Daniel 11:12
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it. | When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be proud in heart and will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not triumph. | And the multitude shall be lifted up, and his heart shall be exalted; and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedThe king of the south has just defeated the great army of the king of the north (11:11). This verse says his victory makes him proud and he kills many tens of thousands, yet he does not stay strong. The next verse explains why: the king of the north returns with an even larger army (11:13). Daniel 11:11Daniel 11:12Daniel 11:13
SpeakingThe one speaking to Daniel in the first person in this vision. He says that in the first year of Darius the Mede he stood to confirm and strengthen him. Daniel 11:1Daniel 11:2
ToDaniel, to whom the speaker says, "now will I shew thee the truth." Daniel 11:2Daniel overview
Also involvedThe king of the south, whose heart is lifted up, and the multitude of the king of the north that is given into his hand. The text does not name either king. Daniel 11:11Daniel 11:12
A king wins a great battle and slaughters "many ten thousands," but his pride turns the win into no lasting gain. He "shall not be strengthened by it," because his enemy comes back stronger. Daniel 11:12Daniel 11:13Strong's H7239Strong's H5810
The verse does not name the battlefield. The king of the south is tied to Egypt, where an earlier king of the south carried captives before returning to his own land. Daniel 11:8Daniel 11:9Daniel 11:12
The eventsThese are future events from Daniel's point of view. The vision was given in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, about 536 BC, and it traces kings after the Persian kings and the breakup of the mighty king's realm. Daniel overviewDaniel 11:2Daniel 11:3Daniel 11:4
WrittenTraditional: written by Daniel in the 500s BC. Scholarly: many critical scholars date the book's final form to about 167-164 BC, under Antiochus IV, because chapter 11 describes those years in detail. Others keep the 500s BC date, pointing to Matthew 24:15. Daniel overview
HereThe verse shows that a victory won in pride does not secure a king. His win is soon undone when the king of the north returns with a greater army. Daniel 11:12Daniel 11:13
In the whole of ScriptureDaniel shows that "the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men" and sets up and removes kings. In chapter 11 kings rise and fall in turn, while "that that is determined shall be done." Daniel overviewDaniel 11:36Daniel 11:27
For readersScripture repeats the same pattern: "Pride goeth before destruction" (Proverbs 16:18), and "God resisteth the proud" (1 Peter 5:5). In Acts 12:22-23 a ruler hailed with "the voice of a god" was struck down because "he gave not God the glory." Proverbs 16:181 Peter 5:5Acts 12:22Acts 12:23
- lifted upרוּם
The word means to rise, be high or be exalted. Here the king's heart is raised up, which describes pride. Daniel uses the same idea for Belshazzar, who "lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven" (5:23), and for a king who "shall magnify himself in his heart" (8:25). Strong's H7311ADaniel 5:23Daniel 8:25
- heartלֵבָב
The word means the inner man: mind, will and moral character. The king's pride starts within him, as in Isaiah 10:7, where it is "in his heart to destroy." Strong's H3824Isaiah 10:7
- strengthenedעָזַז
The word means to be strong or to prevail, and the gloss here is "he will prevail." The verse is saying that his great slaughter does not let him win in the end, as 11:13 shows. Strong's H5810Daniel 11:13
- multitudeהָמוֹן
The word means a crowd or great number, and can also mean tumult or abundance. It ties this verse to the "great multitude" of 11:11 and the "multitude greater than the former" of 11:13. Strong's H1995ADaniel 11:11Daniel 11:13
Takeaway
A great win that fills the heart with pride does not make a person secure. In Daniel it is God, not military success, who decides how long a king stands. Daniel 11:12Daniel 11:13Daniel overviewProverbs 16:18
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
The world around the text
About 605-536 BC. King of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC). Where Daniel lived and served for about seventy years. The capital of the Babylonian empire, on the Euphrates south of modern Baghdad, in the land the Bible calls Shinar and Chaldea.
