And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet {b} three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up {c} all against the realm of Grecia.

(b) Of which Cambyses that now reigned was the first, the second Smerdes, the third Darius the son of Hystaspis, and the fourth Xerxes, who all were enemies to the people of God, and stood against them.

(c) For he raised up all the east countries to fight against the Grecians, and even though he had in his army 900,000 men, yet in four battles he was defeated, and fled away with shame.

Wesley's Notes

11:2 He - Xerxes was more potent than all the other three, because his father Darius had gathered an incredible mass for him, which he himself increased for six years together, before he made his expedition against Greece. There were more kings of Persia besides those four, but they had no concern with the people of God.

Scofield Reference Notes

[1] Behold

The spirit of prophecy here returns to that which more immediately concerned Daniel and his royal masters--the near future of the empire in which he was Song great a personage. Four kings were yet to follow in Media-Persia. Then will come Alexander the "mighty king" of Grecia (v.3). The division of Alexander's empire into four parts (v.4) as already predicted Dan 8:22 is foretold. The troublous course of affairs in two parts of the disintegrated Alexandrian empire, Syria and Egypt, is then traced down to verse 20. Here Antiochus Epiphanes, the "little horn" of Chapter 8., occupies the vision down to verse 36. His pollution of the sanctuary is again mentioned. (Cf) See Scofield Note: "Dan 8:9". From verse 36 the interpretation is of the final "little horn" Dan 7:8,24-26, See Scofield Note: "Dan 11:35".

Margin three kings

Ahasuerus, Ezra 4:6, Artaxerxes, Ezra 4:7, and Darius called "Hystaspes" Ezra 4:24.

Margin fourth

Xerxes, who invaded Greece BC 483-480.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. three kings in Persia-Cambyses, Pseudo-Smerdis, and Darius Hystaspes. (Ahasuerus, Artaxerxes, and Darius, in Ezr 4:6, 7, 24). The Ahasuerus of Esther (see on [1101]Da 9:1) is identified with Xerxes, both in Greek history and in Scripture, appearing proud, self-willed, careless of contravening Persian customs, amorous, facile, and changeable (Da 11:2).

fourth . riches . against . Grecia-Xerxes, whose riches were proverbial. Persia reached its climax and showed its greatest power in his invasion of Greece, 480 B.C. After his overthrow at Salamis, Persia is viewed as politically dead, though it had an existence. Therefore, Da 11:3, without noticing Xerxes' successors, proceeds at once to Alexander, under whom, first, the third world kingdom, Grecia, reached its culmination, and assumed an importance as to the people of God.

stir up all-Four years were spent in gathering his army out of all parts of his vast empire, amounting to two millions six hundred and forty-one thousand men. [Prideaux, Connexion, 1.4. l. 410].

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:1-30 The angel shows Daniel the succession of the Persian and Grecian empires. The kings of Egypt and Syria are noticed: Judea was between their dominions, and affected by their contests. From ver. 5-30, is generally considered to relate to the events which came to pass during the continuance of these governments; and from ver. 21, to relate to Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a cruel and violent persecutor of the Jews. See what decaying, perishing things worldly pomp and possessions are, and the power by which they are gotten. God, in his providence, sets up one, and pulls down another, as he pleases. This world is full of wars and fightings, which come from men's lusts. All changes and revolutions of states and kingdoms, and every event, are plainly and perfectly foreseen by God. No word of God shall fall to the ground; but what he has designed, what he has declared, shall infallibly come to pass. While the potsherds of the earth strive with each other, they prevail and are prevailed against, deceive and are deceived; but those who know God will trust in him, and he will enable them to stand their ground, bear their cross, and maintain their conflict.