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Daniel Chapter
Eleven
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 11
In
this chapter the angel makes good his promise to Daniel
that he would show him
what was written in the Scripture of truth
concerning the monarchies of the
earth
and what would befall his people the Jews in the latter days; and after
he had observed that he had strengthened and confirmed Darius the Mede
who was
the first king of the then present flourishing monarchy
Daniel 11:1
he
foretells the number of the kings of Persia
and particularly describes the
fourth
Daniel 11:2
predicts the rise of the Grecian monarchy under Alexander the great
and the
disposition of it after his death
Daniel 11:3 and
then proceeds to give an account of the two principal kingdoms of that
monarchy
into which it was divided
the Seleucidae and Lagidae; and of their
kings
the king of Egypt
and the king of Syria
under the names of the king of
the south
and the king of the north
and of their power and agreement
Daniel 11:5 and
then of their various wars between themselves and others
and the success of
them
Daniel 11:7
and
particularly of Antiochus
his character and manner of coming to the kingdom
and of his wars with the king of Egypt
and the issue of them
Daniel 11:21 and of
his persecution of the Jews
and the distress he should bring on them
and the
use it should be of to the godly among them
Daniel 11:30
and
then his antitype
antichrist
is described; the western antichrist
his
character and actions
Daniel 11:36 then
the eastern
his power
wealth and riches
hail and rain
Daniel 11:40.
Daniel 11:1 “Also in the
first year of Darius the Mede
I
even I
stood up to confirm and
strengthen him.)
YLT 1`And I
in the first year
of Darius the Mede
my standing [is] for a strengthener
and for a stronghold
to him;
Also I
in the first year of Darius the Mede
.... These
words more properly belong to the preceding chapter
and should have concluded
that
and the "eleventh" chapter should have begun in the next verse;
and they are not the words of Daniel
as Jerom and others; but of the angel
telling Daniel
not only what he had been lately doing
and would do in the
court of Persia for his people; but what he had done in the beginning of that
monarchy
the very first year that Darius the Mede became king of Babylon
and
head of the whole monarchy; see Daniel 5:30
the
Septuagint and Arabic versions render it
"in the first year of
Cyrus"; which was the same time; for Darius and Cyrus reigned together.
Even I
stood to confirm and to strengthen him; not Michael
your Prince
as Jarchi; for he being no other than the Son of God
an uncreated
Angel
needed not the help and assistance of a created one
nor could receive
any strength and confirmation from such an one; unless this is to be understood
not with respect to Michael himself abstractly considered
but as in relation
to the people of the Jews
on whose side Michael was; and so this angel took
part with him and them
and as his minister served them both
in defending
them
and taking care of their affairs at this time; so Jacchiades paraphrases
it
to confirm and strengthen Israel: but it seems rather to design Darius
and
the sense to be
that this angel strengthened Darius and Cyrus in their good
intentions to let the people of Israel go free and give them full liberty and
encouragement to go into their own land
and rebuild their city and temple;
about which some doubts and hesitations might arise in their minds
and
objections be made by some of their nobles and courtiers to it
being moved and
influenced by an evil spirit
the adversary of this good angel; but he attended
them so closely
and so strongly suggested to them what they should do in this
case
that he carried his point on behalf of the Jews; for this respects not so
much the destruction of the Chaldean monarchy
and the establishing the Persian
monarchy on the ruins of it
and settling Darius on the throne
and
strengthening his kingdom and interest
as the confirmation of him and Cyrus in
their designs in favour of the Jews. The Syriac version is
"from the
first year of Darius the Mede
he rose up to help me
and assist me"; as
if the angel was still speaking of Michael
who came to his help against the
prince of Persia
and was the only one that held with him
and had done so from
the beginning of the Persian empire; but the Hebrew text will not admit of such
a translation.
Daniel 11:2 2 And
now I will tell you the truth: Behold
three more kings will arise in Persia
and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength
through his riches
he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.
YLT 2and
now
truth I declare
to thee
Lo
yet three kings are standing for Persia
and the fourth doth
become far richer than all
and according to his strength by his riches he
stirreth up the whole
with the kingdom of Javan.
And now will I show thee the truth
.... 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 months
and being an impostor is left out
as he is in Ptolemy's canon; not that these
were all the kings of Persia after Darius the Mede; for
according to the above
canon
there reigned six more after them; but because these kings had a
connection with the Jews
and under them their affairs had different turns and
changes
respecting their restoration and settlement
and the building of their
city and temple; as also because these kings "stood"
and the
monarchy under them was strong and flourishing
whereas afterwards it began to
decline; and chiefly it is for the sake of the fourth king that these are
observed
who laid the foundation of the destruction of the Persian monarchy by
the Grecians.
And the fourth shall be far richer than they all: this is
Xerxes
who exceeded his predecessors in wealth and riches; enjoying what they
by their conquests
or otherwise
had amassed together
to which he greatly
added; Cyrus had collected a vast deal of riches from various nations
especially from Babylon: God gave him "the treasures of darkness
and
hidden riches of secret places"
Isaiah 14:3
Cambyses increased the store by his victories
and the plunder of temples
wherever he came; out of the flames of which were saved three hundred talents
of gold
and 2300 talents of silver
which he carried away
together with the
famous circle of gold that encompassed the tomb of King OzymandiasF4See
the Universal History
vol. 5. p. 194. : and Darius
the father of Xerxes
laid
heavy taxes upon the people
and hoarded up his money; hence he was called by
the Persians καπηλοςF5Herodot.
l. 3. sive Thalia
c. 89.
the huckster or hoarder: and Xerxes came into it
all
and so became richer than them all; of whom Justin saysF6E
Trogo
l. 2. c. 10. .
"si
regem species; divitias
non ducem laudes: quarum tanta copia in regno ejus
fuit
ut cum flumina multitudine consumerentur
opes tamen regiae superessent.'
And by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all
against the realm of Grecia; through his vast riches
which are the
sinews of war
he collected a prodigious army out of all provinces
which he
raised to make war against the Grecians; being moved to it by Mardonius
a
relation of his
who was very ambitious of being at the head of a large armyF7Diodor.
Sicul. Bibliothec. l. 11. par. 2. p. 3. Ed. Rhodoman. ; three years were spent
in preparing for this expedition
and forces were gathered out of all parts of
the then known habitable world; out of all the west
under Hamilcar
general of
the Carthaginians
with whom he made a league; and out of all the east
under
his own command: his army
according to JustinF8E Trogo
l. 2. c.
10.
consisted of 700
000 of his own
and 300
000 auxiliaries; Diodorus
SiculusF9Ut supra
( Diodor. Sicul. Bibliothec. l. 11.) par. 2. p.
2. makes it much less
to be about 300
000 men; but Dr. PrideauxF11Connexion
&c. part 1. B. 4. p. 233
234.
from Herodotus and others
computes
that
putting all his forces together by sea and land
by the time he came to the
straits of Thermopylae the number of them were 2
641
610 men; and Grotius
from
the same writer reckons them 5
283
000
to which others add two hundred and
twentyF12See the Universal History
vol. 5. p. 233. with these he
marched into Greece
where
after having done much mischief
he was shamefully
defeated and obliged to retire
and was murdered by Artabanus the captain of
his guards. The words may be renderedF13יעיר
הכל את מלכות
יון "excitabit universos
nempe regnum"
Graciae
Michaelis.
"he shall stir up all
even the realm of
Grecia"; by the preparation he made
and the vast army he brought into the
field
he raised all the cities and states of Greece to combine together to
withstand him; and this step of his is what irritated the Grecians
and put
them upon later attempts to avenge themselves on the Persians for this attack upon
them; and which they never desisted from
till they had ruined the Persian
empire
which they did under Alexander; and so he
in his letter to Darius
saysF14Apud Arrian. Exped. Alexand. l. 2.
"your
ancestors entered into Macedonia
and the other parts of Greece
and did us
damage
when they had received no affront from us as the cause of it; and now
I
created general of the Grecians
provoked by you
and desirous of avenging
the injury done by the Persians
have passed over into Asia.'
And
it is for the sake of this
the destruction of the Persian empire by Alexander
that this expedition of Xerxes is here hinted at; and to pave the way for the
account of Alexander and his successors
in the following part of this
prophecy.
Daniel 11:3 3 Then
a mighty king shall arise
who shall rule with great dominion
and do according
to his will.
YLT 3And a mighty king hath
stood
and he hath ruled a great dominion
and hath done according to his will;
And a mighty king shall stand up
.... Not in Persia
but
in Greece; Alexander the great
who rose up a hundred years after the above
expedition of Xerxes
and "stood" and flourished
and conquered all
he attacked
none being able to resist him; and is rightly called a
"mighty king"
a very powerful one: this is the notable horn in the
he goat
which being exasperated by the ram
the Persians
and their invasion
of Greece
pushed at them
and destroyed them
Daniel 8:5
that
shall rule with great dominion; not in Greece only but in the whole world
at
least as he thought
and really did over a very great part of it; for
as
Jerome says
having conquered the Illyrians
Thracians
Greece
and Thebes
he
passed into Asia; and
having put to flight the generals of Darius
he took the
city of Sardis
and afterwards India.
And do according to his will; not only in his own
army
sacrificing his best friends at his pleasure; but with his enemies
conquering whom he would
none being able to withstand him; all things
succeeded to his wish; whatever he attempted he performed. His historianF15Curtius
l. 10. c. 5. says of him
"that
it must be owned he owed much to virtue
but more to fortune
which alone of
all mortals he had in his power;'
since
by the benefit of it
he seemed to do with nations whatever he pleased; he was
sovereign in all things
and set himself to be worshipped as a deity.
Daniel 11:4 4 And
when he has arisen
his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four
winds of heaven
but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with
which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted
even for others besides
these.
YLT 4and according to his
standing is his kingdom broken
and divided to the four winds of the heavens
and not to his posterity
nor according to his dominion that he ruled
for his
kingdom is plucked up -- and for others apart from these.
And when he shall stand up
his kingdom shall be broken
.... When
Alexander was risen up to his highest pitch of grandeur
was sole monarch of
the world
in the height of his ambition
in the prime of his days
he was cut
off by death; his kingdom remained no more one
but became many
was seized by
different persons
his generals
and so broke to pieces:
and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; which seem to
have respect to the four horns or kings
which came up in his place
Daniel 8:8
and among
whom his kingdom was parted; Ptolemy reigned in Egypt to the south; Antigonus
in Asia to the north; Seleucus in Babylon and Syria to the east; and Cassander
in Macedonia to the west:
and not to his posterity; for though he had two
sons
one by Barsine
whose name was Hercules
who was living at his death; and
another by Roxane
born after his death
whose name was Alexander; yet they
were both destroyed by Cassander
or his means
that he might enjoy MacedoniaF16Diodor.
Sicul. Bibliothec. l. 19. p. 739. & l. 20. p. 761. :
nor according to his dominion which he ruled; their
dominion was not so large and powerful as Alexander's was
being divided into
several parts; see Daniel 8:22
for
his kingdom shall be plucked up
even for others besides those; either besides
his posterity
who had no share in it
and so
with respect to his family
was
like a tree plucked up by the roots
and
as to their concern in it
withered
away at once; or
besides the four governors before mentioned
there were
others that had
at least for a while
some lesser shares in the kingdom
as
Eumenes
Philotas
Leonnatus
and others; but
at length
all were reduced to
the kings of Egypt and Syria
the Lagidae and Seleucidae
which the following
part of the prophecy chiefly concerns; and
besides these
for the Romans also
to whom this kingdom came.
Daniel 11:5 5 “Also
the king of the South shall become strong
as well as one of his princes;
and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be
a great dominion.
YLT 5`And a king of the south --
even of his princes -- doth become strong
and doth prevail against him
and
hath ruled; a great dominion [is] his dominion.
And the king of the south shall be strong
.... That is
the king of Egypt
which lay south to Syria
as Syria lay north to Egypt; and
therefore the king of the one is called the king of the south
and the other
the king of the north
throughout this prophecy; and by the king of the south
or Egypt
is here meant Ptolemy Lagus
one of Alexander's generals
who had
Egypt for his share; and a very powerful king he was; for he reigned over
Egypt
Lybia
Cyrene
Ethiopia
Arabia
Phoenicia
Coelesyria
Cyprus
and
several isles in the Aegean sea
and many cities in Greece:
and one of his princes; not of Ptolemy king of
Egypt
but of Alexander the great; and this is Seleucus Nicator
afterwards
called king of the north
having Syria for his part
which lay to the north of
Egypt
as before observed:
and he shall be strong above him
and have dominion; that is
be a
greater and more powerful prince than Ptolemy king of Egypt:
his dominion shall be a great dominion; even greater
than the others; for he reigned over Macedonia
Greece
Thrace
Asia
Syria
Babylonia
Media
and all the eastern countries as far as India; even from
Taurus to the river Indus
and so likewise from Taurus to the Aegean sea: these
two are only mentioned
who shared the Persian monarchy
because the Jews were
only affected by them
for the sake of whom this prophecy is delivered.
Daniel 11:6 6 And
at the end of some years they shall join forces
for the daughter of the
king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but
she shall not retain the power of her authority
[a] and
neither he nor his authority[b] shall
stand; but she shall be given up
with those who brought her
and with him who
begot her
and with him who strengthened her in those times.
YLT 6`And at the end of years
they do join themselves together
and a daughter of the king of the south doth
come in unto the king of the north to do upright things; and she doth not
retain the power of the arm; and he doth not stand
nor his arm; and she is
given up
she
and those bringing her in
and her child
and he who is
strengthening her in [these] times.
And in the end of years they shall join themselves together
.... The two
kings of Egypt and Syria; not the two former kings
but their successors: the
king of Egypt was Ptolemy Philadelphus
the second king of Egypt
the son of
Ptolemy Lagus; this is the king of Egypt who collected such a vast number of
books into his library at Alexandria
and got the law of Moses translated into
Greek: the king of Syria was Antiochus
surnamed Theos; this name was first
given him by the Milesians
upon his delivering them from the tyranny of
Timarchus governor of Caria; he was the third king of Syria; Seleucus Nicator
the first
Antiochus Soter the second
and this the third: there had been very
great wars between these kings for many years; and now
being weary of them
they entered into confederacies and alliances with each other
and which were
designed to be strengthened by a marriage next mentioned; this is thought to be
about seventy years after the death of Alexander:F17See the
Universal History
vol. 9. p. 384. .
for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the
north to make an agreement; this was Bernice
daughter of Ptolemy
Philadelphus king of Egypt
who carried her to Pelusium
and from thence sailed
with her to Seleucia in Syria; where he met with Antiochus king of Syria
to
whom he gave her in marriage
with a vast dowry of gold and silver; hence she
was called φερνοφορος;
and the marriage was celebrated with great solemnityF18Ibid. p. 196.
& Jerom. in loc. : and this was "to make agreement"
or "to
make things right or straight"F19לעשות
מישרים "ad faciendum reetitudines"
Pagninus
Michaelis; "ut faciat rectitudines"
Montanus;
"recta"
Calvin. ; that were wrong and crooked before; to put an end
to wars and discords; to make peace and cultivate friendship; to strengthen
alliances
and confirm each other in their kingdoms:
but she shall not retain the power of the arm; unite the two
kingdoms
and secure the peace of them
which was the thing in view; nor retain
her interest in her husband
nor her power at court; for
as soon as her father
was dead
Antiochus dismissed Bernice from his bed
and took Laodice his former
wife again
by whom he had had two sons
Seleucus Callinicus
and Antiochus
HieraxF20Universal History
vol. 9
p. 196
197. :
neither shall he stand
nor his arm; neither Antiochus; for
Laodice
knowing that by the late treaty the crown was settled upon the
children of Bernice
who already had a son by him
and sensible of his
fickleness
and fearing he might divorce her again
and take to Bernice
got
him poisoned by his servants: nor Bernice his queen
called "his
arm"; who fleeing to Daphne for shelter
on hearing what was done
was
there slain; or it may be his son he had by her
so it follows:
but she shall be given up; into the hands of
Seleucus Callinicus
the son of Laodice; whom she placed on the throne after
the death of his father; and who sent to Daphne to slay Bernice
which was
accordingly doneF21Ibid. :
and they that brought her; into Syria; that
attended her from Egypt at her marriage
and continued with her in the court of
Syria
and fled with her to Daphne:
and he that begat her: or
"whom she
brought forth"; as in the margin; her little son
who was murdered at the
same time with her; for her father died before:
and he that strengthened her in these times; either her
husband
or her father
who were both dead before
and so stood not
and could
not help her; unless this is to be understood of her brother
and the cities of
the lesser Asia
who
hearing of her distress at Daphne
set out for her
relief
but came too late; she and her son were both slain firstF23Justin
l. 27. c. 1. .
Daniel 11:7 7 But
from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place
who shall come
with an army
enter the fortress of the king of the North
and deal with them
and prevail.
YLT 7`And [one] hath stood up
from a branch of her roots
[in] his station
and he cometh in unto the bulwark
yea
he cometh into a stronghold of the king of the south
and hath wrought
against them
and hath done mightily;
But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate
.... Or
"out of a branch of her roots a shoot thereof shall stand or rise up"F24כנו "plantatio ejus"
V. L. ; by "her
roots" are meant her ancestors
particularly Ptolemy Lagus; by "a
branch" from thence
Ptolemy Philadelphus her father; and by the
"shoot" out of that
or its plantation
as the Vulgate Latin version
is designed her brother
Ptolemy Euergetes; who succeeded her father in the
kingdom
and stood firm in it; "upon his basis"F25"Super
basi sua"
Pagninus
Gejerus.
as some render it:
which shall come with an army; or
"to an
army"F26אל החיל
"ad exercitum"
Pagninus
Montanus
Cocceius
Michaelis. as soon as
he heard of his sister's case
he put himself at the head of an army
and
marched to her relief; but coming too late
he
and the forces of the lesser
Asia
which came for the same purpose
joining him
resolved to revenge the
death of his sister and her son
went with his army into Syria
as next
foretold:
and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north; the king of
Syria
Seleucus Callinicus: Ptolemy entered into Syria itself
as PolybiusF1Hist.
l. 5. says
into the fortified cities of it
and took them
the singular being
put for the plural; unless Seleucia itself is particularly designed
which
Ptolemy seized
and put a garrison of Egyptians in it
which held it twenty
seven yearsF2See Prideaux
Connexion
part 2. B. 2. p. 100. :
and shall deal against them; besiege and take them at
his pleasure; the king of Syria not being able to stand against him and defend
them:
and shall prevail; over the king of Syria
and conquer great
part of his dominions
as he did: he took Syria and Cilicia
and the superior
parts beyond Euphrates
and almost all Asia
as Jerome relates; and had it not
been for a sedition in his own kingdom
which called him home
he had made
himself master of the whole kingdom of Seleucus
as JustinF3Ut
supra. (Justin
l. 27. c. 1.) says.
Daniel 11:8 8 And
he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt
with their princes[c] and
their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more
years than the king of the North.
YLT 8and also their gods
with
their princes
with their desirable vessels of silver and gold
into captivity
he bringeth [into] Egypt; and he doth stand more years than the king of the
north.
And shall also carry captive into Egypt their gods
with their
princes
.... Jerom relates
from the historians he conversed with
that
Ptolemy carried captive with him into Egypt two thousand five hundred images;
among which were many of the idols which Cambyses
when he conquered Egypt
carried from thence; and Ptolemy replacing them in their proper temples
gained
him the affection of his people the Egyptians
who were much addicted to idolatry;
hence they gave him the name of Euergetes
that is
"the benefactor":
and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; the same
writer reports
that he brought with him out of Syria
and the places he
conquered
forty thousand talents of silver
and precious vessels; vessels of
gold and silver
a prodigious number:
and he shall continue more years than the king of the north; according to
the canon of Ptolemy
this king of Egypt reigned twenty five years; and
as Dr.
PrideauxF4Connexion
part 2. B. 2. p. 81. observes
outlived
Seleucus king of Syria four years.
Daniel 11:9 9 “Also
the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the
South
but shall return to his own land.
YLT 9`And the king of the south
hath come into the kingdom
and turned back unto his own land;
So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom
.... Into his
own kingdom
the kingdom of Egypt; or into the kingdom of Syria
the kingdom of
Seleucus
and conquer great part of it
and ravage and spoil it:
and shall return into his own land; the land of Egypt; he
shall go and come with ease
and as he pleases
none to hinder him; and come
back with a great spoil
as before related: Cocceius renders it
and something
"shall come in the kingdom of the king of the south
and he shall return
to his own land"; and thinks this refers to the sedition raised there
before mentioned
which obliged him to return sooner than he intended. The
Septuagint and Arabic versions render it
"and he shall enter into the kingdom
of the king of the south
and he shall return to his own land": that is
Seleucus should attempt to enter into the kingdom of Ptolemy king of Egypt
in
revenge of his having entered into his country and spoiled it; but shall be
obliged to return to his own land without any success: and so JustinF5Ut
supra
(Justin
l. 27.) c. 2. says
that he fitted out a great fleet
which was
destroyed by a violent storm; and after this he raised a great army to recover
his dominion
but was defeated by Ptolemy
and fled in great terror and
trembling to Antioch; and this suits well with what follows.
Daniel 11:10 10 However
his sons shall stir up strife
and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one
shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to
his fortress and stir up strife.
YLT 10and his sons stir
themselves up
and have gathered a multitude of great forces
and he hath
certainly come in
and overflowed
and passed through
and he turneth back
and
they stir themselves up unto his stronghold.
But his sons shall be stirred up
.... Not of the king of
the south
or Egypt
but of the king of the north
or Syria; the sons of
Seleucus Callinicus
who died
as JustinF6Ibid. (Justin
l. 27.) c.
3. says
by a fall from his horse; these were Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus
who was afterwards called the great: these being irritated and provoked by what
Ptolemy Euergetes had done in revenge of his sister
taking part of their
father's kingdom from him
and carrying off so rich a booty
joined together
and exerted themselves to recover their dominions from him:
and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: or
"a
multitude of men
even large armies"F7המון
חילים רבים
"multitudinem
copias amplas"
Junius & Tremellius. ; which they
put themselves at the head of
in order to make war with the king of Egypt:
and one shall certainly come
and overflow
and pass through; this is to be
understood of Antiochus; for Seleucus dying in the third year of his reign
being slain in Phrygia
through the treachery of Nicator and Apaturius
as
Jerom relates; or
as others
poisoned; Antiochus succeeded him
and alone
headed the armies they had collected; and with which
like an inundation of
water
to which armies are sometimes compared
he attacked Seleucia
and took
it; and entered into Coelesyria
and overran it
being delivered into his hands
by the treachery of Theodotus
who governed there for Ptolemy
whom he had
offended: after this he came to Berytus
entered the province by a place which
the countrymen called "the face of God"; and which Grotius
not
improbably
takes to be Phanuel: took the town of Botris
and set fire to
Trieres and Calamus
or Calene: he next invaded Palestine
and took several
places in it; went as far as Rabata Massane
or Rabatamana
a city in Arabia
the same with Rabbathammon
which surrendered to himF8Vid. Polybium
l. 5. p. 256
260
261
262. and Universal History
vol. 9. p. 216
218
219. :
then shall he return
and be stirred up even to his fortress: the spring
following he returned with a numerous army
and came to Raphia
a fortified
city in Egypt
which lay between that and Palestine; where
as StraboF9Geograph.
l. 16. p. 522. says
Ptolemy the fourth (i.e. Philopator) fought with Antiochus
the great.
Daniel 11:11 11 “And
the king of the South shall be moved with rage
and go out and fight with him
with the king of the North
who shall muster a great multitude; but the
multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy.
YLT 11And the king of the south
doth become embittered
and hath gone forth and fought with him
with the king
of the north
and hath caused a great multitude to stand
and the multitude
hath been given into his hand
And the king of the south shall be moved with choler
.... This is
Ptolemy Philopator
who succeeded Ptolemy Euergetes in the kingdom of Egypt; so
called ironically
because of his murder of his father and mother
as JustinF11E
Trogo
l. 29. c. 1. relates; the same
though naturally sluggish and slothful
was provoked and exasperated at the proceedings of Antiochus
retaking
Coelesyria
invading Palestine
and coming up to the borders of his kingdom:
and shall come forth and fight with him
even with the king of the
north: he assembled an army
and marched with them
from the interior
part of his kingdom
to the border of it
to Raphia
a city between Rhinocorura
and Gaza; where he met with Antiochus
and a battle was fought
as before
observed:
and he shall set forth a great multitude; this is true
of both kings
their armies were very large; that of Ptolemy king of Egypt
consisted
according to PolybiusF12L. 5. p. 266.
of seventy
thousand foot
five thousand horse
and seventy three elephants and that of
Antiochus king of Syria consisted of sixty two (some say seventy two) thousand
foot
six thousand horse
and a hundred and two elephants: the former army
that of the king of Egypt
seems rather designed
if the preceding clause is
consulted; though the latter
that of Antiochus
best agrees with what follows:
but the multitude shall be given into his hand: that is
the
multitude of the army of Antiochus should be delivered into the hands of
Ptolemy Philopator
and so it was; for Antiochus lost ten thousand footmen
and
three hundred horsemen; four thousand footmen were taken
three elephants
slain
and two wounded
which afterwards died
and most of the rest were takenF13Polybius
l. 5. p. 269. : this victory is ascribed to Arsinoe
the sister and wife of
Ptolemy
who ran about the army with her hair dishevelled
and by entreaties
and promises greatly encouraged the soldiers to fight; of which see third
Maccabees chapter one and with which PolybiusF14Ibid. p. 268.
agrees.
Daniel 11:12 12 When
he has taken away the multitude
his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast
down tens of thousands
but he will not prevail.
YLT 12and he hath carried away
the multitude
his heart is high
and he hath caused myriads to fall
and he
doth not become strong.
That
is
when Ptolemy king of Egypt had defeated the large army of Antiochus
killed
great numbers of them
and taken many:
his heart shall be lifted up; with pride
through the
victory he obtained; and so he gave himself up to sensuality and luxury
judging
himself now safe and secure in the possession of his kingdom: or
this may
refer to his insolence
when he entered into Judea
went to Jerusalem
and
forced his way into the holiest of all to offer sacrifice upon his victory; of
which see third Maccabees chapter one:
and he shall cast down many ten thousands; or "many
thousands"
as the Vulgate Latin version; or rather "ten
thousand"F13רבאות "decem
millia"
Pagninus
Montanus
so Ben Melech.
either of the Jews
when he
went into their country; or of the army of Antiochus the king of the north
as
Jacchiades: and it may be rendered
"though he shall cast down many
thousands"F14והפיל "etiamsi
dejiciet"
Gejerus; "quamvis prostraverit"
Michaelis. ; that
is
cast them down to the earth
slay them
as he did
even ten thousand of
them
the number here mentioned:
yet he shall not be strengthened by it; for Antiochus
escaped out of his hands
nor did he pursue his victory
and take all the
advantages of it
as he might have done; for
as the historianF15Justin
l. 30. c. 1. says
had he added valour to his fortune
he might have spoiled
Antiochus of his kingdom; but
content with the recovery of the cities he lost
made peace
and greedily took the advantage of ease
and rolled himself in
luxury
uncleanness
and intemperance.
Daniel 11:13 13 For
the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the
former
and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and
much equipment.
YLT 13`And the king of the north
hath turned back
and hath caused a multitude to stand
greater than the first
and at the end of the times a second time he doth certainly come in with a
great force
and with much substance;
For the king of the north shall return
.... As
Antiochus king of Syria did
upon the death of Ptolemy Philopator
who was
succeeded by his son Ptolemy Epiphanes
a minor of five years of age: Antiochus
took the advantage of this minority
and entered into a league with Philip king
of Macedon
to divide the kingdom of Egypt between them; and marched an army
into Coelesyria and Palestine
and made himself master of those countries:
and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former; bring a
larger army into the field than he had done before
which Jerom says he brought
out of the upper parts of Babylon; some say it consisted of three hundred
thousand footmen
besides horsemen and elephants:
and shall certainly come (after certain years) with a great army
and with much riches; with all manner of provisions to supply his numerous army
and
all proper accommodations for it; money to pay his soldiers
and beasts of
burden to carry their baggage from place to place: this was about fourteen
years after the former battle
as Dr. PrideauxF16Connexion
par. 2.
B. 2. p. 140. observes; and
according to Bishop Usher's annals
thirteen
years.
Daniel
11:14 14 “Now
in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also
violent
men[d] of your
people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision
but they shall
fall.
YLT 14and in those times many do
stand up against the king of the south
and sons of the destroyers of thy
people do lift themselves up to establish the vision -- and they have stumbled.
And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of
the south
.... The king of Egypt
Ptolemy Epiphanes being a minor; and
while he was such
Antiochus king of Syria
and Philip king of Macedon
joined
in alliance together
as before observed
to seize upon his kingdom
and divide
it between them; and accordingly Antiochus began the war in Coelesyria and
Phoenicia
and Philip went against Egypt and Samos
or Caria
according to PolybiusF17Hist.
l. 3. in initio. . Agathocles and Agathoclea
favourites of the former king of
Egypt
laid a scheme of taking the regency into their hands during the minority
of the young king; and these
being persons of dissolute lives
were hated by
the Egyptians
which caused insurrections and seditions among themselves; and
Scopas
a principal general in the army of the king of Egypt
formed a design
of taking the government to himself:
also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish
the vision: this is directed to the Prophet Daniel
and respects
the Jews his countrymen
at least some of them
refractory persons that broke
through all laws of God and men; seditious men
disturbers of the public peace
and who lived upon the spoil and plunder of others; these either took the
advantage of the disturbances in Egypt
and went thither
and plundered what
they could
in a bold and audacious manner
and so helped to fulfil this
prophecy; or during the troubles in their own land
through the kings of Egypt
and Syria
took the opportunity of committing thefts and robberies in a very
daring manner
whereby they brought upon them those evils threatened in the law
to such persons; and particularly when the Egyptians prevailed
they sided with
them against Antiochus
especially such who apostatized from their religion to
please the king of Egypt; but were afterwards punished by Antiochus
as it
follows:
but they shall fall: be cut off and
destroyed
as those apostates that were of Ptolemy's party were by Antiochus
when he invaded Judea
and became master of Jerusalem; see third Maccabees
chapter one. Some understand this of the apostate Jews
who fled with Onias the
high priest to Egypt
and were there honourably received by Ptolemy
and
obtained leave to build a temple there
under pretence of fulfilling the vision
or prophecy in Isaiah 19:19
which
continued many years to the times of the Romans
by whom it was destroyed; but
this does not agree with the reign of this king of Egypt; for it was in the
times of Ptolemy Philometor that this affair happened
as JosephusF18Antiqu.
l. 13. c. 3. sect. 1. relates. Sir Isaac Newton interprets it of the SamaritansF19Vid.
Joseph. Antiqu. l. 12. c. 4. sect. 1. .
Daniel 11:15 15 So
the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound
and take a fortified
city; and the forces[e] of the
South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have
no strength to resist.
YLT 15`And the king of the north
cometh in
and poureth out a mount
and hath captured fenced cities; and the
arms of the south do not stand
nor the people of his choice
yea
there is no
power to stand.
So the king of the north shall come
and cast up a mount
and take
the most fenced cities
.... That is
Antiochus the great
king of Syria
should come
into Coelesyria and Phoenicia
which was the part of the kingdom of Egypt he
was to have by the league with Philip king of Macedon; and this is a prophecy
of his expedition into those parts
and the success of it. Scopas
a general of
Ptolemy
being sent by him into Coelesyria
had took many of the cities of it
and the land of Judea; but Antiochus
coming into those parts with his army
beat Scopas at the fountains of Jordan
and destroyed great part of his forces
and retook the cities of Coelesyria that Scopas had made himself master of
and
subdued Samaria; upon which the Jews voluntarily submitted to him
and received
him into their city
as JosephusF20Antiqu. l. 12. c. 3. sect. 3.
relates; and PolybiusF21Histor. l. 16. apud Joseph. ib.
as quoted
by him
says
that Scopas being conquered by Antiochus
he took Batanea
Samaria
Abila
and Godara
and that the Jews in a little time surrendered to
him; and so Livy saysF23Hist. l. 33.
that Antiochus reduced all
the cities that Ptolemy had in Coelesyria into subjection to him; and these are
the most fenced cities pointed at in this prophecy
against which the king of
Syria cast up mounts
in order to take them; or placed battering engines before
them
as the word also signifies
as Kimchi observesF24Sepher
Shorash. rad. סלל.
by which stones were cast into
the besieged cities:
and the arms of the south shall not withstand
neither his chosen
people
neither shall there be any strength to withstand; all the
forces of the king of Egypt mustered together would not be able to withstand
the power of Antiochus
who would
as he did
carry all before him; not their
most powerful armies
nor most courageous generals
nor valiant soldiers
the
choicest of them
nor any auxiliaries called in to their assistance; for when
Scopas was beaten by Antiochus at Jordan
he fled to Sidon with ten thousand
soldiers
where he was shut up in a close siege; and though Ptolemy sent his
famous and choicest commanders to his relief
Eropus
Menocles
and Damoxenus
as Jerome relates; yet they were not able to raise the siege
but by famine
were forced to surrender; and he and his men were dismissed naked.
Daniel 11:16 16 But
he who comes against him shall do according to his own will
and no one shall
stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his
power.[f]
YLT 16And he who is coming unto
him doth according to his will
and there is none standing before him; and he
standeth in the desirable land
and [it is] wholly in his hand.
But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will
and none shall stand before him
.... Antiochus the great
who came against
Ptolemy king of Egypt
would do in those parts where he came as he pleased;
take cities
and dispose of them at his pleasure; the army of the king of Egypt
not being able to oppose him
and stop his conquests in Coelesyria and
Phoenicia; nor should they hinder his entrance into Judea:
and he shall stand in the glorious land; Judea
so
called
not only because of its fertility
but chiefly because of the worship
of God in it; here Antiochus stood as a victorious conqueror; the Jews readily
submitting to him
and received him into their city
and assisted him in
reducing the castle where Scopas had placed a garrison of soldiers:
which by his hand shall be consumed; by his numerous army
and the foraging of his soldiers
eating up and destroying the fruits of the
earth wherever they came; otherwise the land of Judea
and the inhabitants of
it
were not consumed and destroyed by him at this time; but rather brought
into more flourishing circumstances
having many favours and privileges
bestowed on them by him
on account of the respect they showed him; for
on his
coming to Jerusalem
the priests and elders went out to meet him
and gladly
received him and his army
and furnished him with horses and elephants
and
helped him in reducing the garrison Scopas had leftF25Josephus
ut
supra. (Antiqu. l. 12. c. 3. sect. 3.)
as before observed: hence some render
the words
"which by his hand was perfected"F26וכלה בידו "et perficietur
per eum"
Grotius. ; restored to perfect peace and prosperity
which had
been for some years harassed and distressed by the Egyptians and Syrians
in
their turns being masters of it; the elders
priests
and Levites
he freed
from tribute
gave them leave to live according to their own laws
granted them
cattle and other things for sacrifice
and wood for the repairing and
perfecting of their temple. The letters he wrote on this account are to be seen
in JosephusF1Josephus
ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 12. c. 3. sect. 3.) .
Daniel 11:17 17 “He
shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom
and upright
ones[g] with him;
thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it;
but she shall not stand with him
or be for him.
YLT 17And he setteth his face to
go in with the strength of his whole kingdom
and upright ones with him; and he
hath wrought
and the daughter of women he giveth to him
to corrupt her; and
she doth not stand
nor is for him.
He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole
kingdom
.... Antiochus
having conquered Coelesyria
Phoenicia
and
Judea
should set his face towards the land of Egypt
having a greedy desire
after it
and bend his mind and forces that way; form a design of invading it
and for that purpose determine to bring all the forces he could master together
throughout his dominions. So JustinF2E Trogo
I. 31. c. 1. says
that upon the death of Ptolemy Philopator
Antiochus king of Syria determined
to seize on Egypt. The Vulgate Latin version is
"that he might come to
lay hold on his whole kingdom"; to seize the whole kingdom of the king of
Egypt:
and upright ones with him: meaning
as many think
the Jews
so called to distinguish them from the Heathens
and even from those
Jews who had took on the side of Ptolemy
and had changed their religion; but
these persevered in it
which Antiochus approved of; and had now a great
opinion of them
and had bestowed many favours upon them
as before observed;
wherefore he might take some of them
and they might choose to go with him on
this expedition
and especially to assist in his intended agreement with the
king of Egypt
and the marriage of his daughter to him; in bringing about which
they were to have a concern
as being reckoned men of probity and uprightness:
or rather the sense is
according to the Vulgate Latin version
and he shall do right things; in show and appearance:
or "he shall make agreement"
or peace
as Aben Ezra; enter into
covenants of alliance and marriage
upon seeming just conditions
with a great
show of sincerity and uprightness:
thus shall he do; in the following manner: or
"and he
shall do"F3ועשה "et
faciet"
Pagninus
Montanus
Munster
Gejerus; "efficietque"
Junius & Tremellius. ; that is
succeed in his proposals:
and he shall give him the daughter of women
corrupting her; this was the
stratagem he used; finding he could not obtain the kingdom of Egypt by force of
arms
for fear of the Romans
who were the guardians of the king of Egypt
he
proposed to give his daughter Cleopatra to him in marriage
a beautiful virgin;
and therefore called the "daughter of women"; or rather because she
was as yet under the care of the women she was first committed to
as GussetiusF4Ebr.
Comment. p. 540. observes; and so he did marry her
and gave for her dowry
Coelesyria
Samaria
Judea
and PhoeniciaF5Joseph. Antiqu. l. 12. c.
4. sect. 1. : this was done at RaphiaF6Liv. Hist. l. 35. c. 13. p.
