Daniel 11:3
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. | Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. | And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedAfter three more Persian kings and a fourth, rich one who stirs up all against Grecia, a mighty king will arise. He will rule a vast empire and do whatever he wants. But the next verse says his kingdom will be broken and split toward the four winds, not passed to his own heirs. Daniel 11:2Daniel 11:3Daniel 11:4
SpeakingThe one who speaks as "I" in Daniel's vision, who once stood to strengthen Darius the Mede. He is showing Daniel "the truth" about coming kings. Daniel 11:1Daniel 11:2Daniel overview
ToDaniel, who receives the vision and writes it in the first person. Daniel overviewDaniel 11:2
Also involvedThe mighty king who rises after the Persian kings who stir up all against Grecia. Daniel 8:21 likewise speaks of "the first king" of Grecia, the great horn of the goat. The sources do not give his personal name. Daniel 11:2Daniel 11:3Daniel 8:21
A prophecy that a strong king will rise, rule with great dominion, and act by his own will alone. The point is his sudden greatness, which is quickly followed by the breaking of his kingdom. Daniel 11:3Daniel 11:4
The prophecy moves from Persia to "the realm of Grecia." Daniel served in Babylon under Babylonian and then Persian kings; the sources do not say where he was when he received this vision. Daniel 11:2Daniel overview
The eventsThe king comes after three more kings in Persia and a fourth who stirs up all against Grecia. The speaker dates his own help to the first year of Darius the Mede. The book's events run to the third year of Cyrus king of Persia (10:1). Daniel 11:1Daniel 11:2Daniel overview
WrittenTraditional: written by Daniel in the 500s BC. Scholarly: many critical scholars date the final form to about 167-164 BC because chapter 11 is so detailed. Others keep the 500s BC date, citing Jesus in Matthew 24:15. Daniel overview
HereThe verse opens a long chain of kings, including the kings of the south and north, that leads to the time of the end. It shows even the mightiest ruler is only one link in a history God has already revealed. Daniel 11:4Daniel 11:5Daniel 11:40Daniel overview
In the whole of ScriptureDaniel teaches that God sets up and removes kings and will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. The phrase "do according to his will" is also used of the ram in 8:4, of "he that cometh against him" in 11:16, and of the king in 11:36, who prospers only "till the indignation be accomplished." For this mighty king, 11:4 says his kingdom shall be broken. Daniel overviewDaniel 8:4Daniel 11:16Daniel 11:36Daniel 11:4
For readersHuman power that seems unlimited is short and borrowed. The king in Daniel 5:19 also did as he pleased, but only by "the majesty that he gave him." God's people can stay faithful under any ruler. Daniel 5:19Daniel overview
- willרָצוֹן
The word means pleasure, desire, or self-will. It marks a ruler acting on his own wishes, the same phrase used of the ram (8:4) and the king of 11:36. Strong's H7522Daniel 8:4Daniel 11:36
- mightyגִּבּוֹר
It means strong or mighty, and is also used for a strong or brave man. This king's greatness rests on strength. Strong's H1368
- stand upעָמַד
It means to arise or come on the scene. The chapter repeatedly speaks of rulers who "stand up" one after another (11:2, 11:7, 11:20, 11:21), and 11:4 says that when this king stands up, his kingdom shall be broken. Strong's H5975IDaniel 11:2Daniel 11:4Daniel 11:7Daniel 11:20Daniel 11:21
Takeaway
The mightiest king does as he pleases, yet his kingdom breaks apart just as God foretold. Only God's kingdom lasts. Daniel 11:3Daniel 11:4Daniel 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 arise | וְעָמַ֖ד | ve-'a-MAD | H5975I | 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 … |
| a king | מֶ֣לֶךְ | ME-lekh | H4428G | kingמֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430) |
| mighty | גִּבּ֑וֹר | gi-BOR | H1368 | mighty manגִּבּוֹר (gib.bor) adj 1) strong, mighty n m 2) strong man, brave man, mighty man |
| and he will have dominion | וּמָשַׁל֙ | u-ma-SHAL | H4910 | to ruleמָשַׁל (ma.shal) 1) to rule, have dominion, reign 1a) (Qal) to rule, have dominion 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to rule 1b2) to exercise dominion |
| dominion | מִמְשָׁ֣ל | mi-SHAL | H4474 | dominionמִמְשָׁל (mim.shal) 1) dominion, ruler 1a) dominion 1b) ruler |
| great | רַ֔ב | Rav | 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 |
| and he will do | וְעָשָׂ֖ה | 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 |
| according to pleasure his | כִּרְצוֹנֽוֹ׃ | kir-tzo-NO | H7522 | acceptanceרָצוֹן (ra.tson) 1) pleasure, delight, favour, goodwill, acceptance, will 1a) goodwill, favour 1b) acceptance 1c) will, desire, pleasure, self-will |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.