Daniel 11:39 · Bible study
Daniel 11:39 Commentary: Political Allegiance and Idolatrous Power
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explores Daniel 11:39, where a ruler uses a foreign god to conquer and rewards followers. Interpretations vary: Antiochus, future antichrist, or Roman empire.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The king relies on a foreign deity to capture strongholds and rewards collaborators with glory, authority, and land.
- Key words: “foreign god” (אֱל֣וֹהַּ נֵכָ֔ר), “acknowledges” (יַכִּ֖יר), “price” (מְחִֽיר), terms highlighting alien worship, recognition, and transactional gain.
- Main debate: Identity of the king, historical Antiochus Epiphanes (Barnes, Cambridge), typological antichrist (Clarke, Gill), or Roman empire (Calvin).
- Theological theme: The idolatry of political power that uses religion as a tool and rewards worldly success at the expense of covenant faithfulness.
- Best use: A warning against syncretism and a call to trust the true God, whose kingdom cannot be bought or conquered.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing the land for a price.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He will deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. He will increase with glory whoever acknowledges him. He will cause them to rule over many, and will divide the land for a price.
KJV King James Version 1769
Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And he shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god: whosoever acknowledgeth him he will increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And he hath dealt in the fortresses of the strongholds with a strange god whom he hath acknowledged; he multiplieth honour, and hath caused them to rule over many, and the ground he apportioneth at a price.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And he will practise in the strongholds of fortresses with a strangegod: whoso acknowledgeth him will he increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over the many, and shall divide the land [to them] for a reward.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And he shall do this to fortify Maozim with a strange god, whom he hath acknowledged, and he shall increase glory, and shall give them power over many, and shall divide the land gratis.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y con el dios ajeno que conocerá, hará á los baluartes de Mauzim crecer en gloria: y harálos enseñorear sobre muchos, y por interés repartirá la tierra.
E ele atacará fortes fortalezas com o deus estrangeiro; aos que o reconhecerem, ele aumentará a honra; e ele os fará terem domínio sobre muitos, e repartirá a terra por preço.
C’ est avec le dieu étranger qu’ il agira contre les lieux fortifiés; et il comblera d’ honneurs ceux qui le reconnaîtront, il les fera dominer sur plusieurs, il leur distribuera des terres pour récompense.
und wird denen, so ihm helfen die Festungen stärken mit dem fremden Gott, den er erwählt hat, große Ehre tun und sie zu Herren machen über große Güter und ihnen das Land zum Lohn austeilen.
En hij zal de vastigheden der sterkten maken met den vreemden god; dengenen, die hij kennen zal, zal hij de eer vermenigvuldigen, en hij zal ze doen heersen over velen, en hij zal het land uitdelen om prijs.
E agirà contro le fortezze ben munite, aiutato da un dio straniero; quelli che lo riconosceranno egli ricolmerà di gloria, li farà dominare su molti, e spartirà fra loro delle terre come ricompense.
A tak dowiedzie tego, że twierdze Najmocniejszego będą boga obcego; a których mu się będzie zdało, tych rozmnoży sławę, i uczyni, aby panowali nad wielą, a rozdzieli im ziemię miasto zapłaty.
и устроит твердую крепость с чужим богом: которые признают его, тем увеличит почести и даст власть над многими, и землю раздаст в награду.
他必靠 外邦 神的幫助，攻破 最堅固 的保障。凡 承認他的，他必將榮耀 加給他們，使他們管轄 許多人，又為賄賂 分 地與他們。
And he will make use of the people of a strange god to keep his strongest places; to those whom he takes note of he will give high honour: and he will make them rulers over the mass of the people, and will make division of the land for a price.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Daniel 11:39
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse shows a ruler taking strong fortresses with the help of a foreign god, then granting glory, authority, and land to those who acknowledge him. Barnes sees Antiochus Epiphanes acting under Jupiter Capitolinus, capturing Jerusalem, Sidon, and Pelusium. The Cambridge Bible notes that renegade Jews bought high-priesthoods and governorships from Antiochus (2 Maccabees 4:8, 10, 24). Clarke and Gill, reading the passage as pointing to a future antichrist figure, identify the “fortresses of Mauzzim” as temples of saints and angels and the “strange god” as the Eucharistic wafer. Calvin applies it to the Roman empire, which distributed conquered territories to allies like Eumenes. Despite these differences in identification, all interpreters recognize the pattern: a ruler who abandons the true God for a foreign deity, using religion as a tool to secure political dominance and reward collaboration.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Antiochus Epiphanes (historical-critical): The immediate context of Daniel 11 details Seleucid history; the foreign god matches Jupiter Capitolinus, and the land distribution matches Seleucid practice (Barnes, Cambridge).
