Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 11:3
And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
3. Alexander the Great (b.c. 336 323). The writer, passing over the intermediate Persian rulers, hastens to the period when the course of events begins to affect the Jews, limiting what he has to say respecting the whole of the Persian empire, and the founder of the Greek empire, to a single verse in each case.
a warrior king ] The regular meaning of gibbr (‘mighty man’) in Heb.: e.g. 2Sa 1:9; 2Sa 23:8, 1Ki 1:8; 1Ki 1:10, Isa 42:13, &c.
do according to his will ] carry out whatever he wishes: an expression implying the possession of irresistible and irresponsible power. Cf. Quintus Curtius x. 5, 35, ‘Huius [fortunae] beneficio agere videbatur gentibus quidquid placebat.’ Comp. on Dan 8:4; and below Dan 11:16 ; Dan 11:36.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And a mighty king shall stand up – So far as the language here is concerned, it is not said whether this would be in Persia, as a successor of the fourth king Dan 11:2, or whether it would be in some other part of the world. The next verse, however, shows that the reference is to Alexander the Great – for to no other one is it applicable. There were several monarchs of Persia, indeed, that succeeded Xerxes before the kingdom was invaded and subdued by Alexander (see the notes at Dan 11:2), and these are here entirely passed over without being alluded to. It must be admitted, that one who should have read this prophecy before the events had occurred would have inferred naturally that this mighty king that should stand up would appeal immediately after the fourth, and probably that he would be his successor in the realm; but it may be remarked,
(a) that the language here is not inconsistent with the facts in the case – it being literally true that such a mighty king did stand up who ruled with great dominion, and according to his will;
(b) that there was no necessity in the prophetic history of referring to the acts of these intermediate kings of Persia, since they did not contribute at all to the result – it being well known that the reason alleged by Alexander for his invasion of the Persian empire was not anything which they had done, but the wrongs sustained by Greece in consequence of the invasion by Xerxes and his predecessor. The real succession of events in the case was that last invasion of Greece by Xerxes, and the consequent invasion of the Persian empire by Alexander. It was these transactions which the angel evidently meant to connect together, and hence, all that was intermediate was omitted. Thus Alexander, in his letter to Darius, says: Your ancestors entered into Macedonia, and the other parts of Greece, and did us damage, when they had received no affront from us as the cause of it; and now I, created general of the Grecians, provoked by you, and desirous of avenging the injury done by the Persians, have passed over into Asia. – Arrian, Exped. Alex. i. 2.
That shall rule with great dominion – That shall have a wide and extended empire. The language here would apply to any of the monarchs of Persia that succeeded Xerxes, but it would be more strictly applicable to Alexander the Great than to any prince of ancient or modern times. The whole world, except Greece, was supposed to be subject to the power of Persia; and it was one of the leading and avowed purposes of Darius and Xerxes in invading Greece, by adding that to their empire, to have the earth under their control. When, therefore, Alexander had conquered Persia, it was supposed that he had subdued the world; nor was it an unnatural feeling that, having done this, he, whose sole principle of action was ambition, should sit down and weep because there were no more worlds to conquer. In fact, he then swayed a scepter more extended and mighty than any before him had done, and it is with peculiar propriety that the language here is used in regard to him.
And do according to his will – Would be an arbitrary prince. This also was true of the Persian kings, and of Oriental despots generally; but it was eminently so of Alexander – who, in subduing kingdoms, conquering mighty armies, controlling the million under his sway, laying the foundations of cities, and newly arranging the boundaries of empires, seemed to consult only his own will, and felt that everything was to be subordinate to it. It is said that this passage was shown to Alexander by the high priest of the Jews, and that these prophecies did much to conciliate his favor toward the Hebrew people.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. A mighty king shall stand up] This was Alexander the Great. It is not said that this mighty king shall stand up against Xerxes, for he was not born till one hundred years after that monarch; but simply that he should stand up, i.e., that he should reign in Greece.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This was Alexander the Great, the he-goat, who, moved with choler for the Persian invasion, run down the ram and stamped on it, and got a golden fleece from him by that, and after many victories; afterward he did according to his will, even what he would without controlment, by any. See Dan 8:7,8.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. mighty king . . . do according tohis willanswering to the he-goat’s “notable horn”(Dan 8:6; Dan 8:7;Dan 8:21). Alexander invadedPersia 334 B.C., to avengethe wrongs of Greece on Persia for Xerxes’ past invasion (asAlexander said in a letter to Darius Codomanus, ARRIAN,Alexander. 2.14.7).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And a mighty king shall stand up,…. Not in Persia, but in Greece; Alexander the great, who rose up a hundred years after the above expedition of Xerxes, and “stood” and flourished, and conquered all he attacked, none being able to resist him; and is rightly called a “mighty king”, a very powerful one: this is the notable horn in the he goat, which being exasperated by the ram, the Persians, and their invasion of Greece, pushed at them, and destroyed them, Da 8:5: that shall rule with great dominion; not in Greece only but in the whole world, at least as he thought, and really did over a very great part of it; for, as Jerome says, having conquered the Illyrians, Thracians, Greece, and Thebes, he passed into Asia; and, having put to flight the generals of Darius, he took the city of Sardis, and afterwards India.
