What is the meaning of Daniel 11:17? He will resolve to come with the strength of his whole kingdom • Daniel records a northern king mustering every available resource—exactly what Antiochus III (“the Great”) did after earlier skirmishes with Egypt. • He moved armies, allies, and finances to press a decisive campaign (cf. Daniel 8:9-11; 1 Maccabees 1:16-17). • Long before these events (c. 200 BC), God declared them, proving His rule over nations (Isaiah 46:9-10; 2 Chronicles 20:6). • For believers today, the verse reminds us that no earthly power stands outside God’s foreknowledge or control (Psalm 33:10-11). and will reach an agreement with the king of the South • After victory at Panium (200 BC), Antiochus offered peace to young Ptolemy V of Egypt (“the South”), appearing conciliatory while securing Syria and Palestine (Daniel 11:6 repeats the pattern). • Political compromises often mask deeper ambitions; Scripture warns that apparent peace can be deceptive (1 Thessalonians 5:3; Psalm 55:20-21). • Yet even treaties serve God’s timetable, positioning kingdoms exactly as He foretold (Proverbs 21:1). He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom • Antiochus sent his daughter Cleopatra I to marry Ptolemy, expecting her loyalty would give him influence in Alexandria. • The plan: create a Trojan-horse queen who would favor Syria’s interests, weakening Egypt from within (cf. Esther 2:17; 8:3-6 for another royal marriage affecting national destiny). • Though the scheme looked clever, it ignored Proverbs 19:21—“Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail”. but his plan will not succeed or help him • Cleopatra loved her husband and aligned with Egypt, thwarting her father’s hopes; later, Antiochus lost further wars and died in obscurity (Job 5:12; Psalm 33:10). • God’s word proved infallible: the prophecy specified failure centuries beforehand. • The outcome illustrates Daniel 2:21—He “removes kings and establishes them”—and reassures believers that hostile plots cannot overturn divine purposes (Romans 8:31). summary Daniel 11:17, fulfilled in the intrigues of Antiochus III and Cleopatra I, showcases God’s precise foreknowledge of political maneuvers. The verse moves from massive military resolve, through diplomatic treaty, to a calculated marriage alliance, and ends with the foretold collapse of human scheming. Every detail came to pass exactly as written, encouraging us to trust the God who directs history and whose word never fails. |
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