Daniel 11:38

And in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The text describes a future ruler who abandons his ancestral deities to elevate a foreign deity associated with military strongholds. This occurs within a prophetic narrative detailing the shifting allegiances and conflicts of southern and northern kings.

The words — The Hebrew `יְכַבֵּ֑ד (ye.kha.Bed)` literally means "he will honor," while `מָֽעֻזִּ֔ים (ma.'u.Zim)` translates to "strongholds." The verse specifies that this honor is directed toward a god of fortresses using wealth as the medium.

The thread — This pattern of substituting true worship with man-made or foreign deities appears in Isaiah 44:9, which notes the worthlessness of idols, and Revelation 13:12, which describes a beast demanding worship. The theme of abandoning faith for deceitful spirits is also noted in 1 Timothy 4:1.

Why it lands — The text demands a reader to recognize that replacing established devotion with novel or power-based worship corrupts authority. It asks for discernment when wealth and force are used to legitimize new spiritual allegiances.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְלֶאֱלֹ֙הַּ֙ve./le./'e.Lo.ahand/ <to>/ a god of מָֽעֻזִּ֔יםma.'u.Zimstrongholds עַל־'al-on כַּנּ֖וֹka.N/oplace/ its יְכַבֵּ֑דye.kha.Bedhe will honor וְלֶאֱל֜וֹהַּve./le./'e.Lo.ahand/ <to>/ a god אֲשֶׁ֧ר'a.Sherwhich לֹא־lo'-not יְדָעֻ֣הוּye.da.'U./huthey knew/ it אֲבֹתָ֗יו'a.vo.Ta/vancestors/ his יְכַבֵּ֛דye.kha.Bedhe will honor בְּזָהָ֥בbe./za.Havwith/ gold וּבְכֶ֛סֶףu/v./Khe.sefand/ with/ silver וּבְאֶ֥בֶןu/v./'E.venand/ with/ stone יְקָרָ֖הye.ka.Rahcostly וּבַחֲמֻדֽוֹת׃u./va./cha.mu.Dotand/ with/ precious things

King James Version

But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

Cross-references

Isaiah 44:9 All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame.
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
Revelation 13:12 And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed.
Revelation 17:1 Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
Revelation 18:12 cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;