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But a powerful king[a] shall appear and rule with great might, doing as he wills. No sooner shall he appear than his kingdom shall be broken and divided in four directions under heaven; but not among his descendants or in keeping with his mighty rule, for his kingdom shall be torn to pieces and belong to others.

[b]“The king of the south shall grow strong, but one of his princes shall grow stronger still and govern a domain greater than his.

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Footnotes

  1. 11:3 A powerful king: Alexander the Great, who broke Persian dominance by his victory at Issus in 333 B.C.
  2. 11:5–45 These verses describe the dynastic histories of the Ptolemies in Egypt (the king of the south) and the Seleucids in Syria (the king of the north), the two divisions of the Hellenistic empire that were of interest to the author (v. 6). Verses 10–20 describe the struggle between the two kingdoms for the control of Palestine; the Seleucids were eventually victorious.

Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases.(A) After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven.(B) It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted(C) and given to others.

“The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power.

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