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And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
Daniel 11:32 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and take action.
  • BSB With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.
  • NKJV Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.
  • NASB And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action.
  • NLT He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.

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

He corrupts covenant-breakers by flattery, but those who know their God remain strong and act faithfully. In times of pressure, true knowledge of God produces steadfast courage.

Overview

While some are seduced into apostasy, the faithful, historically those who resisted in the Maccabean revolt, stand firm and act boldly. The contrast is striking: flattery turns the compromising, but those who truly know God are made strong. This abiding promise assures persecuted believers that intimacy with God yields courage no tyrant can overcome, a strength fully ours in Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 24

  • Ps 9:10And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
  • 1 Chr 28:9And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
  • Zech 10:12And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD.
  • John 17:3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
  • Mic 5:7–9And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
  • 2 Tim 2:1–3Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
  • 1 Jn 2:3–4And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
  • Zech 9:13–16When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.
  • Zech 12:3–7And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
  • Zech 10:3–6Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.
  • 1 Jn 5:20And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
  • Jer 31:34And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
  • 2 Th 2:9–12Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
  • Heb 10:32–33But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
  • Mal 4:2But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
  • Rev 13:12–15And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
  • 2 Cor 4:3–6But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
  • Prov 26:28A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.
  • Rev 7:9–10After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
  • Prov 19:5A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.
  • Rev 12:7–11And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
  • Mic 7:15–17According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.
  • Rev 6:11And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
  • Zech 14:1–4Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

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 11:32YouTube · 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 11:32 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.