And do according to his will; not only in his own army, sacrificing his best friends at his pleasure; but with his enemies, conquering whom he would, none being able to withstand him; all things succeeded to his wish; whatever he attempted he performed. His historian o says of him,
“that it must be owned he owed much to virtue, but more to fortune, which alone of all mortals he had in his power;”
since, by the benefit of it, he seemed to do with nations whatever he pleased; he was sovereign in all things, and set himself to be worshipped as a deity.
o Curtius, l. 10. c. 5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
But only brief notices, characterizing its nature, were given regarding the Macedonian kingdom, which agree with the prophecies Dan 7:6 and Dan 8:5-8, Dan 8:21-22, without adding new elements. The founder of the kingdom is called , “brave king,” “hero-king,” and his kingdom “a great dominion.” Of his government it is said , he does, rules, according to his will (cf. Dan 8:4), so that his power might be characterized as irresistible and boundless self-will. Similarly Curtius writes of him (x. 5. 35): Fatendum est, cum plurimum virtuti debuerit, plus debuisse fortunae, quam solus omnium mortalium in potestate habuit. Hujus siquidem beneficio agere videbatur gentibus quidquid placebat . By the in the coming of the king and the destruction of his kingdom are stated as synchronous, so as to express with great force the shortness of its duration. is not to be otherwise interpreted than in Dan 11:3, and is thus not to be translated: “when he thus stands up,” sc. in the regal power described in Dan 11:3 (Kran.), or: “on the pinnacle of his might” (Hv.), but: “when (or as) he has made his appearance, his kingdom shall be broken.” In the words, also, there does not lie the idea “that he himself in his life-time is deprived of this throne and his kingdom by a violent catastrophe” (Kran.); for the destruction of the kingdom does not necessarily include in it the putting to death of the ruler. The thought is only this: “when he has appeared and founded a great dominion, his kingdom shall be immediately broken.” ( shall be broken) is chosen with reference to Dan 8:8, “toward the four winds of heaven.” We may neither supply ( shall be divided) to ( and not to his posterity), nor is this latter expression “connected with in pregnant construction;” for , from , signifies to divide, from which we are not to assume the idea of to allot, assign. We have simply to supply in the sense of the verb. subst., shall be, as well here as in the following clause, . The e signifies here as little as in Amo 4:2; Amo 9:1, posterity = , but remnant, that which is left behind, the survivors of the king, by which we are to understand not merely his sons, but all the members of his family. , “and it shall not be according to the dominion which he ruled.” This thought, corresponding to in Dan 8:22, is the natural conclusion from the idea of division to all the four winds, which the falling asunder into several or many small kingdoms involves. , “shall be plucked up” (of plants from the earth), denotes the rooting up of that which is table, the destroying and dissolving of the kingdom into portions. In this division it shall pass to others , “with the exclusion of those” (the ), the surviving members of the family of Alexander. To ( and for others) supply ( shall be).
In Dan 11:4, accordingly, the prophetic thought is expressed, that the Javanic kingdom, as soon as the brave king has founded a great dominion, shall be broken to pieces and divided toward the four winds of heaven, so that its separate parts, without reaching to the might of the broken kingdom, shall be given not to the survivors of the family of the founder, but to strangers. This was historically fulfilled in the fact, that after the sudden death of Alexander his son Hercules was not recognised by his generals as successor on the throne, but was afterwards murdered by Polysperchon; his son also born by Roxana, along with his guardian Philip Arideus, met the same fate; but the generals, after they had at first divided the kingdom into more than thirty parts, soon began to war with each other, the result of which was, that at last four larger kingdoms were firmly established. Cf. Diod. Sic. xx. 28, xix. 105; Pausan. ix. 7; Justini hist. xv. 2, and Appiani Syr. c. 51.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
This refers to Alexander of Macedon. I have already shortly stated the reason why the angel passed over all the Persian kings from Artabanus to the last Darius, they did not engage in any contests with the Jews up to Xerxes But when Alexander invaded Asia, he struck the Jews with terror, as well as all other nations. He came like lightning, and it is by no means surprising that the Jews should be frightened at his arrival, because, as we formerly expressed it, he flew with amazing swiftness. Alexander then rose up, not only by the riches and might of his warlike preparations, but he necessarily inspired the Jews with trepidation when they perceived their inability to resist him, and thus he was deservedly hostile to them, because, from the very beginning, they had despised his empire. Josephus also informs us how he was moved at the sight of the high priest, and how he determined to mitigate his rage against the