but one of his officers will become stronger than he is and rule a vast empire. 6After a few years the southern and northern kings will make an alliance. The southern king’s daughter will go to the northern king to make peace. She won’t hold on to her power, and the alliance won’t last. She, those who came with her, and the one who fathered and protected her will be given away. 7“At that time a shoot will grow from her roots to replace her father. He will attack the northern army, enter the stronghold of the northern king, fight against them, and be victorious.
Read all of Daniel 11Daniel 11:5 word by word
וְיֶחֱזַ֥ק מֶֽלֶךְ־הַנֶּ֖גֶב וּמִן־שָׂרָ֑יו וְיֶחֱזַ֤ק עָלָיו֙ וּמָשָׁ֔ל מִמְשָׁ֥ל רַ֖ב מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of the southנֶ֫גֶבnegeb · southH5045
- shall be strongחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
- of his princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- above him, and have dominionמָשַׁלmâshal · to ruleH4910
- his dominionמֶמְשָׁלָהmemshâlâh · dominionH4475
- a greatרַבrab · manyH7227
- dominionמִמְשָׁלmimshâl · dominionH4474
Cross-references for Daniel 11:5
Commentaries on Daniel 11:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5The king of the south - This was Ptolemy Lagus, one of his generals, who had the government of Egypt, Libra, etc., which are on the south of Judea. He was strong, for he had added Cyprus, Phoenicia, Caria, etc., to his kingdom of Egypt. And one of his princes - shall be strong above him - This was Seleucus Nicator, who possessed Syria, Babylon, Media, and the neighboring countries. This was the king of the north, for his dominions lay north of Judea.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And the king of the south - The angel here leaves the general history of the empire, and confines himself, in his predictions, to two parts of it - the kingdom of the south, and the kingdom of the north; or the kingdoms to the north and the south of Palestine - that of Syria and that of Egypt; or that of the Seleucidae, and that of the Ptolemies. The reason why he does this is not stated, but it is, doubtless, because the events pertaining to these…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5The first king of the south was Ptolemy I Soter, who ruled from 323 to 285 BC. One of his officials, Seleucus I Nicator, took control of Syria and ruled from 321 to 281 BC. Both were military commanders under Alexander the Great. At first, the Ptolemies controlled Palestine from 320 to 198 BC.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Here the prophet leaves Asia and Greece and takes up Egypt and Syria, these being in continual conflict under Alexander's successors, entailing misery on Judea, which lay between the two. Holy Scripture handles external history only so far as it is connected with God's people, Israel [Jerome]. Tregelles puts a chasm between the fourth and fifth verses, making the transition to the final Antichrist here, answering to the chasm (in his view) at Da 8:22…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Daniel 11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries