Daniel 11:2-4
2Now I will tell you the truth.The Angel Gives a Message to Daniel
“Three ▼▼sn Perhaps these three more kings are Cambyses (ca. 530-522 b.c.), Pseudo-Smerdis (ca. 522 b.c.), and Darius I Hystaspes (ca. 522-486 b.c.).
more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth ▼▼sn This fourth king is Xerxes I (ca. 486-465 b.c.).
king will be unusually rich, ▼▼tn Heb “rich with great riches.”
more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against ▼▼tn Or “All [of it] will arouse the kingdom of Greece.” The text is difficult. The text is traditionally taken to have the fourth king as the subject of the verb, making the relationship between הַכֹּל (hakkol, “all, the whole, everyone, everything”) and the kingdom of Greece difficult. Presumably “everyone” is the direct object, but the “kingdom” has the direct object marker אֶת (ʾet). This is very unlikely to be the preposition אֶת (ʾet, “with”) because the verb עוּר (ʿur, “to arouse”) uses the preposition עַל (ʿal) to mean “stir up against.” Nevertheless the meaning “against” is typically supplied or assumed from context. An alternative is to take הַכֹּל as the subject, meaning “all of it,” that is the power and wealth, will arouse [the interest] of the kingdom of Greece. This makes sense of the articular use of הַכֹּל, the parsing of the verb, and the direct object indicator, and also fits the context where in the next verse the Greek king rises up.
the kingdom of Greece. 3Then a powerful king ▼▼sn The powerful king mentioned here is Alexander the Great (ca. 336-323 b.c.).
will arise, exercising great authority and doing as he pleases. 4Shortly after his rise to power, ▼▼tn Heb “and when he stands.”
his kingdom will be broken up and distributed toward the four winds of the sky ▼▼tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
—but not to his posterity or with the authority he exercised, for his kingdom will be uprooted and distributed to others besides these.
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