Jews. For when he was at home, before passing over into Asia, the vision of the high priest was offered to him, for God had sent his angel under that disguise. (153) Alexander supposed it to be some deity; but when the high priest met him in procession, the vision returned to his recollection, and he was struck as if he had seen God appearing to him from heaven. Whatever was the object of this occurrence, Alexander clearly came into Judea with the intention of utterly destroying the whole nation. This is the reason why the angel carefully predicts this change. A brave king, therefore, shall stand up, and rule with extensive dominion, and do according to his pleasure; that is, he shall succeed as if he had all the events of the war under his own hand and according to his own pleasure, as the event itself most fully proved. It follows: —
(153) There are various minor errors in the edition 1617, which are correct in the edition of 1571. For example, on folio 94, verse 3, violavit occurs for volavit ; and on folio 95, verse 3, non begins the sentence instead of nam — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) A mighty king.No clue is given to show over what nation this king reigns. According to the context he might be either a Greek or a Persian, or he might belong to a kingdom not yet mentioned. Those who explain what follows to refer to the Ptolemies and Seleucid identify him with Alexander the Great, and compare with this verse Dan. 7:6; Dan. 8:5-8; Dan. 8:21-22. Certainly the self-will spoken of in this verse was characteristic of Alexander (comp. also Dan. 8:4), but there was nothing in the context which makes it necessary to limit the passage to him. Some autocrat may arise in the latter times to whom it will apply with greater force than it did to Alexander.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. A mighty king This was Alexander the Great, as identified in the next verse. It is not stated that this king succeeds Xerxes immediately. He was in fact separated from him by several rulers. Alexander himself, however, affirms that his invasion of Persia was in revenge for Xerxes’s invasion of Greece; and thus historically “Xerxes began the struggle which on the field of history has for its climax and consummation Alexander’s conquest of Persia” (Urquhart).
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Growth and Division of the Grecian Empire.
‘And a mighty king will stand up who will rule with great dominion and do according to his will.’
This was the final result of the acts of Xerxes, and of those who followed him, the rise of this mighty king of Greece, Alexander the Great, who would have great and widespread authority and could exercise his will wherever he would.
After conquering most of the ancient world, penetrating even further east than the Persian Empire, Alexander died prematurely in Babylon, his imperial capital, in 323 BC. His two sons, Hercules and Alexander, were both murdered when they were very young, and consequently his kingdom was eventually divided up between his four leading generals (compare Dan 7:6; Dan 8:8; Dan 8:22). Cassander ruled Macedonia-Greece, Lysimachus governed Thrace-Asia Minor, Seleucus took the rest of Asia except lower Syria and Palestine, and Ptolemy reigned over Egypt and Palestine.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Dan 11:3. A mighty king shall stand up, &c. Afterwards, &c. Houbigant. This is the character of Alexander. That he was a mighty king and conqueror, that he not only ruled with great dominion over Greece and the whole Persian empire, but likewise added India to his conquests; and that he did according to his will,none daring to contradict or oppose him, or if they did, like Clytus and Callisthenes, paying for it with their livesare facts too well known to require any particular proof. See Newton.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Dan 11:3 And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
Ver. 3. But a mighty king shall stand up. ] Alexander the Great, the founder of the Greek monarchy; who, with thirty thousand footmen, and five thousand horsemen, overran and subdued a great part of the habitable world. See Dan 8:1-27 . The devil, by his oracles, foretold him of his victories, having stolen his skill out of this prophecy of Daniel.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
a mighty king. The he-goat’s “little horn” (Dan 8:9).
do according to his will. See Dan 8:4. Compare verses: Dan 11:16, Dan 11:36.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Dan 11:3
Dan 11:3 And a mightyH1368 kingH4428 shall stand up,H5975 that shall ruleH4910 with greatH7227 dominion,H4474 and doH6213 according to his will.H7522
Dan 11:3
And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will
Alexander the Great was one of the most famous of all ancient conquerors. The son of Philip II of Macedon, he amassed the largest empire the world had ever known. He was only 32 years old when he died and he had appointed no heir, and no regent for his unborn son by his wife Roxane. Upon his death, the Greek empire he had forged was split apart into four separate realms. This mighty king corresponds with the leopard nation of the Grecian Empire in Daniel’s prior vision of the four kingdoms that he received in the first year of the last king of the Babylonian Empire.
