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And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.
Daniel 11:33 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Those who are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, many days.
  • KJV And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.
  • BSB Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered.
  • NASB And those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days.
  • NLT “Wise leaders will give instruction to many, but these teachers will die by fire and sword, or they will be jailed and robbed.

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

The wise among the people teach many, yet suffer sword, flame, captivity, and plunder for many days. Faithful teachers endure suffering even as they instruct others.

Overview

The 'wise' who lead others in truth pay a costly price under persecution. Their faithful instruction strengthens the community even as they themselves are martyred or imprisoned. This pattern of suffering witness recurs throughout redemptive history and is fulfilled supremely in Christ and His persecuted church, where teaching the truth often costs much yet bears lasting fruit.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 29

  • Rev 13:7–10It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him.
  • John 16:2They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God.
  • Matt 24:9Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake.
  • Mal 2:7For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Yahweh of Armies.
  • Dan 12:10Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but those who are wise shall understand.
  • Dan 12:3–4Those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the expanse; and those who turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.
  • Isa 32:3–4The eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will listen.
  • Rev 17:6I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered with great amazement.
  • Heb 11:34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee.
  • Rev 2:13“I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. You hold firmly to my name, and didn’t deny my faith in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
  • 1 Cor 4:9For, I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last of all, like men sentenced to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men.
  • Acts 12:2–3He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.
  • Rev 7:14I told him, “My lord, you know.” He said to me, “These are those who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb’s blood.
  • Matt 13:51–52Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They answered him, “Yes, Lord.”
  • Rev 6:9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had.
  • Acts 11:26When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
  • Acts 14:21When they had preached the Good News to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
  • 2 Tim 4:6For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come.
  • 2 Tim 1:12For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.
  • Luke 24:44–47He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”
  • Matt 28:20teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
  • Acts 4:2–4being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
  • Matt 20:23He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
  • Zech 8:20–23Yahweh of Armies says: “Many peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come;
  • Matt 13:11He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.
  • Matt 10:21“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.
  • 2 Tim 2:24–25The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle towards all, able to teach, patient,
  • Heb 11:36–38Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment.
  • Rev 1:9I John, your brother and partner with you in the oppression, Kingdom, and perseverance in Christ Jesus, was on the isle that is called Patmos because of God’s Word and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

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 11:33YouTube · 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 11:33 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.