Daniel 11:18-21

11:18 Then he will turn his attention ¹  to the coastal regions and will capture many of them. But a commander ²  will bring his shameful conduct to a halt; in addition, ³  he will make him pay for his shameful conduct. ⁴  11:19 He will then turn his attention to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, not to be found again. 11:20 There will arise after him ⁵  one ⁶  who will send out an exactor ⁷  of tribute to enhance the splendor of the kingdom, but after a few days he will be destroyed, ⁸  though not in anger or battle.

11:21 “Then there will arise in his place a despicable person ⁹  to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred. He will come on the scene in a time of prosperity and will seize the kingdom through deceit.

¹ tn Heb “his face.” See v. 19 as well.

² sn The commander is probably the Roman commander, Lucius Cornelius Scipio.

³ tn The Hebrew here is difficult in that the negative בִּלְתִּי (biltiy, “not”) is used in an unusual way. The sense is not entirely clear.

⁴ tn Heb “his shameful conduct he will return to him.”

⁵ tn Heb “on his place.”

⁶ sn The one who will send out an exactor of tribute was Seleucus IV Philopator (ca. 187-176 B.C.).

⁷ sn Perhaps this exactor of tribute was Heliodorus (cf. 2 Maccabees 3).

⁸ tn Heb “broken” or “shattered.”

⁹ sn This despicable person to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred is Antiochus IV Epiphanes (ca. 175-164 B.C.).