The Meaning of Daniel 11:24 Explained

Daniel 11:24

KJV: He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.

YLT: Peaceably even into the fertile places of the province He cometh, and he hath done that which his fathers did not, nor his fathers' fathers; prey, and spoil, and substance, to them he scattereth, and against fenced places he deviseth his devices, even for a time.

Darby: In time of peace shall he enter even into the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers: he shall scatter among them prey, and spoil, and substance, and he shall plan his devices against the fortified places, even for a time.

ASV: In time of security shall he come even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers fathers; he shall scatter among them prey, and spoil, and substance: yea, he shall devise his devices against the strongholds, even for a time.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He shall enter  peaceably  even upon the fattest places  of the province;  and he shall do  [that] which his fathers  have not done,  nor his fathers'  fathers;  he shall scatter  among them the prey,  and spoil,  and riches:  [yea], and he shall forecast  his devices  against the strong holds,  even for a time. 

What does Daniel 11:24 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Antiochus craftily pillaged the treasures of his provinces, but not to grow rich himself as his predecessors had done. He used this wealth to bribe and manipulate other leaders to cooperate with his plans. In this way he enlarged his power base (cf. 1 Maccabees 3:30).

Context Summary

Daniel 11:15-29 - The Despoiler Triumphs For A Time
What a picture is presented in this paragraph of the tangled web of earthly politics. They have been too much, and for too long, in the hands of those who sought only their own aggrandizement to attain which they have been willing to sacrifice their honor, their families, their daughters, their people. The time has arrived when the people themselves, at first hand, must determine their destinies. These intrigues between the kings of Syria on the north and the kings of Egypt on the south have little interest for us, and are recorded here only as affecting the history of the Chosen People. This enables us to realize that the events of the present hour are being overruled by divine Providence in the interests of the Church of Christ. This alone abides; all else is of secondary importance and is rapidly passing away. The eternal purpose stands forever sure-that the Father has committed the empire of the world to our Lord, and is about to sum all things up in Him, who is the Head. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 11

1  The overthrow of Persia by the king of Grecia
5  Leagues and conflicts between the kings of the south and of the north
30  The invasion and tyranny of the Romans

What do the individual words in Daniel 11:24 mean?

Peaceably and even into the richest places of the province He shall enter and he shall do [what] not have done his fathers nor forefathers his the plunder and spoil and riches like he shall disperse among them and against the strongholds and he shall devise his plans but [only] for a time
בְּשַׁלְוָ֞ה וּבְמִשְׁמַנֵּ֣י מְדִינָה֮ יָבוֹא֒ וְעָשָׂ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹא־ עָשׂ֤וּ אֲבֹתָיו֙ וַאֲב֣וֹת אֲבֹתָ֔יו בִּזָּ֧ה וְשָׁלָ֛ל וּרְכ֖וּשׁ לָהֶ֣ם יִבְז֑וֹר וְעַ֧ל מִבְצָרִ֛ים יְחַשֵּׁ֥ב מַחְשְׁבֹתָ֖יו וְעַד־ עֵֽת

בְּשַׁלְוָ֞ה  Peaceably 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שַׁלְוָה  
Sense: quietness, ease, prosperity.
וּבְמִשְׁמַנֵּ֣י  and  even  into  the  richest  places 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מִשְׁמָן 
Sense: fatness, fat piece, fertile place, richly prepared food.
מְדִינָה֮  of  the  province 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְדִינָה  
Sense: province, district.
יָבוֹא֒  He  shall  enter 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וְעָשָׂ֗ה  and  he  shall  do 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
עָשׂ֤וּ  have  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֲבֹתָיו֙  his  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וַאֲב֣וֹת  nor  forefathers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
אֲבֹתָ֔יו  his 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
בִּזָּ֧ה  the  plunder 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בִּזָּה  
Sense: spoil, booty.
וְשָׁלָ֛ל  and  spoil 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
וּרְכ֖וּשׁ  and  riches 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רְכוּשׁ  
Sense: property, goods, possessions.
לָהֶ֣ם  like 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
יִבְז֑וֹר  he  shall  disperse  among  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּזַר  
Sense: to scatter, disperse.
וְעַ֧ל  and  against 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מִבְצָרִ֛ים  the  strongholds 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מִבְצָר 
Sense: fortification, fortress, fortified city, stronghold.
יְחַשֵּׁ֥ב  and  he  shall  devise 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָשַׁב 
Sense: to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count.
מַחְשְׁבֹתָ֖יו  his  plans 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַחֲשָׁבָה  
Sense: thought, device.
וְעַד־  but  [only]  for 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
עֵֽת  a  time 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.