Who is the king of the South in Daniel 11?

Response

In the chapters leading up to Daniel 11, God reveals that Israel will be restored; however, He also informs Daniel of a time of great trouble for Israel. The events foretold in Daniel 11 occurred during what is known as the Intertestamental Period—approximately 400 years between the conclusion of the Old Testament and the commencement of the New Testament. No canonical books were written during this period, but the apocryphal books of 1 and 2 Maccabees document the historical events of that time. The accuracy of the information in Daniel 11 is so precise that secular scholars argue it must be a case of prophecy ex eventu, meaning prophecy “after the fact,” which essentially negates the concept of true prophecy. Indeed, without God’s omniscience and His ability to reveal the future to His prophets, this would be the only logical explanation.

Daniel 11 commences with a powerful Greek king whose empire will disperse in all directions. It is widely accepted that this king is Alexander the Great. He passed away in 323 BC at a young age, and his empire was divided among his generals who seized portions for themselves. One of these generals, Ptolemy, acquired a region to the south of Israel encompassing Egypt. Another general, Seleucus, took charge of a territory to the north of Israel comprising Syria. Daniel 11 spans several centuries, so the kings of the north and south are not individual rulers but rather the leaders of the Ptolemaic dynasty (based in Egypt) and the Seleucid dynasty (based in Syria). These two dynasties were in conflict with each other, with Israel caught in the midst of their rivalry. The king of the South refers to the Greek ruler of Egypt from the Ptolemaic dynasty.

The narrative continues in Daniel 11:5–6: “The king of the South will grow strong, but one of his commanders will grow even stronger and will rule his own kingdom with great authority. After some years, they will form an alliance. The daughter of the king of the South will”

I go to the king of the North to form an alliance, but she will not maintain her power, and he and his authority will not endure. In those days, she will be delivered up, along with her royal entourage, her father, and the one who backed her.”

Fulfillment: Initially, the Seleucid king in Syria was under Ptolemy’s rule in Egypt, but eventually, he grew stronger. Consequently, the king of the South suggested a marital alliance to merge their realms. Princess Berenice from the South wedded the Seleucid king, and they had a child. However, the king passed away suddenly, and both the wife and child were killed in 246 BC. Instead of solidifying an alliance, this triggered a conflict.

Daniel 11:7–10: “A descendant of hers will arise to take her place. He will confront the forces of the king of the North, penetrate his stronghold, engage in battle, and prevail. He will also confiscate their deities, their metal idols, and their precious items made of silver and gold, carrying them off to Egypt. He will leave the king of the North undisturbed for some years. Then the king of the North will invade the territory of the king of the South but will withdraw to his own land. His offspring will mobilize for war and amass a vast army, which will surge forward like a torrent and carry the struggle to his stronghold.”

Fulfillment: Berenice’s brother, the Egyptian king, launched a successful campaign against the North from 245 to 241 BC. Subsequently, the Syrian realm sought retaliation—and even made efforts to invade Egypt.

Daniel 11:11–13: “Then the king of the South will advance in fury and battle against the king of the North, who will assemble a great army, only to be defeated. As the army is swept away, the king of the South will become arrogant and slay many thousands, yet he will not prevail. For the king of the North will gather another, larger army than the first; and after several years, he will march with a massive, fully equipped force.”

FuFulfillment: Syria was defeated by Egypt in 217 BC; the Greek-Egyptian king of the South decimated about 20 percent of the Syrian force, but the triumph was short-lived as Syria launched another invasion with a larger force and emerged victorious.

Daniel 11:14–16: “In those times many will rise against the king of the South. The violent men among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. Then the king of the North will come and construct siege ramps and will seize a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their elite troops will not have the strength to stand. The invader will act as he pleases; no one will be able to oppose him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the authority to devastate it.”

Fulfillment: Initially, Israel was under the more lenient rule of the Ptolemaic kings of the South. However, with the Syrian conquest, Israel came under the dominion of the Seleucid king of the North in 200 BC. Some in Israel, feeling oppressed by the Ptolemies, sided with the Seleucids against the Ptolemies. Divisions and factions arose within Israel as individuals chose different allegiances. Jerusalem, the “fortified city,” had Egyptian (southern) troops stationed there, and they were defeated by the king of the North.

Daniel 11:17–29: “He will resolve to come with the full might of his kingdom and will form an alliance with the king of the South. He will offer his daughter in marriage to him to bring about the downfall of the kingdom, but his schemes will not prosper or benefit him. Subsequently, he will focus on the coastal regions and will capture many of them, but a commander will quash his arrogance and will turn his arrogance back against him. Following this, he will redirect his attention to the strongholds of his own land but will falter and vanish, never to be seen again.”

Fulfillment: There was another attempt at a marital alliance. The daughter of the Seleucid king (of the North) wedded the Ptolemaic king.

(Of the South) in 193 BC. The plan was not truly to build an alliance but to undermine the king of the South, for the daughter was to be an agent of her father. However, after marriage, she sided with her husband instead. Since the subterfuge did not work, the Seleucid king of the North attacked a number of Greek islands and part of Asia Minor. He had been warned by the Romans to stay out of Greece, but he ignored the warning and the Romans attacked and defeated him at Thermopylae in 191 BC. He was humiliated and had to start paying tribute to Rome.

