Answer
In a passage that many Bible interpreters understand to be a double prophecy about Antiochus Epiphanies and the end-times Antichrist, Daniel 11:37 reads, “He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all” (NASB). The fact that the Antichrist will “show no regard for . . . the desire of women” leads some to believe that the Antichrist will be gay/homosexual.
The question is what is meant by “the desire of women”? Is it referring to a desire for women, or is it referring to something that women desire? Either is a possible translation of the Hebrew text. If “desire for women” is the proper understanding, the Antichrist’s forsaking of it could be an indication that he will be gay/homosexual. But, if “something women desire” is the proper understanding, the phrase would point in a different direction entirely.
While the NASB, KJV, and NKJV translate the phrase as “the desire of women,” other translations render it differently.
The NIV and ESV translate the phrase as “for the one desired by women” (NIV) and “to the one beloved by women” (ESV). If this rendering is correct, Daniel 11:37 is saying that the Antichrist will show no regard for “something/someone women love.”
The NLT and CSB translate the phrase as “for the god loved by women” (NLT) and “the god desired by women” (CSB). If this rendering is correct, Daniel 11:37 is saying that the Antichrist will not regard the “gods of his father, or the god desired by women, or any other god.”
Essentially, the NIV, ESV, NLT, and CSB all agree that the phrase is referring to “something that women desire,” with the NIV and ESV leaving the something unidentified, while the NLT and CSB identify the something as the “gods” the Antichrist will forsake. This rendering likely makes the most sense. The Antichrist will forsake all gods because he will essentially view himself as God: “He will magnify himself above them all.”
Further, contextually, it would be strange for Daniel 11:37 to insert a reference to homosexuality, especially in such an unclear way. For Daniel 11:37 to say that the Antichrist will be gay, it would have to read something like, “He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, and he will be gay, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all.”
So, while the Antichrist’s showing no regard for “the desire of women” could indicate that he will be gay/homosexual, that is not the only possible interpretation of Daniel 11:37, and it is definitely not the most plausible interpretation.