Who ruled
- King of BabylonNebuchadnezzar605-562 BC
The king who besieged Jerusalem, carried Daniel and the temple vessels to Babylon, and later destroyed the city and temple. His own building inscriptions boast of the Babylon he built. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 24:12 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 25:1Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- Last king of Babylon, and his son who ruled in his placeNabonidus and Belshazzar556-539 BC
Nabonidus spent about ten years at the oasis of Tema in Arabia and left his son Belshazzar to rule in Babylon. That is why Belshazzar could only offer Daniel the place of "third ruler in the kingdom": he was himself second. Daniel 5:1Daniel 5:7Daniel 5:29Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Verse Account of Nabonidus
- Received the kingdom after Babylon fellDarius the MedianFrom 539 BC
Daniel says he "took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old" and set 120 princes over it. Records outside the Bible do not name him; he has been identified with Gubaru, the governor Cyrus set over Babylon, or with Cyrus himself. Daniel 5:31Daniel 6:1Daniel 9:1Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)
- King of PersiaCyrus559-530 BC
He united the Medes and Persians, took Babylon in 539 BC, and let the exiles go home to rebuild the temple, as Isaiah had named him beforehand. Daniel 1:21Daniel 6:28Daniel 10:1Ezra 1:1-4Isaiah 44:28-45:1Cyrus Cylinder
- King of JudahJehoiakim609-598 BC
Judah's king when Daniel was taken. Jeremiah warned him and his people that the land would serve Babylon seventy years. Daniel 1:1-22 Kings 23:36-24:6Jeremiah 25:1-11
What was happening, 612 BC to 167 BC
- 612 BCWarNineveh falls
Babylon and the Medes destroyed Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, as Nahum and Zephaniah had foretold. Babylon became the great power of the region. Nahum 3:7Zephaniah 2:13Fall of Nineveh Chronicle (ABC 3)
- 605 BCWarBattle of Carchemish
Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho of Egypt at Carchemish on the Euphrates, in Jehoiakim's fourth year. The same year he came against Jerusalem and took the first captives, Daniel among them. Jeremiah 46:2Daniel 1:1-4Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- 597 BCWarJerusalem surrenders
Nebuchadnezzar took King Jehoiachin, his nobles and craftsmen to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel went into exile with them. 2 Kings 24:10-17Ezekiel 1:2Babylonian Chronicles (ABC 5)
- 586 BCWarJerusalem and the temple destroyed
Babylon's army burned the temple and the city and broke down its walls. Daniel later prays over "the desolations of Jerusalem" and asks God to shine on his "sanctuary that is desolate." 2 Kings 25:8-10Jeremiah 52:12-14Daniel 9:2Daniel 9:17
- c. 575 BCBuildingBabylon rebuilt in splendor
Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon with great walls, palaces and the blue-glazed Ishtar Gate, and his inscriptions praise his own work. Compare his boast: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?" Daniel 4:30Nebuchadnezzar's East India House InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 1.178-183
- 562 BCRulersNebuchadnezzar dies
His son Evil-merodach became king and released Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. 2 Kings 25:27-30Jeremiah 52:31-34
- c. 553-543 BCRulersNabonidus leaves Babylon to Belshazzar
King Nabonidus stayed at Tema in Arabia for about ten years, and the yearly New Year festival in Babylon was not held. Belshazzar governed in Babylon. Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Daniel 5:1Daniel 7:1
- 550 BCWarCyrus unites the Medes and Persians
Cyrus of Persia defeated Astyages king of the Medes, joining the two peoples in one kingdom. Daniel's vision names the ram's two horns as "the kings of Media and Persia," the higher coming up last. Daniel 8:3Daniel 8:20Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.127-130
- October 539 BCWarBabylon falls to Cyrus
Cyrus's army entered Babylon without a long siege. Herodotus says the people were feasting when the city was taken. Daniel records that "in that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain." Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Herodotus, Histories 1.191Cyrus Cylinder
- 538 BCGod's peopleCyrus lets the exiles return
In his first year over Babylon, Cyrus proclaimed that the Jews could go back and build the LORD's house in Jerusalem. Daniel "continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus." Ezra 1:1-42 Chronicles 36:22-23Daniel 1:21Cyrus Cylinder
