What Does Daniel 8:11 Mean?
It grew great even up to the prince of the army, and from him the continual was lifted, and the footing of his set-apart place was sent down.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.THE KEY
The text measures this power’s self-made greatness by what it takes away and by the set-apart place it throws down.
THE MEANING
A power enlarges itself until it stands against the Prince of the host. Its self-exaltation reaches into worship: the continual offering is taken away, and the place of the sanctuary is thrown down. The verse makes domination visible in what it silences and destroys.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that self-exaltation is only a claim to status: here it removes the continual offering and casts down the set-apart place.
THE ROOT
הִגְדִּיל
higdil
GROWS FROM
גדל
g-d-l
To grow or become great; in this verb form, to make great or exalt.
“grew great” in this verse is higdil. The Hebrew presents his action as making himself great, not merely drawing attention. A same-root branch is מִגְדָּל (migdāl), “tower,” which gives self-magnification the image of a rising structure reaching toward the Prince.
ALSO GROWS
gādōl: Great, large
גָּדוֹל
The same root names the greatness this power claims for itself.
migdāl: Tower
מִגְדָּל
This branch gives a concrete image of something made to rise high, echoing the power’s self-enlargement.
מִקְדָּשׁוֹ
miqdāshô
GROWS FROM
קדש
q-d-sh
To set apart; to mark as sacred or consecrated.
“set-apart place” in this verse is miqdāshô. The Hebrew word for sanctuary grows from the root for “set apart.” So the verse describes more than a place being thrown down: the place defined by its setting-apart is under assault.
ALSO GROWS
qādōsh: Set apart
קָדוֹשׁ
It shares the root that marks the sanctuary as distinct from what is ordinary.
qōdesh: Sacredness; that which is set apart
קֹדֶשׁ
It shows the quality carried by the sanctuary’s name and targeted when its place is cast down.
THE PATTERN
Self-exalting power shows its reach by crossing against what is set apart for God.
For you said in your heart, I will go up to the heavens. Above the stars of God I will lift my throne. I will sit on the mountain of assembly, on the flanks of the north.He who is set against and lifts himself up over all that is called God, or what is bowed to, so that he sits down in the temple of God as God, displaying himself that he is God.And he opens his mouth in wounding speech against God, to wound his name, and his tent, and those who pitch their tents in heaven.THE THREAD
The king does according to his will, and he lifts himself up and grows great above every god. He speaks marvels against the God of gods, and he breaks through until the rage runs out, for what is cut is done.“Magnified himself” in both verses comes from the Hebrew root גדל (g-d-l), “grow or become great.” Daniel 11:36 opens the repeated shape of this power: it makes itself great above every god and speaks against the God of gods.
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