Daniel 11:44
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. | But news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will go out with great fury to destroy many and devote them to destruction. | But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; and he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedDaniel 11:44 comes near the end of a long vision about wars between the king of the north and the king of the south. At "the time of the end" a king sweeps into the glorious land and Egypt, but news from the east and north troubles him and sends him out in fury to destroy many. The next verse says he will "come to his end, and none shall help him." Daniel 11:40Daniel 11:41Daniel 11:42Daniel 11:43Daniel 11:44Daniel 11:45
SpeakingThe one speaking to Daniel in the vision of chapters 10-11. He says, "I in the first year of Darius the Mede... stood to confirm and to strengthen him," and "now will I shew thee the truth." Daniel 11:1Daniel 11:2Daniel overview
ToDaniel, who records these later visions in the first person. The book is written for God's people in exile and after it. Daniel overview
Also involvedThe conquering king of verses 40-45, who is troubled by the news, and the "many" he sets out to destroy. Daniel 11:40Daniel 11:44Daniel 11:45
At the height of his power, with Egypt's treasures in his hand and the Libyans and Ethiopians at his steps, the king hears reports from the east and north that trouble him. He responds with great fury. He goes out to destroy and utterly make away many. Daniel 11:42Daniel 11:43Daniel 11:44
The king has entered the glorious land and Egypt, with the Libyans and Ethiopians at his steps. The troubling reports come from the east and the north. He then plants "the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain." Daniel 11:41Daniel 11:42Daniel 11:43Daniel 11:44Daniel 11:45
The eventsThe passage sets these events "at the time of the end" (11:40). They follow the account of a king who exalts himself above every god and prospers "till the indignation be accomplished." Daniel 11:36Daniel 11:40
WrittenTraditional: written by Daniel in the 500s BC; the book's events run to the third year of Cyrus, about 536 BC (10:1). 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. Daniel overview
HereThe verse shows that even this conquering king is troubled by news out of the east and the north. For all his fury, the next verse says, "yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." The chapter has already said that "that that is determined shall be done." Daniel 11:44Daniel 11:45Daniel 11:36
In the whole of ScriptureDaniel shows that "the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men." God sets up and removes kings, and his own kingdom "shall never be destroyed." In chapter 11, the end comes "at the time appointed." Daniel overviewDaniel 11:27Daniel 11:35
For readersHowever strong violent rulers seem, their end is sure, and none can help them. Meanwhile "the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." Daniel 11:32Daniel 11:45
Christians read this differently
The text does not name this king. Some read verses 40-45 as still describing the king traced from the "vile person" of verse 21 through the king who exalts himself above every god. Others read them as a future ruler at the time of the end, linking him to the beast of Revelation, whose allied kings gather for war, and to "the kings of the east" in Revelation 16:12. Still others see the earlier king as a pattern of that final ruler. Daniel 11:21Daniel 11:36Daniel 11:40Revelation 16:12Revelation 17:13Revelation 19:19
- tidingsשְׁמוּעָה
The word means report, news or rumour. What troubles the king is news that reaches him. Strong's H8052Daniel 11:44
- troubleבְּהִילוּ
The lexicon gives "they will dismay him" here. The conqueror who has power over Egypt's treasures is dismayed. Strong's H0926Daniel 11:43
- utterly to make awayחָרַם
The word means to ban, devote to destruction or completely destroy. It shows his aim is the complete destruction of many. Strong's H2763ADaniel 11:44
Takeaway
The mightiest ruler in this vision is troubled by news and answers with fury, yet he "shall come to his end, and none shall help him." Daniel teaches that God, not violent kings, rules over how history ends. Daniel 11:44Daniel 11:45Daniel 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 reports | וּשְׁמֻע֣וֹת | u-she-mu-'ot | H8052 | tidingsשְׁמוּעָה (she.mu.ah) 1) report, news, rumour 1a) report, news, tidings 1b) mention |
| they will dismay him | יְבַהֲלֻ֔הוּ | ye-va-ha-LU-hu | H0926 | hastelyבְּהִילוּ (be.hi.lu) haste, hastily Aramaic of ba.hal (בָּהַל "to dismay" H0926) |
| from [the] east | מִמִּזְרָ֖ח | mi-miz-RACH | H4217H | eastמִזְרָח (miz.rach) 1) place of sunrise, east 1a) sunrise, east (with 'sun') 1b) the east (without 'sun') 1b1) to or toward the place of sunrise 1b2) to the east, eastward |
| and from [the] north | וּמִצָּפ֑וֹן | u-mi-tza-FON | H6828G | northצָפוֹן (tsa.phon) 1) north (of direction), northward 1a) north 1b) northward |
| and he will go out | וְיָצָא֙ | ve-ya-TZA' | H3318G | to come out: comeיָצָא (ya.tsa) : come/go_out/escape 1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart 1a2) to go forth (to a place) 1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something) 1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result) 1a5) to come out of 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out 1b2) to bring out of 1b3) to lead out 1b4) to deliver 1c) (Hophal) to be brought out or forth |
| in rage | בְּחֵמָ֣א | be-che-MA' | H2534 | rageחֱמָא (che.ma) anger, rage Aramaic of che.mah (חֵמָה "rage" H2534) |
| great | גְדֹלָ֔ה | ge-do-LAH | H1419A | great: largeגָּדוֹל (ga.dol) adj 1) great 1a) large (in magnitude and extent) 1b) in number 1c) in intensity 1d) loud (in sound) 1e) older (in age) 1f) in importance 1f1) important things 1f2) great, distinguished (of men) 1f3) God Himself (of God) subst 1g) great things 1h) haughty things 1i) greatness Also means: ga.dol (גָּדוֹל ": old" H1419K) § Haggedolim = "the great one" (CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel |
| to destroy | לְהַשְׁמִ֥יד | le-hash-MID | H8045 | to destroyשָׁמַד (sha.mad) 1) to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated 1a) (Niphal) 1a1) to be annihilated, be exterminated 1a2) to be destroyed, be devastated 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to annihilate, exterminate 1b2) to destroy Aramaic equivalent: she.mad (שְׁמַד "to destroy" H8046) |
| and to totally destroy | וּֽלְהַחֲרִ֖ים | u-le-ha-cha-RIM | H2763A | to devote/destroyחָרַם (cha.ram) 1) to ban, devote, destroy utterly, completely destroy, dedicate for destruction, exterminate 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to prohibit (for common use), ban 1a2) to consecrate, devote, dedicate for destruction 1a3) to exterminate, completely destroy 1b) (Hophal) 1b1) to be put under the ban, be devoted to destruction 1b2) to be devoted, be forfeited 1b3) to be completely destroyed |
| many [people] | 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.