Daniel 11:26
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. | Those who eat from his provisions will seek to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain. | Yea, they that eat of his dainties shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow; and many shall fall down slain. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedDaniel 11 describes wars between a king of the north and a king of the south. Here the king of the south marches out with a very great army, but he does not stand, because plots are laid against him. The men who eat of his royal food destroy him, "his army shall overflow," and many fall down slain. Daniel 11:25Daniel 11:26Daniel 11:27
SpeakingThe heavenly messenger who says he stood to strengthen Darius the Mede, now showing Daniel "the truth" of what is coming. Daniel 11:1Daniel 11:2
ToDaniel, who records these visions in the first person. The messenger speaks of "thy people," meaning Daniel's people. Daniel overviewDaniel 11:14
Also involvedThe king of the south and his army, betrayed by those who eat his food. The text does not name this king. Daniel 11:25Daniel 11:26
When the northern king attacks, the southern king is not brought down by battle alone. "They shall forecast devices against him," and those who feed on his royal portion destroy him. The verse adds that "his army shall overflow" and many fall slain. Daniel 11:25Daniel 11:26Strong's H6598Strong's H0398
The vision was given to Daniel, who served in Babylon. In the chapter the king of the south is tied to Egypt, where he carries captives and returns to his own land. Daniel overviewDaniel 11:8Daniel 11:9
The eventsThe events are foretold as still future. The vision came in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, about 536 BC, and the verse falls in a long line of kings after Persia and Grecia. Daniel overviewDaniel 11:2Daniel 11:3Daniel 11:4
WrittenTraditional: Daniel wrote in the 500s BC. Scholarly: many critical scholars date the final form to about 167-164 BC under Antiochus IV, because chapter 11 describes those years in detail, while others keep the 500s BC date. Daniel overview
HereThe verse shows how the southern king falls: by betrayal from within as well as by war. It sets up the next scene, where both kings speak lies at one table. Daniel 11:25Daniel 11:26Daniel 11:27
In the whole of ScriptureKings scheme, but "the end shall be at the time appointed." Daniel's book shows that the most High rules in the kingdom of men and sets up and removes kings. Daniel 11:27Daniel 11:35Daniel overview
For readersScripture often warns that betrayal can come from those who share one's bread. David says "mine own familiar friend... which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me," and Jesus names a betrayer "that dippeth with me in the dish." Psalms 41:9Mark 14:20Micah 7:5
- portion of his meatפַּת־בָּג
The word means the portion of food for a king, his delicacies. So the betrayers are men fed from the king's own provision, those close to him. Strong's H6598Daniel 11:26
- feedאָכַל
The word means to eat. Eating someone's bread marks closeness, which makes the betrayal worse, as in Psalm 41:9. Strong's H0398Psalms 41:9
- destroyשָׁבַר
The Hebrew here is "they will break him." The verb means to break, break in pieces, shatter, or crush. Strong's H7665
- overflowשָׁטַף
It means to overflow or engulf, like a flood. The chapter uses the picture of overflowing for armies again in 11:10 and 11:40. Strong's H7857Daniel 11:10Daniel 11:40
Takeaway
A king with a mighty army is undone by the men who eat his own food. Human power and plots cannot secure a throne, because God has appointed the end. Daniel 11:25Daniel 11:26Daniel 11:27Daniel 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 [those who] eat | וְאֹכְלֵ֧י | ve-'o-khe-LEI | H0398 | to eatאָכַל (a.khal) 1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to eat (human subject) 1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds) 1a3) to devour, consume (of fire) 1a4) to devour, slay (of sword) 1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought) 1a6) to devour (of oppression) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be eaten (by men) 1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire) 1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh) 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to cause to eat, feed with 1c2) to cause to devour 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to feed 1d2) to cause to eat 1e) (Piel) 1e1) consume Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399) |
| of deli- | פַת־ | fat- | H6598 | choiceפַּת־בָּג (pat.bag) portion of food for king, delicacies |
| -cacies his | בָּג֛וֹ | ba-GO | H6598 | choiceפַּת־בָּג (pat.bag) portion of food for king, delicacies |
| they will break him | יִשְׁבְּר֖וּהוּ | yish-be-RU-hu | H7665 | to breakשָׁבַר (sha.var) 1) to break, break in pieces 1a) (Qal) 1a1) break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench 1a2) to break, rupture (fig) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked 1b2) to be broken, be crushed (fig) 1c) (Piel) to shatter, break 1d) (Hiphil) to cause to break out, bring to the birth 1e) (Hophal) to be broken, be shattered Aramaic equivalent: te.var (תְּבַר "to break" H8406) |
| and army his | וְחֵיל֣וֹ | ve-chei-LO | H2428A | strength: soldiersחַ֫יִל (cha.yil) : soldiers/army 1) strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army 1a) strength 1b) ability, efficiency 1c) wealth 1d) force, army |
| it will overflow | יִשְׁט֑וֹף | yish-TOF | H7857 | to overflowשָׁטַף (sha.taph) 1) to wash, rinse, overflow, engulf, rinse or wash off 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to overflow 1a2) to flow, run 1a3) to rinse or wash off 1b) (Niphal) to be swept away, be rinsed out 1c) (Pual) to be rinsed, be scoured and rinsed |
| and they will fall | וְנָפְל֖וּ | ve-na-fe-LU | H5307J | 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 … |
| slain [ones] | חֲלָלִ֥ים | cha-la-LIM | H2491A | slain: killedחָלָל (cha.lal) : killed 1) slain, fatally wounded, pierced 1a) pierced, fatally wounded 1b) slain Also means: cha.lal (חָלָל ": wounded" H2491H) |
| many | רַבִּֽים׃ | ra-BIM | H7227A | manyרַב (rav) adj 1) much, many, great 1a) much 1b) many 1c) abounding in 1d) more numerous than 1e) abundant, enough 1f) great 1g) strong 1h) greater than adv 1i) much, exceedingly |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.