The Meaning of Daniel 11:30 Explained

Daniel 11:30

KJV: For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.

YLT: And ships of Chittim have come in against him, and he hath been pained, and hath turned back, and hath been insolent toward the holy covenant, and hath wrought, and turned back, and he understandeth concerning those forsaking the holy covenant.

Darby: for ships of Chittim shall come against him; and he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant; and will practise; and he shall return and direct his attention to those that forsake the holy covenant.

ASV: For ships of Kittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and shall return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and shall do his pleasure : he shall even return, and have regard unto them that forsake the holy covenant.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For the ships  of Chittim  shall come  against him: therefore he shall be grieved,  and return,  and have indignation  against the holy  covenant:  so shall he do;  he shall even return,  and have intelligence  with them that forsake  the holy  covenant. 

What does Daniel 11:30 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The ships from Kittim (Cyprus) that came against him belonged to Popillius Laenas and Rome. Antiochus had to return home, since to do otherwise would have meant declaring war on Rome, a foe he could not hope to defeat. He returned to Syria disappointed.
Again he took out his frustration on the Jews in Jerusalem who observed the "holy covenant" (i.e, the Mosaic Law; cf. Daniel 11:28). He favored the renegade Jews who had abandoned the Mosaic Law (cf. 1 Maccabees 2:18; 2 Maccabees 6:1). Menelaus and his henchmen, for example, willingly abandoned their religious scruples, rather than oppose Antiochus who had put them in power.

Context Summary

Daniel 11:30-45 - Arrogance Overthrown
The career of Antiochus Epiphanes, in persecuting the people of God and plotting against Jehovah and His sanctuary, is so described as to suggest that it also includes further fulfillments, and especially that last Antichrist, of whom Antiochus was the pre-figurement. So accurate is the correspondence between this prophecy and its historical fulfillment that Porphyry, the opponent of Christianity, maintained that this description was written after the event. The abomination of Daniel 11:31 refers to the idolatrous image or emblem, which in succession has been erected on Mount Zion under the auspices of Antiochus, of the Romans, the Moslems, and shall be set up yet once more by Antichrist. The last clause of Daniel 11:32 was marvelously realized in Judas Maccabaeus and his brethren; but it represents the perennial source of strength for all who suffer or serve. The anguish of those who fail under trial has often tended to their greater purification, Daniel 11:35, and the white robe is the mark of final victory, Revelation 7:9. God will not allow His people to suffer beyond the determined time, Daniel 11:36; Matthew 24:22. [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 11:30 mean?

For shall come against him ships from Cyprus therefore he shall be grieved and return and in rage against the covenant holy and do [damage] so he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the covenant holy
וּבָ֨אוּ ב֜וֹ צִיִּ֤ים כִּתִּים֙ וְנִכְאָ֔ה וְשָׁ֛ב וְזָעַ֥ם עַל־ בְּרִֽית־ ק֖וֹדֶשׁ וְעָשָׂ֑ה וְשָׁ֣ב וְיָבֵ֔ן עַל־ עֹזְבֵ֖י בְּרִ֥ית קֹֽדֶשׁ

וּבָ֨אוּ  For  shall  come 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
ב֜וֹ  against  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
צִיִּ֤ים  ships  from 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: צִי  
Sense: ship.
כִּתִּים֙  Cyprus 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: כִּתִּיִּים  
Sense: a general term for all islanders of the Mediterranean Sea.
וְנִכְאָ֔ה  therefore  he  shall  be  grieved 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּאָה  
Sense: to be sad, be disheartened, be cowed.
וְשָׁ֛ב  and  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וְזָעַ֥ם  and  in  rage 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָעַם  
Sense: to denounce, express indignation, be indignant.
עַל־  against 
Parse: 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.
בְּרִֽית־  the  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
ק֖וֹדֶשׁ  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
וְעָשָׂ֑ה  and  do  [damage] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וְשָׁ֣ב  so  he  shall  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וְיָבֵ֔ן  and  show  regard 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: בִּין  
Sense: to discern, understand, consider.
עֹזְבֵ֖י  those  who  forsake 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
בְּרִ֥ית  the  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
קֹֽדֶשׁ  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.