Daniel 11:14 Meaning: When We Try to Force God's Plans
“In those times many will stand up against the king of the south. Also the children of the violent among your people will lift themselves up to establish the vision, but they will fall.
And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the children of the violent among thy people shall lift themselves up to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
and in those times many do stand up against the king of the south, and sons of the destroyers of thy people do lift themselves up to establish the vision--and they have stumbled.
And in those times shall many stand up against the king of the south; and the violent of thy people will exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
Meaning in one sentence
Jewish rebels tried to fulfill prophecy by force. The verse warns that our methods matter as much as our intentions.
Context
Daniel 11 reads like a detailed history written ahead of time. The angel shows Daniel the long conflict between the kings of the north (Syria) and the south (Egypt), wars that would sweep back and forth across the land of God's people for generations. By verse 14, the king of the south is a young boy, Ptolemy Epiphanes. Political chaos invites opportunists. Many enemies rise against him. Among them, the angel tells Daniel, are violent men from his own people, Jews who take the side of the northern king. They have a religious motive: to fulfill a prophecy, likely from Isaiah, about an altar to God in Egypt. But their methods are violent, and they fall.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words hold the weight of this verse. Parits, translated 'violent' or 'robbers,' comes from a root meaning 'to break through.' These are people who shatter boundaries, laws, loyalties, the peace of their own community. They are not merely ambitious; they are breakers. The verb yinnase'u ('lift themselves up') is in a form that means they exalt themselves, acting as if they can lift God's plan into place by their own effort. And nikhshalu, 'they will stumble,' is the same word used for tripping over a stone or falling into ruin. It is the opposite of standing firm. Together these words paint a picture: people who break through every restraint to raise themselves up, only to find they cannot keep their footing.
How Christians Read This Verse
Commentators agree these Jewish rebels joined Antiochus of Syria against Egypt, but they differ on the exact event. Many, following Jerome, connect this to Onias IV, who built a temple at Leontopolis in Egypt, claiming Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 19:19) as his warrant. Other scholars see a general uprising among the Jewish faction that sided with Antiochus, hoping to free Judea from Ptolemaic control. Keil and Delitzsch stress that they acted as 'violent men' who broke divine law, not as faithful instruments. All traditions read this as a warning: good intentions, even the desire to fulfill Scripture, do not justify violent means, and those who use them fall by the same force they trusted.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think this verse means that anyone who tries to fulfill prophecy is doing God's work and will succeed. In fact, the verse shows the opposite. These Jews had the right vision, an altar to God in Egypt, but they used the wrong methods. They aligned with a foreign tyrant and relied on violence. Their failure is not a question of prophecy being false; it is a warning that even sincere religious goals cannot be accomplished through rebellion and force.
Living This Out
Have you ever been so certain God wants something done that you pushed ahead with tactics He never gave you? Maybe you pressured a friend to convert, or manipulated a situation at church because you knew God wanted change. This verse asks you to pause. The vision may be true, God's purposes will stand, but the way you carry it matters. You are not called to break through barriers like a violent man; you are called to wait on the One who establishes His word without your scheming. This week, before you act for God, ask yourself: am I lifting myself up, or am I walking humbly with Him?
Main takeaway: A good vision does not justify violent methods; those who try to force God's plans in their own strength will stumble rather than stand.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Some people tried to do what God wanted, but they were mean and fought others. They thought they were helping, but God did not want them to fight. They fell down.
For ages 9, 12
Imagine you know a Bible promise, and you really want it to come true. You might be tempted to push and fight to make it happen. That is what these Jewish rebels did, they tried to force a prophecy to come true by joining a violent king. But God does not need us to be violent for Him. He can fulfill His word without us breaking the rules. The lesson: let God do His work His way.
Questions People Ask
Who are the “children of the violent” in Daniel 11:14?
They are Jewish men who sided with Antiochus the Great against Ptolemy of Egypt. The term 'violent' (parits) describes people who break through laws and boundaries, rebels who disturbed the peace of their own people.
What vision were they trying to establish?
Most commentators believe it refers to Isaiah 19:19, which says there will be an altar to the Lord in Egypt. Some Jewish rebels, led by Onias IV, built a temple at Leontopolis hoping to fulfill that prophecy, but they did so by allying with a foreign king and using violence.
Why did they fail despite trying to fulfill God’s word?
Their methods contradicted God’s character. They trusted in violence and political alliances instead of patient obedience. The verse shows that even genuine desire to follow prophecy cannot succeed when we use ungodly means to force God’s timing.
Does this verse mean we should not try to fulfill Bible prophecy?
No. But it warns us to check our motives and methods. God fulfills His word in His way and His time. We are called to obey faithfully, not to manipulate events or use force to make Scripture come true, that path leads to stumbling.
How does this verse apply to Christians today?
It is a caution against 'ends justify the means' thinking. When we are certain God wants a particular outcome, a revival, a church decision, a changed person, we must still act in love, patience, and integrity, not in aggression or manipulation.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study