He will pitch his royal tentsThis phrase suggests a temporary military encampment, indicating a strategic move by a powerful leader. In ancient times, pitching tents was a common practice for armies on the move. The imagery of "royal tents" implies a king or ruler, possibly a reference to a future antagonist or a type of antichrist figure. This aligns with the broader context of
Daniel 11, which details conflicts involving kings of the North and South.
between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain
The "sea" likely refers to the Mediterranean Sea, a significant geographical landmark in the region. The "beautiful holy mountain" is traditionally understood as Mount Zion in Jerusalem, a central place in Jewish worship and prophecy. This location suggests a confrontation near Jerusalem, a city of immense religious and historical significance. The proximity to Jerusalem may symbolize an attack on God's people or a challenge to divine authority.
but he will meet his end
This phrase indicates the ultimate downfall of the ruler described. Despite his power and strategic positioning, his demise is certain. This reflects a recurring biblical theme where earthly powers are ultimately subject to divine judgment. It echoes the fate of other historical figures in the Bible who opposed God's purposes, such as Pharaoh in Exodus.
with no one to help him
The absence of assistance highlights the isolation and vulnerability of this leader at the time of his downfall. It suggests a divine orchestration where human alliances and power structures fail. This can be seen as a fulfillment of prophetic judgment, where God alone determines the rise and fall of nations and leaders. It also parallels other scriptural instances where God intervenes directly, leaving adversaries without support, such as in the battles described in the books of Kings and Chronicles.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
HeThis refers to a king, often interpreted as a future ruler or antichrist figure, who will set himself against God and His people.
2.
Royal TentsSymbolic of military or political power, indicating a temporary but significant presence.
3.
The SeaOften understood as the Mediterranean Sea, representing a geographical marker.
4.
The Beautiful Holy MountainRefers to Mount Zion or Jerusalem, a place of spiritual significance for the Jewish people.
5.
His EndThe ultimate downfall of this ruler, signifying divine judgment and the futility of opposing God.
Teaching Points
The Futility of Opposing GodNo matter how powerful a ruler may seem, their end is certain if they oppose God. This serves as a reminder of God's ultimate sovereignty.
Temporary PowerThe royal tents symbolize temporary power and influence. Believers should focus on eternal values rather than temporary worldly power.
God's Protection of His PeopleDespite the threats against Jerusalem, God’s plan for His people will prevail. Trust in God's protection and promises.
The Importance of Spiritual ReadinessAs the end times approach, believers should remain vigilant and spiritually prepared, aligning their lives with God's will.
Hope in God's JusticeThe downfall of the wicked ruler assures believers that God's justice will ultimately prevail, providing hope amidst trials.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Daniel 11:45?
2.How does Daniel 11:45 relate to God's sovereignty over earthly kingdoms?
3.What lessons can we learn about pride from Daniel 11:45's "pitch his tents"?
4.How does Daniel 11:45 connect with Revelation's depiction of end times events?
5.What practical steps can we take to avoid the fate in Daniel 11:45?
6.How does Daniel 11:45 encourage trust in God's ultimate victory and justice?
7.What does Daniel 11:45 reveal about the fate of the "king of the North"?
8.How does Daniel 11:45 fit into the prophecy of the end times?
9.What historical events might Daniel 11:45 be predicting or referencing?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Daniel 11?
11.What events marked Jesus' third year of ministry?
12.How do claims in Ezekiel 36 about Israel's future prosperity reconcile with other biblical passages that predict ongoing hardship for the same people?
13.Does the Bible claim the earth is flat?
14.If Zechariah 9:10 implies a universal dominion, why hasn't any global theocracy emerged from this prophecy?What Does Daniel 11:45 Mean
He will pitch his royal tents– Daniel describes a final, arrogant ruler who “will pitch his royal tents”.
– Royal tents suggest a mobile command center—he is on the move, waging a last campaign (cf.Daniel 11:40).
– Scripture repeatedly pictures the end-times tyrant as a military aggressor: “He will destroy many in a time of peace” (Daniel 8:25); “The beast was allowed to wage war against the saints” (Revelation 13:7).
– Yet even in his apparent strength, the verse hints at transience. Tents are temporary; God alone is permanent (Psalm 102:25-27).
Between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain– The “sea” points naturally to the Mediterranean. The “beautiful holy mountain” is Mount Zion, the temple mount in Jerusalem (Psalm 48:1-2).
– Placing his headquarters between them indicates a literal staging ground in Israel’s land—likely the coastal plain stretching toward Jerusalem.
– This fulfills prophecies that the last world ruler will invade the Holy Land: “He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood” (Daniel 11:40), and “All nations will gather against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:3).
–Revelation 16:16 speaks of armies gathering at Armageddon—also located between the sea and the holy mountain—showing harmony across prophetic passages.
But he will meet his end– The verse abruptly shifts from the tyrant’s advance to his downfall: “but he will meet his end.”
– God sets fixed limits for evil.Job 38:11 echoes the principle: “This far you may come, but no farther.”
– Other texts describe the same sudden termination: “He will be broken without human hand” (Daniel 8:25); “The Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth” (2 Thessalonians 2:8); “The beast was seized… and thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur” (Revelation 19:20).
With no one to help him– The mighty ruler who seemed invincible finds himself utterly alone.Psalm 146:3 reminds us, “Do not put your trust in princes… when their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans perish.”
– His former allies turn powerless: “The ten horns… will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin” (Revelation 17:16), illustrating collapsing coalitions.
