Daniel 11:2

“And now will I show thee the truth, etc.] And nothing but the truth; what will most certainly come to pass, and may be depended on, even what is written in the book of God’s decrees, “the Scripture of truth”, and which would appear in Providence in later times; and this he proposed to deliver to him, not in figurative, dark, and obscure expressions, but clearly and plainly, in language easy to be understood: behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; which were Cyrus, who reigned alone after the death of Darius the Mede, his uncle; Cambyses, the son of Cyrus; and Darius Hystaspes. There was another between Cambyses and Darius, called Smerdis the magician, who reigned but seven…”

“three kings in Persia--Cambyses, Pseudo-Smerdis, and Darius Hystaspes. (Ahasuerus, Artaxerxes, and Darius, in Ezr 4:6-7, Ezr 4:24). The Ahasuerus of Esther (see on Dan 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 (Dan 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, Dan 11:3, without noticing Xerxes' successors, proceeds…”

“And now will I show thee the truth - That is, the truth about events that are to occur in the future, and which will accord with what is written in “the scripture of truth,” Daniel 10:21. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia - The phrase “stand up means that there would be so many kings in Persia; that is, there would be three before the fourth which he mentions. The same Hebrew word here rendered “stand up” (עמד ‛âmad) occurs in Daniel 11:3-4, Daniel 11:6-8, Daniel 11:14-16 (twice), Daniel 11:17, Daniel 11:20, Daniel 11:21, Daniel 11:25, Daniel 11:31; also in Daniel 12:1, Daniel 12:13. In Daniel 11:8 it is rendered “continue;” in Daniel 11:15, “withstand;” in the other…”

“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. Daniel 11:3”

“11:2–12:7 The messenger provided a grand sweep of history, from the time of Persia, through the break-up of Greece, the rise and defeat of a wicked king or series of kings (11:21-45), and the final resurrection and triumph of God’s people. 11:2 Three more Persian kings: These Persian kings who followed Cyrus II were most likely Cambyses (530–522 BC), Gaumata (522 BC, a usurper), and Darius I (521–486 BC). The fourth was probably Xerxes I (486–465 BC; see study note on Esth 1:1), whose riches were legendary, as were his army of 1,700,000 soldiers and his huge navy (see Herodotus, Histories 7.6), which he used to fight against the kingdom of Greece. He was unsuccessful, as the Persians failed…”

“will I: Dan 8:26, Dan 10:1, Dan 10:21; Pro 22:21; Amo 3:7; Joh 10:35, Joh 18:37, Joh 18:38; Rev 21:5 three: These were, Cambyses, son of Cyrus; Smerdis the Magian imposter; and Darius Hystaspes. Ezr 4:5, Ezr 4:6 far: Psa 73:6, Psa 73:7 stir: Herodotus says the army of Xerxes consisted of 5,283,220 men, besides the Carthaginians, consisting of 300,000 men, and 200 ships. Dan 11:25, Dan 7:5, Dan 8:4 Daniel 11:3”

“The events of the nearest future - Daniel 11:2-20 The revelation passes quickly from Persia ( Dan 11:2) and the kingdom of Alexander ( Dan 11:3, Dan 11:4), to the description of the wars of the kingdoms of the south and the north, arising out of the latter, in which wars the Holy Land, lying between the two, was implicated. Regarding Persia it is only said that yet three kings shall arise, and that the fourth, having reached to great power by his riches, shall stir up all against the kingdom of Javan. Since this prophecy originates in the third year of the Persian king Cyrus ( Dan 10:1), then the three kings who shall yet (עוד) arise are the three successors of Cyrus, viz., Cambyses, the…”