For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former; and shall certainly come at the end of the times of years with a great army and with much substance.
Daniel 11 tracks a long war between the king of the north (Syria) and the king of the south (Egypt), fought again and again across the land of the Jews. Verse 13 marks the turn in that struggle, and it raises two questions: why God recorded such military detail, and what "after some years" means.
Verse 13 explains something left hanging in verse 12. One writer traces the link:
As we read in verse 12, the king of Egypt gained nothing from his victory, because his heart was proud. Although he struck down tens of thousands, that did not make him strong. Verse 13 gives the reason.
Another writer traces the same stretch of history — the defeat, the wait, and the moment Antiochus struck:
Antiochus had various successes, then suffered a crushing defeat at Raphia (Dan. 11:12). But no lasting gain came to the Egyptian king, especially as he oppressed the Jews. Meanwhile Antiochus waited until he could fall on his infant nephew when the Jews revolted (Dan. 11:13-14).
One writer names the king, the gap of years, and who joined him:
Antiochus, thirteen years later, returned with an army greater than ever, so fulfilling verse 13. He also gained allies, in particular Macedonia and Jews who had turned away from God.
Older translations use the word "times" here, with a margin note reading, "at the end of times, even years." One writer uses that note to fix what "times" means in prophecy:
I believe "times" always means literal years. Daniel 4:32 says, "seven times shall pass over you," and the margin of Daniel 11:13 says, "at the end of times, even years." In these cases the term certainly means literal years, not "prophetic" years… So the period of antichrist's full power will be very short, and it will fall at the time of the final crisis.
Another writer reaches the same verdict and carries it into the last chapter of Daniel:
Not even in Daniel 11:13 can anyone draw out such a prophetic sense. The word "years" explains "at the end of times," and "years" in the ordinary sense. This surely confirms that we take Daniel 12:7-12 in the same sense.
Scripture tracks these armies because of the strip of ground they crossed:
These wars are told in such detail because of what they meant for the Jews and the glorious land… Palestine lay between Syria and Egypt, so it formed the highway of approach from either country… God could not be indifferent to this, because it touched the welfare of His poor people who had returned from Babylon. That is why the Spirit of God has caused the account of all these wars to be recorded. It shows us how intense God's love is for His people, whatever their state. It also teaches us that He watches the movements of nations as they affect His people's interests.
The exact detail of verses like this one troubles the sceptic and comforts the believer:
What is the main objection raised by unbelievers against it? That it must have been written after the events had taken place! It is certain that no historian since those times gives us such a fine account as we have in these few verses. If I want to know the history of these two rival kingdoms, Syria and Egypt, I must look here. How completely we can trust the word of God about everything!
This past history points forward. The northern king of the chapter stands for a later one:
Daniel 11:1-35 are a history of the contests between the king of the north (Syria) and the king of the south (Egypt) — branches of the Greek empire… Daniel 11:21-35 refer to Antiochus Epiphanes, a picture of the king of the north, or Assyrian of the last days.
- Rout — Egypt's great win in verse 12 brought no lasting strength. That failure opens the door to the northern king's comeback.
- Return — the beaten king comes back with a bigger army and with allies. Writers name him as Antiochus, returning thirteen years later.
- Real years — "after some years" means ordinary years. Writers use this verse to show that "times" in prophecy means literal years, not "prophetic" ones.
- Reason — God recorded these marches because His people's land lay between the two armies. His love holds whatever their state, and He watches how the moves of nations touch them.
- Rehearsal — critics can only explain such accuracy by denying that the prophecy is real. And this northern king stands as the pattern of a final one.
And in those times shall many stand up against the king of the south; and the violent of thy people will exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
Daniel 11 traces the long tug-of-war between the king of the north (Syria) and the king of the south (Egypt). At verse 14 a new group steps in: men from Daniel's own nation who lift themselves up "in order to fulfill the vision" — and fail.
The verse follows a fresh advance by the northern king, and it adds a new party to the conflict:
Again the king of the north would return to the attack with a yet greater army. Moreover, many others would join in this attack on the king of the south. Further, Daniel learns that rebels among his own people — the Jews, here called the "violent" — would seek to exalt themselves. They would do it by joining this alliance against the king of the south.
Where the ESV says "the violent among your own people," other translations read "the robbers of your people." Commentators lean on that word. It settles a question that runs through the whole book: are Daniel's people a picture of God's people in general?
Allow me to call attention to these words. It at once settles the question that might be asked — How do you know that Daniel's people do not mean God's people in a spiritual sense? The answer is given here — "the robbers of your people." This at once puts aside the plea for a spiritual sense. We could hardly talk about "robbers" in that case. This confirms what ought not to have needed further evidence — that Daniel's people mean the Jewish people, and nothing else.
There is also weight in the word your. Through this part of the book God speaks of the nation as Daniel's, not as His own:
From the first, one solemn fact stands out. The Jews are for the present Lo-ammi (not My people). God no longer addresses them through the prophet. They are called Daniel's people in Dan. 9:24, Dan. 10:14, Dan. 11:14, Dan. 12:1; and God bears the distinct title "the God of the heavens."
This part of the prophecy has a known history behind it:
All this, it hardly needs saying, happened just so. Antiochus the Great and Philip III of Macedonia formed a league with others against Egypt. At the same time many of the Jewish rebels and self-declared patriots, "the robbers of your people," threw off their loyalty to Egypt.
The phrase in the middle of the verse describes what these men thought they were doing. They acted to make God's own word come true. Where the ESV ends "they shall fail," other translations read "they shall fall."
Another group is named: "the robbers of your people" — that is, of Daniel's people. They "exalt themselves to establish the vision," to prove God's word true, "but they shall fall."
Kelly names what the Syrian king hoped for, and why the whole plan failed:
These are called "the robbers of your people." They take the part of Antiochus, the king of the north, against Ptolemy Philopator, or rather his son; but it all came to nothing. The Syrian king might hope that, by bringing in this new element, by winning the support of the Jews, perhaps God would be with him. But no. They were the robbers of the people — unfaithful to God, and not holding fast their separation from the nations. They too might think to establish the vision, "but they shall fall."
The failure here is not only political. It is a picture of what happens whenever people try to produce by their own energy what God has promised to give:
The old nature can become religious and adapt itself outwardly to the ways of God. What we see far off suits our own inclinations. So we set up religious activity to establish the vision (Dan. 11:14) or to bring about the blessing. But the effect is only to delay and obstruct real blessing; for God will not use it. Discipline is painful and humiliating at the time. Yet it is God's way of preserving and preparing the soul for the future blessing.
- Setting. The northern king returns with a bigger army. Many powers join against the south, and men from Daniel's own nation join in.
- Your people. The word "robbers" fixes the meaning. This is the Jewish nation itself, not a spiritual picture. God calls them Daniel's people, not His own, because they stood as Lo-ammi, "not My people."
- Alliance. Jewish rebels and self-styled patriots dropped their loyalty to Egypt. They sided with Antiochus the Great and his allies.
- Motive. They lifted themselves up "to establish the vision" — to verify God's word by their own action.
- Fall. The verse's last words answer their whole project. Human energy set up to establish the vision only delays the blessing, because God will not use it.