Daniel 11:2

11:2 Now I will tell you the truth.

The Angel Gives a Message to Daniel

“Three ¹  more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth ²  king will be unusually rich, ³  more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against ⁴  the kingdom of Greece.

Daniel 12:1

12:1 “At that time Michael,

the great prince who watches over your people, ⁵ 

will arise. ⁶ 

There will be a time of distress

unlike any other from the nation’s beginning ⁷ 

up to that time.

But at that time your own people,

all those whose names are ⁸  found written in the book,

will escape.

[11:2]  ¹ sn Perhaps these three more kings are Cambyses (ca. 530-522 B.C.), Pseudo-Smerdis (ca. 522 B.C.), and Darius I Hystaspes (ca. 522-486 B.C.).

[11:2]  ² sn This fourth king is Xerxes I (ca. 486-465 B.C.). The following reference to one of his chiefs apparently has in view Seleucus Nicator.

[11:2]  ³ tn Heb “rich with great riches.”

[11:2]  ⁴ tn The text is difficult. The Hebrew has here אֶת (’et), the marker of a definite direct object. As it stands, this would suggest the meaning that “he will arouse everyone, that is, the kingdom of Greece.” The context, however, seems to suggest the idea that this Persian king will arouse in hostility against Greece the constituent elements of his own empire. This requires supplying the word “against,” which is not actually present in the Hebrew text.

[12:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “stands over the sons of your people.”

[12:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “will stand up.”

[12:1]  ⁷ tn Or “from the beginning of a nation.”

[12:1]  ⁸ tn The words “whose names are” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.