Daniel 11:17
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him. | He will resolve to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and will reach an agreement with the king of the South. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plan will not succeed or help him. | And he shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable conditions; and he shall perform them: and he shall give him the daughter of women, to corrupt her; but she shall not stand, neither be for him. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedThe vision follows the long struggle between the king of the north and the king of the south. After standing in the glorious land (11:16), the northern king sets his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom. He gives "the daughter of women, corrupting her," but she "shall not stand on his side, neither be for him," and he soon turns elsewhere (11:18). Daniel 11:15Daniel 11:16Daniel 11:17Daniel 11:18
SpeakingThe speaker is the unnamed "I" who stood to confirm and strengthen Darius the Mede (11:1). He now shows Daniel "the truth" about kings to come (11:2). The cited verses do not name him. Daniel 11:1Daniel 11:2
ToDaniel receives the vision. The book is for God's people in exile and after, and is sealed "to the time of the end." Daniel overview
Also involvedThe king of the north, "he that cometh against him" (11:16), the one to whom the woman is given, and the woman herself. The text does not name either king or the woman. Daniel 11:16Daniel 11:17
The northern king sets out to come with the full strength of his kingdom and brings "upright ones" with him. He gives "the daughter of women, corrupting her," but she "shall not stand on his side, neither be for him." This echoes 11:6, where an earlier king's daughter came to make an agreement, and that alliance also failed. Daniel 11:17Daniel 11:6Strong's H1323G
The contest runs between the northern kingdom and the southern one, which the chapter links with Egypt (11:8, 11:42). Just before this the northern king stands in "the glorious land" (11:16). Daniel received the vision while serving under Persian rule, in the third year of Cyrus. Daniel 11:8Daniel 11:16Daniel 11:42South 3Daniel overview
The eventsIn the vision these events come after the kingdom of Grecia is broken and divided (11:2-4). They fall within the run of northern and southern kings, before the "raiser of taxes" (11:20) and the "vile person" (11:21). Daniel 11:2Daniel 11:4Daniel 11:20Daniel 11:21
WrittenTraditional: written by Daniel in the 500s BC, and the vision is dated to the third year of Cyrus, about 536 BC. Scholarly: many critical scholars date the final form to about 167-164 BC, under Antiochus IV, because chapter 11 is so detailed. Others keep the traditional date and point to Matthew 24:15. Daniel overview
HereThe verse shows a king's arrangement not holding: the woman he gives "shall not stand on his side, neither be for him." This fits the chapter's pattern, where plots "shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed" (11:27). It agrees with Proverbs 19:21: many devices are in a man's heart, but "the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand." Daniel 11:17Daniel 11:27Proverbs 19:21
In the whole of ScriptureDaniel teaches that God sets up and removes kings (2:21) and that "the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men" (4:17). This king comes with all his strength, yet soon after he "shall stumble and fall, and not be found" (11:19). Daniel overviewDaniel 11:17Daniel 11:19
For readersPowerful people may plan with all their strength and still fail, because their schemes are not the last word. God's people can trust the God who is for them (Psalms 56:9), even when rulers scheme around them. Daniel 11:17Proverbs 19:21Psalms 56:9
Christians read this differently
The verse does not say plainly who or what is ruined, or whose side is meant. The Hebrew behind "corrupting her" is glossed "to destroy it"; some read it as the king's aim to ruin the kingdom of the one who receives her, others as the woman herself being corrupted or used. "His side" may mean the king who gives her or the one who receives her. Readers also differ on which historical kings the verse describes, since no cited Scripture names them. Strong's H7843Daniel 11:17
- faceפָּנֶה
To "set his face" means to fix a purpose and head toward it, as when Hazael "set his face to go up to Jerusalem" (2 Kings 12:17). The same king turns his face again in 11:18-19, and he ends by stumbling and falling. Strong's H6440H2 Kings 12:17Daniel 11:18Daniel 11:19
- upright onesיָשָׁר
The word means straight, right, fitting, or upright. Here it is glossed "upright [things]," so the Hebrew does not require it to mean people. Strong's H3477G
- corruptingשָׁחַת
The word means to destroy, ruin, or corrupt, and here it is glossed "to destroy it." It ties the giving of the woman to ruin, though the verse does not plainly say whose ruin. Strong's H7843Daniel 11:17
- standעָמַד