Daniel 11:20: “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.”

Fulfillment: The Seleucid successor was preoccupied with getting money to keep Rome at bay. He was unsuccessful in an attempt to loot the temple in Jerusalem to get tribute money. This king had a short and inconsequential reign.

This brings us to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, one of the most notorious and brutal kings of the North.

Daniel 11:21–24 seems to be a summary of the reign of Antiochus IV, and verse 25 begins to give specifics, but not necessarily in chronological order.

Daniel 11:21–24: “He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot, and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time.”

Fulfillment: Antiochus Epiphanes was not a legitimate heir to the throne but was able to

Acquire an army and seize the throne by force in 187 BC. He appeared to harbor a particular grudge against Jerusalem. He orchestrated the assassination of the high priest. He was both a thug and a lunatic. Despite adopting the name Epiphanes (“God manifest”), some, undoubtedly behind his back, dubbed him “Epimanes” (“madman”).

Daniel 11:25–28: “With a large army, he will rouse his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will engage in warfare with a large and exceedingly powerful army, but he will not stand firm because of the schemes devised against him. Those who partake of the king’s provisions will seek to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. The two kings, with evil intent in their hearts, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but it will not succeed, for the end is yet to come at the appointed time. The king of the North will return to his own land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own land.”

Fulfillment: Antiochus invaded Egypt in 169 BC. The king of Egypt was young and inexperienced, relying on advisors who did not serve him well, and he was defeated. In negotiations, neither king acted honorably. Antiochus departed Egypt as the victor. En route home, he plundered the temple in Jerusalem and stationed a garrison there. Furthermore, he desecrated the temple by offering unclean animals there.

Daniel 11:29–30: “At the appointed time, he will invade the South once more, but the outcome will be different from the previous one. Ships from the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and unleash his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.”

Fulfillment: Upon his return, Antiochus resolved to invade the South again. He encountered the Romans, who instructed him to “cease and desist.” He had no option but to comply, yet the encounter left him utterly humiliated.

militated, which seemed to make him more intent on violence elsewhere.

Daniel 11:31–32: “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. With flattery, he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.”

Fulfillment: In his second attempt to loot the temple, Antiochus tried to buy off Jewish officials, and he stopped the daily sacrifices, but this time he was met by Jewish resistance. The Maccabean Revolt ensued in 167 BC.

Daniel 11:33–35: “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. Some of the wise will stumble so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.”

Fulfillment: The revolt met with mixed success and mixed support among the Jewish populace with some help from Rome—which later became an occupying power.

Daniel 11:36–39 seems to recapitulate Antiochus’ reign: “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.”

Fulfillment:

Antiochus acted as he pleased, even declaring himself a god with the title Epiphanes. He specifically selected the Sabbath as a day for worship directed towards him. His arrogance surpassed that of his predecessors as he did not depend on the pagan deities but on his own financial and military power.

Daniel 11:40–45 presents a challenge. These verses do not align with the known history of Antiochus. A skeptical explanation suggests that the author of Daniel lived during Antiochus’ rule, crafting pseudo-prophecies after the events occurred. This allowed him to accurately depict events up to a certain point, with the final verses serving as predictions of the future, which turned out to be inaccurate. However, for those who view the Bible as the authoritative Word of God, this interpretation is unacceptable.

Daniel 11:40–45: “At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will come against him with chariots, horsemen, and a large fleet of ships. He will overrun many countries and sweep through them like a flood. He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many nations will fall, but Edom, Moab, and the leaders of Ammon will escape from his hand. He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not be spared. He will seize the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites in submission. But reports from the east and the north will disturb him, and he will set out in great anger to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.”

Fulfillment: Chapter 11 primarily focuses on Antiochus Epiphanes, but he is just one of the kings of the North mentioned. Following his era, there continued to be a king of the South and a king of the North. It is typical in prophecy to compress events, highlighting only the key moments. Many interpret this final passage as referring to a future king of the North who will surpass even him.

Antiochus, in his pride and blasphemy, is believed to be the final Antichrist at the conclusion of history (“at the time of the end”). The specific identity of the two kings in this scenario has not been disclosed.

Some scholars interpret the events described in Daniel 11:40–45 as pertaining to Antiochus’s successor (Antiochus V) and the decline of the Greek Empire. The Romans, who took over Syria, emerged as the new “king of the North” and proceeded to conquer the Greek ruler in Egypt (the king of the South) and the rest of the Mediterranean region, leading to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. However, even the formidable Roman Empire eventually collapsed and could not be salvaged. Others suggest a dual fulfillment: the prophecy alludes to both the occurrences preceding Christ’s era and those preceding His second coming at the end of time.

Daniel 12 further narrows down events to the ultimate conclusion of history, focusing on the resurrection and final judgment.

Once more, the king of the South denotes the reigning monarch in Egypt at that time, rather than a specific individual. If the concluding verses of the chapter allude to the forthcoming “end times,” then the identity of this king is still undisclosed, and his domain may or may not encompass Egypt.