- c. 536 BCGod's peopleThe temple's foundation is laid
The returned exiles rebuilt the altar and laid the foundation of the temple. In the third year of Cyrus, Daniel was still in the east, mourning and praying. Ezra 3:1-11Daniel 10:1-3
- 334-331 BCWarAlexander the Great conquers Persia
Alexander of Macedon crossed into Asia and overthrew the Persian empire within four years. Daniel 8:21 names the rough goat as "the king of Grecia" and its great horn as "the first king." Daniel 8:5-8Daniel 8:21Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 1-3
- 323-301 BCWarAlexander's empire is divided
Alexander died young, and after twenty years of war his generals divided his empire, chiefly into four kingdoms. Daniel 8:22 says "four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." Daniel 8:8Daniel 8:22Daniel 11:4Diodorus Siculus, Library 18-20Plutarch, Demetrius 28-30
- 167 BCWarAntiochus IV defiles the temple
The Greek king Antiochus IV banned Jewish worship and set up a pagan altar on the altar of burnt offering. 1 Maccabees calls it "the abomination of desolation." Two centuries later Jesus spoke of "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" as still to come. 1 Maccabees 1:54-59Josephus, Antiquities 12.5.4Matthew 24:15
The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records of these years (the Babylonian Chronicles, the Cyrus Cylinder, Nebuchadnezzar's inscriptions) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Diodorus, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.
Original Hebrew words
| English | Hebrew | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and it will be carried off | וְנִשָּׂ֥א | ve-ni-SA' | H5375G | to exaltמִתְנַשֵּׂא (mit.nas.se) (Hithpael) one who exalts himself A grammatical form of na.sa (נָשָׂא ": raise" H5375) |
| the multitude | הֶהָמ֖וֹן | he-ha-MON | H1995A | crowdהָמוֹן (ha.mon) 1) murmur, roar, crowd, abundance, tumult, sound 1a) sound, murmur, rush, roar 1b) tumult, confusion 1c) crowd, multitude 1d) great number, abundance 1e) abundance, wealth |
| and it will be lifted up | וְרָ֣ם | ve-RUM | H7311A | to exaltרוּם (rum) 1) to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be high, be set on high 1a2) to be raised, be uplifted, be exalted 1a3) to be lifted, rise 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to raise or rear (children), cause to grow up 1b2) to lift up, raise, exalt 1b3) to exalt, extol 1c) (Polal) to be lifted up 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to raise, lift, lift up, take up, set up, erect, exalt, set on high 1d2) to lift up (and take away), remove 1d3) to lift off and present, contribute, offer, contribute 1e) (Hophal) to be taken off, be abolished 1f) (Hithpolel) to exalt oneself, magnify oneself … |
| heart his | לְבָב֑וֹ | le-va-VO | H3824 | heartלֵבָב (le.vav) 1) inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding 1a) inner part, midst 1a1) midst (of things) 1a2) heart (of man) 1a3) soul, heart (of man) 1a4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory 1a5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will) 1a6) conscience 1a7) heart (of moral character) 1a8) as seat of appetites 1a9) as seat of emotions and passions 1a10) as seat of courage Aramaic equivalent: le.vav (לְבַב "heart" H3825) |
| and he will make fall | וְהִפִּ֛יל | ve-hi-PIL | H5307G | to fall: fallנָפַל (na.phal) : fall/drop/fail 1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to fall 1a2) to fall (of violent death) 1a3) to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before 1a4) to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of 1a5) to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result 1a6) to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to 1a7) to lie, lie prostrate 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate 1b2) to overthrow 1b3) to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot 1b4) to let drop, cause to fail (fig.) 1b5) to cause to fall … |
| tens of thousands | רִבֹּא֖וֹת | ri-bo-'ot | H7239 | ten thousandרִבּוֹ (rib.bo) ten thousand, myriad Aramaic equivalent: rib.bo (רִבּוֹ "myriad" H7240) |
| and not | וְלֹ֥א | ve-LO' | H3808 | notלֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809) |
| he will prevail | יָעֽוֹז׃ | ya-'oz | H5810 | be strongעָזַז (a.zaz) 1) to be strong 1a) (Qal) to be strong, prevail 1b) (Hiphil) to make firm, strengthen |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.