The Meaning of Daniel 11:26 Explained

Daniel 11:26

KJV: Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.

YLT: and those eating his portion of food destroy him, and his force overfloweth, and fallen have many wounded.

Darby: And they that eat of his delicate food shall break him, and his army shall be dissolved; and many shall fall down slain.

ASV: Yea, they that eat of his dainties shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow; and many shall fall down slain.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yea, they that feed  of the portion of his meat  shall destroy  him, and his army  shall overflow:  and many  shall fall  down slain. 

What does Daniel 11:26 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Those who ate Ptolemy"s choice food, those who should have supported him, plotted to destroy him. Eventually his army suffered defeat and many soldiers died.

Context Summary

Daniel 11:15-29 - The Despoiler Triumphs For A Time
What a picture is presented in this paragraph of the tangled web of earthly politics. They have been too much, and for too long, in the hands of those who sought only their own aggrandizement to attain which they have been willing to sacrifice their honor, their families, their daughters, their people. The time has arrived when the people themselves, at first hand, must determine their destinies. These intrigues between the kings of Syria on the north and the kings of Egypt on the south have little interest for us, and are recorded here only as affecting the history of the Chosen People. This enables us to realize that the events of the present hour are being overruled by divine Providence in the interests of the Church of Christ. This alone abides; all else is of secondary importance and is rapidly passing away. The eternal purpose stands forever sure-that the Father has committed the empire of the world to our Lord, and is about to sum all things up in Him, who is the Head. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 11

1  The overthrow of Persia by the king of Grecia
5  Leagues and conflicts between the kings of the south and of the north
30  The invasion and tyranny of the Romans

What do the individual words in Daniel 11:26 mean?

And Yes those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him and his army shall be swept away and shall fall down slain many
וְאֹכְלֵ֧י פַת־ בָּג֛וֹ יִשְׁבְּר֖וּהוּ וְחֵיל֣וֹ יִשְׁט֑וֹף וְנָפְל֖וּ חֲלָלִ֥ים רַבִּֽים

וְאֹכְלֵ֧י  And  Yes  those  who  eat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
בָּג֛וֹ  the  portion  of  his  delicacies 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פַּת־בַּג  
Sense: portion of food for king, delicacies.
יִשְׁבְּר֖וּהוּ  shall  destroy  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
וְחֵיל֣וֹ  and  his  army 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
יִשְׁט֑וֹף  shall  be  swept  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁטַף  
Sense: to wash, rinse, overflow, engulf, rinse or wash off.
וְנָפְל֖וּ  and  shall  fall  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
חֲלָלִ֥ים  slain 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חָלָל 
Sense: slain, fatally wounded, pierced.
רַבִּֽים  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.