And both of these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.
hearts.
2 Samuel 13:26 Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee?
Psalm 12:2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
Psalm 52:1 To the chief Musician, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech. Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.
speak lies.
Psalm 62:9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
Jeremiah 9:3-5 And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD…
Jeremiah 41:1-3 Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah…
but.
Proverbs 19:21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
Ezekiel 17:9 Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.
yet.
Daniel 11:29,35,40 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter…
Daniel 8:19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.
Daniel 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.
will speak lies at the same table,
The imagery of speaking lies at the same table indicates a diplomatic meeting or negotiation where deceit is prevalent. This reflects the historical context of political alliances and treaties that were often fraught with betrayal and ulterior motives. The table symbolizes a place of supposed peace and agreement, yet it is marred by dishonesty, reminiscent of Psalm 41:9, where even close companions can betray.
but to no avail,
Despite their deceitful plans, their efforts will ultimately fail. This highlights the futility of human schemes against the divine plan. It echoes the biblical principle that human plans are subject to God's sovereign will (Proverbs 19:21). The phrase reassures believers that evil, no matter how cunning, cannot thwart God's purposes.
for still the end will come at the appointed time.
This emphasizes the certainty and sovereignty of God's timing in the unfolding of history. The "appointed time" suggests a divinely ordained schedule, reinforcing the prophetic nature of Daniel's visions. It connects to the broader biblical theme of God's control over history and the fulfillment of prophecy, as seen in Ecclesiastes 3:1 and Galatians 4:4. This phrase assures believers of God's ultimate victory and the fulfillment of His promises, pointing to the eschatological hope found in Christ's return.
“And the two kings” (Daniel 11:27) points to the historical rulers of the North and the South—Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria and Ptolemy VI Philometor of Egypt.
• Daniel 11 traces a literal sequence of conflicts between these two lines (cf. Daniel 11:5–20).
• Their rivalry previewed the future struggle between the Antichrist and other earthly powers (cf. Daniel 7:24–25; 1 John 2:18).
• Though mere men, they imagine themselves masters of their destinies, echoing rulers in Psalm 2:1–3 who “take their stand…against the LORD.”
“with their hearts bent on evil” shows their inner nature.
• Scripture teaches that “the heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9), and these kings illustrate that truth.
• Their motives are not mixed; they are intentionally rebellious, paralleling Romans 3:10–18.
• Their wicked agendas remind us that history is not morally neutral—human choices matter, yet God’s plan overrules (Proverbs 21:1).
“will speak lies at the same table” captures a moment of treacherous diplomacy.
• Antiochus and Ptolemy sat down in 170 BC, outwardly agreeing to peace while secretly plotting against each other.
• This pattern of deceit fulfills Daniel 8:25: “He will cause deceit to prosper.”
• Psalm 55:21 describes such duplicity: “His words were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart.”
• Revelation 16:13–14 shows lying spirits still influencing political leaders in the last days.
“but to no avail” signals the futility of their schemes.
• Proverbs 19:21: “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.”
• Their temporary gains collapse—Antiochus’s campaigns falter, and Egypt slips from Ptolemy’s grasp.
• Psalm 33:10: “The LORD foils the plans of the nations.” God allows human plotting only so far as it serves His larger design.
“for still the end will come” lifts the reader’s eyes beyond 2nd-century events to the climactic end of the age.
• Jesus echoed this in Matthew 24:6: “the end is still to come.”
• History presses toward a divinely fixed goal; no alliance can halt or hasten it.
• Isaiah 46:10 reminds us: God declares “the end from the beginning.”
“at the appointed time” affirms God’s sovereign timetable.
• Habakkuk 2:3: “The vision awaits an appointed time… it will surely come; it will not delay.”
• Galatians 4:4 applies the same principle to Christ’s first coming; Acts 17:26 to the rise and fall of nations.
• Nothing is random; every king, every crisis fits the clock of heaven.
Daniel 11:27 describes two historically identifiable kings scheming together, driven by evil hearts, practicing calculated deception, and yet failing because God’s sovereign plan marches on. Their story, literally fulfilled in the 2nd century BC, foreshadows the final showdowns of the last days. Human rulers may connive, but the Lord alone sets the “appointed time,” ensuring that His redemptive purposes are fulfilled exactly as written.
(27) Both these kings.--The two rival kings are here described as living upon terms of outward friendship, while each is inwardly trying to outwit the other. The context is opposed to any reference to the combination of Antiochus and Philometor against Physcon (see Livy, xlv. 11; Polyb. xxix. 8). The object of the paragraph is to show that the southern king was attempting to fight his rival with his own weapons--viz., deceit--but the plots of each king fail.For yet . . .--i.e., the end of each will come only at the time definitely ordained by God for the consummation of His kingdom (Daniel 11:35). Man cannot hasten the events decreed by God's providence. For an interesting commentary, read Isaiah 18:4-6.
Verse 27. - And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. The Septuagint Version is, "And two kings shall dine alone at the same time, and eat at one table, and they shall speak lies, and they shall not prosper." The translator has read לבדם instead of לבבם. Theodotion is closer to the Massoretic, agreeing in this with the Peshitta and Vulgate. The probable reference is to Ptolemy Philometor, conveyed practically a prisoner with his uncle's army, while Epiphanes carried on his invasion of Egypt. They dined at one table, and probably deceived each the other. The purpose of Ptolemy was to get his usurping brother Physcon dethroned; the object of Antiochus was to possess Egypt for himself. Rashi sees in this a reference to the quarrels and reconciliations which diversified the conflict between John Hyrcanus II. and his brother Aristobulns. Jephet-ibn-Alimakes the two kings mean Arabia and Rome, since, according to him, these are respectively the kings of the south and of the north. Yet the end shall be at the time appointed. The progress of Antiochus was interrupted by the Romans.