– God’s people, once oppressed, are vindicated: “At that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered” (Daniel 12:1).
summaryDaniel 11:45 pictures the last evil ruler setting up his temporary headquarters in Israel, right between the Mediterranean Sea and Mount Zion. Though he appears poised for victory, his campaign is cut short. God decisively ends his reign, and not a single ally remains to rescue him. The verse assures believers that every human empire is fleeting, while the Lord’s sovereign plan—and His protection of His people—stands forever.
(45)
He shall plant . . .--For a similar prophecy, comp.
Jeremiah 43:10 (where see the Targum). The king is here represented as halting while a palatial tent is being erected for him. The word "palace" is omitted by the LXX., and simply transliterated "Apedno" by St. Jerome and Theodotion, as if it were a proper name.
Between the seas--i.e., between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea.
The glorious holy mountain.--Literally,Themountain of the holy ornament, generally explained to be Mount Zion. (Comp.Psalm 48:2.) This he threatens, as once did the Assyrian (comp.Isaiah 10:32-34), but without success.
He shall come to his end.--It is to be remarked that the end of this king is placed in the same locality which is elsewhere predicted by the prophets as the scene of the overthrow of Antichrist (Ezekiel 39:4;Joel 3:2;Joel 3:12;Zechariah 14:2). . . .
Verse 45. -
And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. The rendering of the LXX. is, "Then shall he set up his tent between the seas and the mountains of the choice of the sanctuary, and the hour of his end shall come, and he shall have no helper." Theodotion's rendering is, "He shall pitch his tent Epha-dane between the seas at the holy mountain of Sabacin; he shall come to his lot, and there will not be a deliverer to him." It is to be observed that the word
אַפַדְניֹ (
appadno), "royal tent," a late word in Hebrew, was not present in the text before the translator of the Septuagint. Further, Theodotion did not know the meaning of the word, although his recension was prepared under Jewish supervision. The Peshitta renders, "And he shall place his tout on the plain space between the sea and the mountain, and shall assail its sanctuary, and he shall come to his end; there shall not be to him a helper." The Vulgate renders, "And he shall place his tabernacle,
aphadno, between the two seas upon the glorious and holy mountain; he shall come even to its (his) highest point, and no one shall help him."
He shall plant the tabernacle of his palace. The word here used (
appadno) does not occur elsewhere, and seems to denote the royal tent. The fact that it does not appear in the Septuagint or Peshitta renders its right to be in the text somewhat doubtful. Theodotion and Jerome transliterate it, as if it had not got a place in Hebrew even in their day. It does occur in the Targum and the Peshitta. At the same time, a purely technical word like this might really be of ancient usage, yet the occasion for its use might not have previously occurred; the literature of ancient Hebrew is exceedingly limited.
Between the seas in the glorious holy mountain. Havernick maintains that the glorious and holy mountain here is the mountain on which the temple of Nanaia was placed, and that the
seas in question were the Caspian and the Persian Gulf. It is difficult to imagine a Jew calling the mountain on which a heathen temple was placed, "glorious holy," even were we sure that the temple in question was on a mountain, for which we have no evidence. The Jews probably knew of the sea into which the Euphrates discharged its waters; but it is not prominent in their writings, and the Caspian may be looked upon as unknown. The distance between these two seas is so great that no one would locate such a small thing as a city by saying that it was between them. The natural interpretation is that the seas in question are the Mediterranean - the great sea - and the Dead Sea - the Salt Sea. But the Hebrew leads rather to the idea that the plural is one of excellence.
בֵין (
bayn), "between," is not infrequently construed with
לְ (
le), "to," as here; hence the translation would be between the seas,
i.e. the great sea and the holy mountain. There can be no doubt that "the glorious and holy mountain" is Mount Zion.
Yet he shall come to his end,
and none shall help him. The death of Antiochus, baffled in his attempt to rifle the temple of Nanaia, humiliated not only by his own disaster, but by the news received from Jerusalem, is full of disappointment and misery, even when we get rid of the rhetoric with which the events are clothed in Polybius and 1 and 2 Maccabees. One-half of his army under Lysias had been baffled and defeated by Judas Maccabaeus; he himself had been repulsed in his attempt to replenish his coffers; the, re is therefore for him no helper, so he dies of disappointment at Tabes.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
He will pitchוְיִטַּע֙(wə·yiṭ·ṭa‘)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5193:To strike in, fix, to planthis royalאַפַּדְנ֔וֹ(’ap·paḏ·nōw)Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 643:A pavilion, palace-tenttentsאָהֳלֶ֣י(’ā·ho·le)Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 168:A tentbetweenבֵּ֥ין(bên)Preposition
Strong's 996:An interval, space betweenthe seaיַמִּ֖ים(yam·mîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3220:A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basinand the beautifulצְבִי־(ṣə·ḇî-)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6643:Splendor, a gazelleholyקֹ֑דֶשׁ(qō·ḏeš)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6944:A sacred place, thing, sanctitymountain,לְהַר־(lə·har-)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2022:Mountain, hill, hill countrybut he will meetוּבָא֙(ū·ḇā)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935:To come in, come, go in, gohis endקִצּ֔וֹ(qiṣ·ṣōw)Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7093:An extremity, afterwith no oneוְאֵ֥ין(wə·’ên)Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369:A non-entity, a negative particleto helpעוֹזֵ֖ר(‘ō·w·zêr)Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5826:To surround, protect, aidhim.לֽוֹ׃(lōw)Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew
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OT Prophets: Daniel 11:45 He shall plant the tents of his (Dan. Da Dn) 
