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After the treaty made with him he shall work deceitfully; for he shall come up, and shall become strong, with a small people.
Daniel 11:23 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
  • BSB After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully; for he will rise to power with only a few people.
  • NKJV And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people.
  • NASB After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people.
  • NLT With deceitful promises, he will make various alliances. He will become strong despite having only a handful of followers.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

After making a treaty he acts deceitfully, growing strong with only a small following. The tyrant rises by treachery rather than honest strength.

Overview

His path to power is paved with broken faith and cunning rather than open might. The portrait of deceit marks Antiochus as an enemy who advances by craft against both rivals and God's people. Such treachery characterizes the spirit of opposition to God throughout Scripture, which works by lies, in contrast to Christ who is the truth.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • 2 Th 2:9even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
  • Dan 8:25Through his policy he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and he shall destroy many in their security. He shall also stand up against the prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
  • Gen 34:13The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit, and spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister,
  • Rom 1:29being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers,
  • 2 Cor 11:3But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
  • Ezek 17:13–19He took some of the royal offspring, and made a covenant with him. He also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land;
  • Prov 11:18Wicked people earn deceitful wages, but one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
  • Ps 52:2Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Daniel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Daniel 11:23YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on DanielMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Daniel sees the stone cut without hands that shatters the kingdoms, and 'one like a son of man' given everlasting dominion — titles and visions Jesus claims as his own.

How Daniel 11:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.