- Future antichrist (traditional eschatological): Language of exalting above every god and distributing land for gain anticipates a final tyrant who demands worship (Clarke, Gill, early church).
- Roman empire (typological): Calvin sees the king as a prototype of Rome, which adopted alien gods and rewarded client kings with conquered territory.
What is clear: The ruler uses a foreign deity to secure strongholds and rewards his followers with power, creating a direct link between idolatry and political patronage.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the king | The verse describes a ruler who acts with the help of a foreign god, securing strongholds and rewarding followers. | Some Christians identify him as Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Barnes, Cambridge); others as a future antichrist (Clarke, Gill); still others as the Roman empire (Calvin). |
| Nature of the 'foreign god' | The god is one the king's ancestors did not know, used as a tool for political consolidation. | Barnes sees Jupiter Capitolinus; Clarke and Gill see the Eucharistic wafer in Catholic teaching; Calvin sees the god of war or military power. |
| Reward of followers | Those who acknowledge the king and his god receive glory, rule over many, and land. | Whether this describes literal land distribution under Antiochus (Cambridge), rewards given to Roman allies (Calvin), or symbolic positions of power in an antichrist system (Clarke). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Daniel 11 narrates the Seleucid dynasty’s wars with the Ptolemies, centering on Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175, 164 BC). Antiochus had been a hostage in Rome and imported its political-religious practices. After seizing the Syrian throne, he promoted the worship of Jupiter Capitolinus, setting up an altar in the Jerusalem temple, the “abomination of desolation” (Daniel 11:31). Verse 39 likely describes his method: using this foreign cult to unify his empire and reward collaborators. Barnes notes that Antiochus conquered Jerusalem, Sidon, Pelusium, and Memphis, among the “most strong holds.” The phrase “divide the land for a price” matches Seleucid practice: selling priesthoods and offices to the highest bidder (2 Maccabees 4:24). Cambridge adds that Bacchides “chose out the ungodly men, and made them lords over the country” (2 Maccabees 9:25).
An alternative reading, proposed by Calvin, sees the “king” as the Roman empire. Romans, after defeating Antiochus, distributed Asia Minor to client-kings and allies, rewarding loyalty with territory. The dual historical referent, immediate (Antiochus) and typological (Rome, and eventually a final antichrist), is typical of apocalyptic prophecy. The Jewish audience under persecution would have recognized the warning: trust in human power and foreign gods leads to exploitation, not safety.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources mention no significant textual variants in the Hebrew for this verse. Some proposed emendations exist, for example, Hitzig changes עִם (with) to עַם (people), reading “provide for the fortresses the people of a strange god.” However, this is not widely accepted. The reading preserved in the Masoretic Text is stable across manuscripts.
Reception History
This verse has been read in diverse ways across church history. Early Christian writers such as Hippolytus saw it as referring to the eschatological antichrist. During the Reformation, Protestant interpreters like Adam Clarke and John Gill identified the “king” as the papacy, with “Mauzzim” as churches dedicated to saints and the “foreign god” as the consecrated host. Conversely, the historical-critical approach from the 18th century onward (Bishop Newton, Barnes, Cambridge School) connects the verse directly to Antiochus Epiphanes. Calvin applied it to the Roman republic’s expansion after defeating Antiochus. The variety reflects the passage’s genre, apocalyptic prophecy with multiple layers of fulfillment.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The foreign god as a political tool: the king honors a deity foreign to his ancestors to unify his empire.
- The rewards of allegiance: he increases those who acknowledge him with glory, rule, and land.
- The cost of such allegiance: the land is divided for a price, reflecting exploitation rather than stewardship.
Five-point outline
- The king's new god: a deity unknown to his fathers, chosen for utility not truth.
- Conquest through alliance: fortresses fall not by superior arms alone but by the auspices of this foreign god.
- Patronage of collaborators: those who acknowledge the king and his god are promoted.
- Rule over many: collaborators are granted authority over others, echoing the empire's growth.