“shall rule with great dominion”
Alexander’s Father, Philip had brought most of the city-states of mainland Greece under Macedonian rule. Upon Philip’s death, Alexander inherited a strong kingdom and an experienced army. He succeeded in rising to power after the death of his father and continued the military plans for expansion left by his father. He invaded Persia and began a series of campaigns lasting ten years. Alexander overthrew the Persian king Darius III and conquered the entirety of the Persian Empire. Following his desire to reach the “ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea”, he invaded India, but was eventually forced to turn back because his army was tired and wanted to return home. Alexander died before he had a chance to expand any further in that direction. His dominion included almost all of Europe and the entire Persian empire.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
king Alexander the Great, B.C. 332. See Dan 8:5-8; Dan 8:21; Dan 8:22.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
a mighty: Alexander the Great, whose kingdom after his death, as we have seen, was divided into four parts. Dan 7:6, Dan 8:5-8, Dan 8:21
do: Dan 11:16, Dan 11:36, Dan 4:35, Dan 5:19, Dan 8:4-14, Eph 1:11, Heb 2:4, Jam 1:18
Reciprocal: Dan 2:32 – belly Dan 2:39 – another third Dan 11:5 – and one Zec 6:6 – go forth after
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 11:3. This mighty king was Alexander the Great of Macedonia, the same who was referred to in chapter 8: 5. The angel passes immediately from Xerxes to Alexander, thus Ignoring all the intervening history. This was evidently because of its unimportance; also because Alexander’s work was the next important event for prophecy after Xerxes. I shall quote some more history in confirmation of the predictions of this verse: “Alexander was now free to carry out his father’s scheme in regard to the Asiatic expedition. In the spring of 334 B.C., with all his plans matured, he set out at the head of an army numbering about 35,000 men for the conquest of the Persian Empire. Crossing the Hellespont, Alexander first proceeded to the plain of ancient Troy, in order to place a garland upon the supposed tomb at that place of his mythical ancestor Achilles. Proceeding on his march, Alexander met a Persian army on the banks of the Granieus. over which he gained a decisive victory. Three hundred suits of armor, selected from the spoils of the field, were sent as a votive offering to the temple of Athena at Athens. The victory at the Granieus laid all Asia Minor open to the invader, and soon practically all of its cities and tribes were brought to acknowledge the authority of the Macedonian.”- Myers, Ancient History, pages 274, 275.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Dan 11:3-4. And a mighty king shall stand up, &c. Namely, from among the Grecians; that shall rule with great dominion This is evidently descriptive of Alexander the Great; of the rapidity and success of whose conquests: See on Dan 7:6; Dan 8:5-6. His success was indeed universal, none being able to put a stop to the progress of his victories. So great was his dominion, that he ruled not only over Greece and the whole Persian empire, but likewise added India to his conquests. And that he did according to his will, is a fact too well known to require any particular proof; for none, not even his friends, dared to contradict or oppose him, or if they did, like Clytus and Calisthenes, they paid for it with their lives. And when he shall stand up When he shall be in the height of his prosperity. Wintle renders it, when he shall be established; his kingdom shall be broken Alexander died in Babylon, having lived only thirty-two years and eight months, of which he reigned twelve years and eight months. In so short a time did this sun of glory rise and set! And shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven This is very significantly expressive of the vast empire which Alexander had brought under subjection to himself, being divided at his death among his four chief captains: see note on Dan 7:6; Dan 8:8. And not to his posterity For these, with all his family, were cut off in a few years after his death. His wife Statira, the daughter of Darius, was murdered out of jealousy by his other wife Roxana; and her body was thrown into a well, and earth cast upon it. His natural brother Aridus, who succeeded him in the throne by the name of Philip, was, together with his wife Eurydice, killed by the command of Olympias, the mother of Alexander, after he had borne the title of king six years and some months: and not long after Olympias herself was slain in revenge by the soldiers of Cassander. Alexander gus, his son by Roxana, in the fourteenth year of his age was privately murdered, together with his mother, in the castle of Amphipolis, by order of Cassander. In the second year after this, Hercules, the other son of Alexander, by Barcine, the widow of Memnon, was also, with his mother, privately murdered by Polysperchon. Such was the miserable end of Alexanders family! After which the governors assumed, each in his province, the title of king, from which they had abstained as long as any just heir of Alexander was surviving. Thus was Alexanders kingdom broken and divided, not to his posterity, but it was plucked up even for others. Bishop Newton.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Dan 11:3. a mighty king: Alexander the Great.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
11:3 And a {d} mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
(d) That is, Alexander the Great.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The rise and fall of Alexander the Great 11:3-4
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
The mighty king who arose and did as he pleased proved to be Alexander the Great (cf. Dan 2:32; Dan 2:39 b; Dan 7:6; Dan 8:5-8; Dan 8:21). He was, of course, Greek. His invasion of the Persian Empire was in large part retaliation for Xerxes’ attacks against his people. He first attacked the Persians at the Granicus River near Constantinople in 334 B.C., and finally overthrew the Persian yoke at Gaugamela near Nineveh in 331 B.C. His conquest of the ancient world took only five years (334-330 B.C.).