The word means to stand, endure, or hold one's ground. Kings repeatedly "stand up" in this chapter (11:2, 11:3, 11:7), but this woman "shall not stand on his side." The verse does not say whether "his" is the king who gives her or the one who receives her. Strong's H5975GDaniel 11:2Daniel 11:3Daniel 11:7Daniel 11:17
Takeaway
Daniel 11:17 describes a northern king who comes with all his strength and gives "the daughter of women," but she "shall not stand on his side, neither be for him." It belongs to a prophecy about warring kings whose plots do not prosper. It shows that human schemes fail while the counsel of the LORD stands. Daniel 11:17Daniel 11:27Proverbs 19:21Daniel overview
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 he will set | וְיָשֵׂ֣ם׀ | ve-ya-SEM | H7760A | to set: makeשׂוּם (sum) : make/establish 1) to put, place, set, appoint, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on 1a2) to set, direct, direct toward 1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig) 1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix 1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix 1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give 1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign 1c) (Hophal) to be set |
| face his | פָּ֠נָיו | PA-nav | H6440H | face: beforeפָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of |
| to come | לָב֞וֹא | la-VO' | H0935G | to come (in): comeבּוֹא (bo) : come/go_in 1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to enter, come in 1a2) to come 1a2a) to come with 1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy) 1a2c) to come to pass 1a3) to attain to 1a4) to be enumerated 1a5) to go 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to lead in 1b2) to carry in 1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon 1b4) to bring to pass 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought, brought in 1c2) to be introduced, be put |
| with [the] power of | בְּתֹ֧קֶף | be-TO-kef | H8633 | mightתְּקָף (ti.qaph) strength, might Aramaic of to.qeph (תֹּ֫קֶף "power" H8633) |
| all | כָּל־ | kol- | H3605 | allכֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606) |
| kingdom his | מַלְכוּת֛וֹ | mal-khu-TO | H4438 | kingdomמַלְכוּ (mal.khu) 1) royalty, reign, kingdom 1a) royalty, kingship, kingly authority 1b) kingdom 1c) realm (of territory) 1d) reign (of time) |
| and upright [things] | וִישָׁרִ֥ים | vi-sha-RIM | H3477G | uprightיָשָׁר (ya.shar) 1) straight, upright, correct, right 1a) straight, level 1b) right, pleasing, correct 1c) straightforward, just, upright, fitting, proper 1d) uprightness, righteous, upright 1e) that which is upright (subst) Also means: ya.shar (יָשָׁר "upright" H3477I) |
| with him | עִמּ֖וֹ | i-MO | H5973A | withעִם (im) 1) with 1a) with 1b) against 1c) toward 1d) as long as |
| and he will do | וְעָשָׂ֑ה | ve-'a-SAH | H6213A | to make: doעָשָׂה (a.sah) : do/perform 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made |
| and [the] daughter of | וּבַ֤ת | u-VAT | H1323G | daughterבַּת (bat) : daughter 1) daughter 1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin 1a1) as polite address 1a2) as designation of women of a particular place 2) young women, women 1a3) as personification 1a4) daughter-villages 1a5) description of character Also means: bat (בַּת ": village" H1323H) |
| the women | הַנָּשִׁים֙ | ha-na-SHIM | H0802G | womanאִשָּׁה (ish.shah) : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun) |
| he will give | יִתֶּן־ | yi-ten- | H5414O | to give: giveנָתַן (na.tan) : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted … |
| to destroy it | לְהַשְׁחִיתָ֔הּ | le-hash-chi-TAH | H7843 | to ruinשָׁחַת (sha.chat) 1) to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay 1a) (Niphal) to be marred, be spoiled, be corrupted, be corrupt, be injured, be ruined, be rotted 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to spoil, ruin 1b2) to pervert, corrupt, deal corruptly (morally) 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to spoil, ruin, destroy 1c2) to pervert, corrupt (morally) 1c3) destroyer (participle) 1d) (Hophal) spoiled, ruined (participle) Aramaic equivalent: she.chat (שְׁחַת "to corrupt" H7844) |
| 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) |
| it will stand | תַעֲמֹ֖ד | ta-'a-MOD | H5975G | to stand: standעָמַד (a.mad) : stand/stop/establish 1) to stand, remain, endure, take one's stand 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to stand, take one's stand, be in a standing attitude, stand forth, take a stand, present oneself, attend upon, be or become servant of 1a2) to stand still, stop (moving or doing), cease 1a3) to tarry, delay, remain, continue, abide, endure, persist, be steadfast 1a4) to make a stand, hold one's ground 1a5) to stand upright, remain standing, stand up, rise, be erect, be upright 1a6) to arise, appear, come on the scene, stand forth, appear, rise up or against … |
| and not | וְלֹא־ | 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) |
| it will happen | תִהְיֶֽה׃ | tih-YEH | H1961 | to beהָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) … |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.