- Land as currency: conquered territory is distributed for financial or political gain, not justice.
Illustration hooks
- A political party offers government contracts to supporters who adopt its ideology, even when it contradicts their values.
- A corporation uses a popular cultural cause as a marketing tool, rewarding employees who publicly embrace it.
- Church leaders compromise core doctrines to gain favor with a secular authority or donor, and receive influence in return.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I define success? Am I tempted to sync with worldly power to get ahead?
- Where have I seen ‘dividing the land for gain’ in the economy around me, land, housing, jobs used as bargaining chips?
- What does it look like to trust the true God when the powerful around me are promoting an idol that works?
Leading a Discussion
This verse forces us to consider the connection between political power and worship. The king of the north uses a foreign god as a means to an end. His followers gain glory and territory but at the cost of aligning with a false deity. As you read the passage, notice how the king rewards those who acknowledge him, and what that acknowledgement implies.
Discussion questions
- What is the “foreign god” in this context? (Read v.38, 39 together.) Why does the king honor a god his fathers did not know?
- Who are “whom he acknowledges”, what does that acknowledge entail (recognition? worship? political loyalty?)?
- How does the king “increase with glory” such people? What does “glory” mean here (honor, wealth, power)?
- What does “rule over many” and “divide the land for a price” reveal about the king’s priorities?
- In what ways do modern political or economic systems reward people for acknowledging a “foreign god”, an ideology, power structure, or profit motive?
- Read Revelation 18:9,13. How does the vision of Babylon echo the patterns in Daniel 11:39?
- Where in your own life might you be tempted to trust in a “foreign god”, something that works in the short term but demands your ultimate allegiance?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Revelation of John 18:9 | The kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her will weep and wail over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning, |
| Revelation of John 18:13 | and cinnamon, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and people’s bodies and souls. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke reads this as a prophecy about the clergy who defend the worship of saints and angels. He argues these monks, priests and bishops gained great honor, ruled over people's consciences and purses, and took the choicest lands for themselves, all for personal gain.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that Antiochus carried out his conquests under the supposed patronage of a foreign god, the Roman Jupiter, whose worship he promoted to extend his power. The "dividing the land for gain" refers to farming out conquered territory to the highest bidder for revenue, a practice that led to exploitation.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin interprets the multiplied glory as the Romans' own increase in wealth, territory, and power. He argues that making others rule far and wide means the Romans granted dominion to their allies, distributing conquered lands and spoils to those who assisted them. This explains how the empire rewarded its supporters.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible argues that Daniel 11:36-45 continues describing Antiochus Epiphanes, not a future Antichrist. The commentary insists that a continuous passage with no clear change of subject must refer to the same person throughout. New Testament similarities do not prove these verses point beyond Antiochus himself.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes see this as Antiochus Epiphanes honoring a foreign god at his strongholds. He rewards his followers by giving them rule over many people and dividing the land for material gain, showing how worldly power operates through greed and patronage.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill interprets the "strong holds of Mahuzzim" as churches and chapels dedicated to angels and departed saints, where the idolatrous worship of the wafer as God occurs. He sees this as the pope's system of assigning patron saints to rule over nations like England, Scotland, and France, all for financial profit to Rome.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB defends the English Version reading, interpreting the passage as describing Antiochus Epiphanes conquering strongholds under a foreign god, Jupiter Capitolinus, whose worship he imported from Rome. He then rewarded his followers by letting them rule over many Jews after dividing their land for personal gain.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch reads this as a king who wages war with the help of a foreign god, not merely in that god's mindset. He rewards with honour, power, and land only those who acknowledge him. This is a universal conqueror's pattern, not unique to Antiochus, and fits the antichrist even more.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the extraordinary detail in most of Daniel 11 likely comes from a later Maccabean writer who shaped prophecy to match known history. Only the opening and closing verses are genuine Danielic oracles. Yet the chapter's core message remains: God preserves his people through the shifting fortunes of empires until deliverance arrives.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry focuses on the character of Antiochus Epiphanes as a "vile person" who seizes power through flattery and deceit rather than rightful honor. He observes that Antiochus directs his treachery especially against the holy covenant, using lies and betrayal to attack God's people, yet all his schemes remain under God's sovereign timetable and ultimately do not prosper.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the phrase "strange god" implies more than a foreign deity. It points to the deliberate use of every artistic skill and official authority to promote and establish that worship.