Daniel 11:23
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. | After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully; for he will rise to power with only a few people. | And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully; for he shall come up, and shall become strong, with a small people. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedDaniel 11 traces a line of kings of the north and the south. In verse 21 a 'vile person' takes the kingdom 'by flatteries.' Verse 23 adds that after making a league he breaks faith, and he grows strong though he starts with only a few people. Daniel 11:21Daniel 11:22Daniel 11:23Daniel 11:24
SpeakingThe speaker talks as 'I' and says, 'in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.' The chapter does not name him. Daniel 11:1Daniel 11:2
ToDaniel, who is told 'now will I shew thee the truth' in this vision of the kings of the north and the south. Daniel 11:2Daniel overview
Also involvedThe 'vile person' of verse 21 and those who make a league with him. The text does not name this king. God's people are affected too, because his heart turns 'against the holy covenant.' Daniel 11:21Daniel 11:23Daniel 11:28Daniel 11:30
The verse foretells broken faith. A ruler joins in an alliance, then acts with deceit, and rises to power from a small base. Daniel 8:25 describes a ruler in a similar way: he makes 'craft to prosper' and 'by peace shall destroy many.' Daniel 11:23Strong's H2266Strong's H4820Strong's H4592Daniel 8:25
Daniel was living in Babylon, where he served under Babylonian and then Persian kings. The events foretold take place between the kingdoms of the north and the south, and they reach Egypt and 'the glorious land.' Daniel overviewDaniel 11:8Daniel 11:16Daniel 11:41
The eventsDaniel received this vision in the third year of Cyrus, about 536 BC. It looks ahead to later kings, and the chapter moves on toward 'the time of the end.' Daniel overviewDaniel 11:35Daniel 11:40
WrittenTraditional view: Daniel wrote the book in the 500s BC. Scholarly view: many critical scholars date its final form to about 167-164 BC, under the Greek king Antiochus IV, because chapter 11 describes those years in detail. Others keep the 500s BC date, citing Jesus' words in Matthew 24:15. Daniel overview
HereThe verse shows God telling ahead of time how this ruler would gain power through lies. His success is limited: he plots 'even for a time,' and 'the end shall be at the time appointed.' Daniel 11:23Daniel 11:24Daniel 11:27
In the whole of ScriptureThe book shows that 'the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men.' Even a treacherous king works only within limits God has set. The chapter closes with a king who 'shall come to his end, and none shall help him.' Daniel overviewDaniel 11:36Daniel 11:45
For readersScripture condemns breaking faith. Proverbs 11:18 says 'the wicked worketh a deceitful work,' and in Ezekiel 17:19 God says he will repay a broken covenant. Faithful readers can be warned without being shaken, because 'the people that do know their God shall be strong.' Proverbs 11:18Ezekiel 17:13Ezekiel 17:19Daniel 11:32
- leagueחָבַר
The word means to unite or join, and in this form 'to join oneself to, make an alliance.' The deceit in this verse comes after this joining, so it is a betrayal of an agreement. Strong's H2266Daniel 11:23
- deceitfullyמִרְמָה
Defined as 'deceit, treachery.' It names how he acts, and it fits his rise 'by flatteries' in verse 21. Strong's H4820Daniel 11:21
- smallמְעַט
It means 'littleness, few.' He grows strong though his people are few, and the verse ties his rise to deceit, much as Daniel 8:25 speaks of 'craft' prospering in a ruler's hand. Strong's H4592Daniel 11:23Daniel 8:25
Takeaway
This verse foretells a ruler who wins power by joining an alliance and then betraying it. Scripture condemns that kind of deceit, and the chapter shows that God limits how long such a ruler lasts. Daniel 11:23Daniel 11:27Daniel 11:45Proverbs 11:18
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 from when | וּמִן־ | u-min- | H4480A | fromמִן־ (min) prep 1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than 1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of 1b) out of 1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling) 1b2) (of material from which something is made) 1b3) (of source or origin) 1c) out of, some of, from (partitively) 1d) from, since, after (of time) 1e) than, more than (in comparison) 1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or 1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons) 1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive) conj 2) that … |
| made an alliance | הִֽתְחַבְּר֥וּת | hit-cha-be-RUT | H2266 | to uniteחָבַר (cha.var) 1) to unite, join, bind together, be joined, be coupled, be in league, heap up, have fellowship with, be compact, be a charmer 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to unite, be joined 1a2) to tie magic charms, charm 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to unite with, make an ally of 1b2) to unite, join, ally 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to be allied with, be united 1c2) to be joined together 1d) (Hiphil) to join together, pile up (words) 1e) (Hithpael) to join oneself to, make an alliance, league together |
| with him | אֵלָ֖יו | 'e-LAV | H0413 | to(wards)אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to) |
| he will act | יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה | ya-'a-SEH | 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 |
| deceit | מִרְמָ֑ה | mir-MAH | H4820 | deceitמִרְמָה (mir.mah) deceit, treachery |
| and he will rise | וְעָלָ֥ה | ve-'a-LAH | H5927G | to ascend: riseעָלָה (a.lah) : rise/go 1) to go up, ascend, climb 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go up, ascend 1a2) to meet, visit, follow, depart, withdraw, retreat 1a3) to go up, come up (of animals) 1a4) to spring up, grow, shoot forth (of vegetation) 1a5) to go up, go up over, rise (of natural phenomenon) 1a6) to come up (before God) 1a7) to go up, go up over, extend (of boundary) 1a8) to excel, be superior to 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away 1b2) to take oneself away 1b3) to be exalted 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to bring up, cause to ascend or climb, cause to go up 1c2) to bring up, bring against, take away … |
| and he will become mighty | וְעָצַ֖ם | ve-'a-TZAM | H6105A | be vastעָצֹם (a.tsom) 1) to be vast, be numerous, be mighty 1a)(Qal) 1a1) to be mighty 1a2) to be numerous 1b) (Hiphil) to make strong, make mighty |
| with fewness of | בִּמְעַט־ | bim-'at- | H4592 | littleמְעַט (me.at) 1) littleness, few, a little, fewness 1a) little, small, littleness, fewness, too little, yet a little 1b) like a little, within a little, almost, just, hardly, shortly, little worth |
| a nation | גּֽוֹי׃ | Goy | H1471A | nationגּוֹי (goy) 1) nation, people 1a) nation, people 1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people 1a2) of descendants of Abraham 1a3) of Israel 1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.) |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.