What is the meaning of Daniel 11:26? Those who eat from his provisions “Those who eat from his provisions will seek to destroy him…” (Daniel 11:26) • The picture is of trusted courtiers—people invited to the royal table—turning traitor. Psalm 41:9 shows how painful such betrayal is: “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” • In the historical outworking of this prophecy, advisers inside the court of the king of the South (Ptolemy VI in Egypt) secretly colluded with Antiochus IV. Like Judas in John 13:18, they were close enough to share meals yet ready to betray. • God lets us see that danger sometimes rises from the very circle we think is safest. Proverbs 27:6 reminds us, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” will seek to destroy him “…will seek to destroy him…” (Daniel 11:26) • The goal of the conspirators was not mere influence but ruin. Absalom’s plot against David (2 Samuel 15:12) mirrors this kind of internal sabotage. • For Ptolemy VI the result was political weakness; Antiochus marched in as a “protector,” effectively seizing control (cf. Daniel 11:21–24). • Spiritually, this shows how sin operates from the inside out. James 1:15 notes that when sin is full-grown, it brings forth death. his army will be swept away “…his army will be swept away…” (Daniel 11:26) • The Hebrew word picture is of a flood washing everything before it (see the same image in Daniel 11:22). Isaiah 8:8 uses identical language about Assyria overflowing Judah. • Historically, the Egyptian forces were routed at Pelusium; Antiochus’s disciplined ranks overran them like a tide. • The principle stands today: no matter how impressive human strength appears, it collapses when God’s prophetic timeline moves forward (Psalm 33:16-17). and many will fall slain “…and many will fall slain.” (Daniel 11:26) • War’s human cost cannot be sanitized. Jeremiah 46:10 speaks of “a day of vengeance… so the sword may devour.” The casualties noted here are real people, reminding us of the tragic consequences of rebellion and betrayal. • The verse fulfills what Moses warned in Deuteronomy 32:25—“Outside the sword will bereave, and inside terror”—when a nation turns from God’s ways. • Yet even in judgment, God is just. Revelation 19:2 affirms that His judgments are “true and just,” validating the moral order behind the events Daniel foresaw. summary Daniel 11:26 foretells an inside job: trusted officials betray their king, leading to his military collapse and heavy loss of life. Historically, it matches the intrigue and defeat of Ptolemy VI under Antiochus IV. Prophetically, it showcases God’s precise foreknowledge and the sobering truth that betrayal, unchecked ambition, and reliance on human power end in devastating ruin. |
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