597.
a fortified city of Egypt
where the famous battle had been fought
between him and Ptolemy Philopator; see Daniel 11:10 and if
the former clause is rendered
as I think it may
"he shall also set his
face to enter into the fortress of the whole kingdom"; this is the place
intended
where he was desirous of going to meet the king of Egypt
and execute
this scheme of his; which
though done under a plausible pretence of peace
and
of putting ahead to their quarrels
was with a view to get his kingdom into his
hands; "corrupting" his daughter to betray the counsels of her
husband; or to put him to death by poison
or otherwise
that he might seize
the kingdom on her behalf; or it may be rendered
to "corrupt" or
"destroy it"F7להשחיתה "ad
corrumpendum illam"
Montanus
Gejerus.
the kingdom; he married his
daughter to the king of Egypt with this view
to obtain the kingdom from him:
but she shall not stand on his side
neither be for him; being
married
she forgot her own people
and her father's house
and cleaved to her
husband; took his part
and not her father's
yea
took part with her husband
against her father; for ambassadors were sent out of Egypt by both her husband
and herself
congratulating the Romans on the victory Acilius gained over
Antiochus her father
and that he had drove him out of Greece
exhorting them
to carry their army into AsiaF8Liv. ibid. l. 37. c. 3. p. 633. ; and
thus he was disappointed of his design in this marriage: and this may be the
meaning of the expression here; for it may be rendered
"it shall not
stand"F9לא תעמוד
"et non succedet hoc"
Grotius ; his counsel shall not stand
his
scheme shall not take place
but fall to the ground
and come to nothing:
and it shall not be for him; the kingdom shall not be
his
he shall never possess it
as he did not.
Daniel 11:18 18 After
this he shall turn his face to the coastlands
and shall take many. But a ruler
shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed
he shall turn back on him.
YLT 18`And he turneth back his
face to the isles
and hath captured many; and a prince hath caused his
reproach of himself to cease; without his reproach he turneth [it] back to him.
After this he shall turn his face unto the isles
and shall take
many
.... Finding himself disappointed in his design on the kingdom of
Egypt
he turned his face
and steered his course another way
and with a large
fleet sailed into the Aegean sea; and
as Jerom relates
took Rhodes
Samos
Colophon
and Phocea
and many other islands; and also several cities of Greece and Asia
which lay on the sea coasts; it being usual with the Jews to call such maritime
places islands:
but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered
by him to cease; the reproach that Antiochus cast upon the Romans
by seizing on
their provinces
taking their cities
doing injuries to their allies
and
treating their ambassadors with contempt: this the Romans wiped off by taking
up arms against him
and gaining victories over him both by sea and land. The
"prince" here may design the Romans in general
who
on their own
behalf
or for their own honour
sent out armies and fleets against him
to put
a stop to his insults over them; or some particular leader and commander of
theirs
not a king
but a general or admiral
as Marcus Acilius
who beat him
at the straits of Thermopylae; also Livius Salinator
who got the victory over
his fleet about Phocea
where he sunk ten of his ships
and took thirteen;
likewise Aemilius Regillus
who got the better of his fleet at Myonnesus
near
Ephesus; and especially Lucius Scipio
who
in a land fight
beat him at Mount
Siphylus
with an army of thirty thousand against seventy thousand
killed
fifty thousand footmen of Antiochus's army
and four thousand horsemen
and
took fourteen hundred prisoners
with fifteen elephants and their commandersF11See
Liv. Hist. l. 36. & 37.
and so drove him out of lesser Asia:
without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him; without any
reproach to the Roman general; the reproach which Antiochus cast upon the Roman
nation was turned upon his own head
by the many victories obtained over him by
sea and land
and especially by the last and total defeat of him; for no other
terms of peace could he obtain
but to pay all the expenses of the war
quit
all Asia on that side Taurus
and give hostages
and his own son was one
in
the Apocrypha:
"10
And there came out of them a wicked root Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes
son of
Antiochus the king
who had been an hostage at Rome
and he reigned in the
hundred and thirty and seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.' (1 Maccabees 1:10)
Daniel 11:19 19 Then
he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall
stumble and fall
and not be found.
YLT 19And he turneth back his
face to the strongholds of his land
and hath stumbled and fallen
and is not
found.
Then he shall turn his face towards the fort of his own land
.... After his
defeat he fled with a few to Sardis
and from thence to Apamea
so Livy; and to
Susa
and to the further parts of his dominions
as Jerom; or rather he betook
himself to Antioch his capital city
called here "the fort of his own
land"
where he was obliged to continue:
but he shall stumble and fall
and not be found; the expenses
of the war which Antiochus agreed to pay being reckoned at fifteen thousand
Euboean talents
five hundred talents were to be paid down; two thousand five
hundred at the ratification of the treaty by the senate of Rome; and the other
twelve thousand to be paid yearly
at a thousand talents each year: now
being
either in want of money
or through covetousness
he attempted to rob the
temple of Jupiter Elymaeus
and went by night thither with his army for that
purpose; but the thing being betrayed
the inhabitants got together
and slew
him
with all his soldiers
as JustinF12E Trogo
l. 32. c. 2.
relates. StraboF13Geograph. l. 16. p. 512. says
that Antiochus the
great endeavouring to rob the temple of Bel
the barbarians near to (Elymais)
rose of themselves
and slew him; and so never returned to Syria any more
but
died in the province of Elymais
being slain by the Persians there
as related
and was never found more
or was buried; and this was the end of this great
man
of whom so many things are said in this prophecy
and others follow
concerning his successors. He died in the thirty seventh year of his reign
and
the fifty second of his ageF14See the Universal History
vol. 9. p.
270. .
Daniel 11:20 20 “There
shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom;
but within a few days he shall be destroyed
but not in anger or in battle.
YLT 20`And stood up on his
station hath [one] causing an exactor to pass over the honour of the kingdom
and in a few days he is destroyed
and not in anger
nor in battle.
Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory
of the kingdom
.... This was not Antiochus Epiphanes
as Theodoret
he is
designed in the next verse; nor Ptolemy Epiphanes; as Porphyry
for he did not
succeed Antiochus the great; nor Tryphon
tutor to Antiochus
as some Jewish
writers; but Seleucus Philopator
the eldest son of Antiochus the great; who
succeeded him
and was settled in his kingdom in his father's room
and stood
upon his basis; and might well be called a raiser of taxes
being not only a
covetous man
and a lover of money above all things; and therefore laid heavy
taxes on his subjects
to gratify his avarice; but was indeed obliged to it
to
raise the thousand talents yearly to pay the Romans
which his father had laid
himself under obligation to do; and this took up the whole life of this his
successor; for as there were twelve thousand talents to pay
a thousand each
year
and Seleucus reigned in all but twelve years at most
he did nothing but
raise taxes yearly to pay this tribute. It may be rendered
"then shall
stand upon his basis": or
"in his room"
as the Vulgate Latin
version
in the room of Antiochus the great
"one that causes the exactors
to pass through the glory of the kingdom"F15ועמד
על כנו מעביר
נוגש הדר מלכות "stabit autem super basillius
qui transire
faciet exactorem per decus regni"
Michaelis. ; that causes tax gatherers
to go through the kingdom
and collect the tax of the people
who are the glory
of the kingdom
especially the rich
the nobility
and gentry; or money
which
is the glory of a nation: or
"shall cause the exactors to pass over to
the glory of the kingdom"; that is
cause a tax gatherer to go over from
Syria to the glorious land
or the glorious part of his dominion
the land of
Judea; and so may have respect particularly to Heliodorus his treasurer
whom
he sent to Jerusalem to demand the treasure of money he heard was laid up in
the temple there; in the Apocrypha:
"Now
when Apollonius came to the king
and had shewed him of the money whereof he
was told
the king chose out Heliodorus his treasurer
and sent him with a
commandment to bring him the foresaid money.' (2 Maccabees 3:7)
but within few days he shall be destroyed
neither in anger
nor
in battle; or
within a few years
as Grotius and Prideaux render it;
"days" being often put for years. Seleucus reigned but twelve years
at most
which were but few in comparison of the long reign of his father
which was a reign of thirty seven years; and he died not through the rage of
the populace
or through the sedition and rebellion of his subjects
nor in
war
with a foreign enemy; but through the treachery of Heliodorus his
treasurer
by whom he was poisoned
as is supposed; either for the sake of
Antiochus Epiphanes
who was at that very time returning from Rome
where he
had been an hostage ever since the defeat of his father
the money being now
paid
which was stipulated; or rather on his own account
having a design to
seize the kingdom for himself.
Daniel 11:21 21 And
in his place shall arise a vile person
to whom they will not give the honor of
royalty; but he shall come in peaceably
and seize the kingdom by intrigue.
YLT 21`And stood up on his
station hath a despicable one
and they have not given unto him the honour of
the kingdom
and he hath come in quietly
and hath strengthened the kingdom by
flatteries.
And in his estate shall stand up a vile person
.... Upon his
basis or stand
in the same place where Seleucus Philopator stood
succeeded
Antiochus Epiphanes his brother
called "vile"
being a very immoral
man
given to drunkenness
lasciviousness
uncleanness
and unnatural lusts
and a violent persecutor of the church of God. The word signifies
"despicable"F16נבזה
"despectus"
Pagninus
Montanus; "contemptus"
Vatablus
Piscator
Tigurine version. ; he was a vile person
and justly condemned for
his vices
and also for that mean and ignoble life he had lived at Rome
having
been an hostage there for eleven or twelve years; and though the other hostages
were changed at three years' end
yet he remained; which shows what little
account he was of even with his father; and was in no esteem with the people
among whom
by his freaks and frolics
he made himself very ridiculous; by
rambling about streets with a servant or two; conversing with tradesmen about
their trades; drinking with strangers
and people of low life; revelling at
merry bouts with young people; putting on strange habits; throwing away his
money among the rabble
and stones at those that followed him; washing at
public baths among the common people; all which
and many others
are reportedF17See
Prideaux's Connexion
par. 2. B. 3. p. 153
154
Out of Athenaeus
Diodorus
&c. and the Universal History
vol. 9. p. 276
277
289
290. of him by
historians; hence he was called by some Epimanes the madman; though he took to
himself the title of Epiphanes the "illustrious"
the reverse of his
character. This is the little horn in Daniel 8:9 and who
was an eminent type of antichrist
with whom his character agrees
as well as
other things:
to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom; neither his
father
nor his brother
nor the peers and people of the land of the kingdom of
Syria; they never once thought of making him king; they neither chose him
nor
called him
nor crowned him:
but he shall come in peaceably
and obtain the kingdom by
flatteries; pretending to take it
not for himself
but for his nephew
Demetrius
the son of his brother Seleucus
now an hostage at Rome
in his
stead; so that the states opposed him not
but quietly admitted him
thinking
all was safe for the rightful heir and successor; and when he had got
possession for his nephew
he obtained it for himself by his flattering
speeches to the nobles
and his gifts among the citizens
and his great
pretensions to clemency and humanity; or these "flatteries" may refer
to the artifices he used to gain Eumenes king of Pergamus
and Attalus his
brother
to assist him against Heliodorus the usurper; and the promises of
friendship and assistance against the Romans he made to them
and by whose help
he came peaceably to the kingdom.
Daniel 11:22 22 With
the force[h] of a flood
they shall be swept away from before him and be broken
and also the prince of
the covenant.
YLT 22And the arms of the flood
are overflowed from before him
and are broken; and also the leader of the
covenant.
And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before
him
and shall be broken
.... That is
by the help of the forces of Eumenes and Attalus
which were like an inundation of water
the party that were on the side of
Heliodorus the usurper were bore down
crushed
and destroyed; and thereby
Antiochus had a peaceable settlement in the kingdom: or
"the arms of a
flood shall be overflowed from before him
and be broken"F18וזרעות השטף ישטפו
"et brachia inundationis inundabantur"
Cocceius
Michaelis
"brachia inundantia"
Piscator. ; either the arms of Heliodorus
the
forces he had got together; or the armies of the Egyptians
which
like an
overflowing flood
had used to run over Judea
Coelesyria
Phoenicia
and other
places
and carry all before them
now should be overflowed
and bore down
themselves; of which see more on Daniel 11:25
yea
also the prince of the covenant; which some
understand of Judas Maccabaeus
as Jerome and Jacchiades; others more probably
of Onias the high priest
whom Antiochus deposed in the first year of his
reign
and sold the priesthood to Jason his younger brother for four hundred
and forty talents of silver; and who also promised to give him one hundred and
fifty more for a license to erect a place of exercise for the training up of
youth
according to the fashion of the Greeks; which Antiochus greedily
embraced
the public treasury being empty through the large tribute paid to the
Romans the last twelve years; in the Apocrypha:
"7
But after the death of Seleucus
when Antiochus
called Epiphanes
took the
kingdom
Jason the brother of Onias laboured underhand to be high priest
8
Promising unto the king by intercession three hundred and threescore talents of
silver
and of another revenue eighty talents: 9 Beside this
he promised to
assign an hundred and fifty more
if he might have licence to set him up a
place for exercise
and for the training up of youth in the fashions of the
heathen
and to write them of Jerusalem by the name of Antiochians. 34
Wherefore Menelaus
taking Andronicus apart
prayed
him to get Onias into his
hands; who being persuaded thereunto
and coming to Onias in deceit
gave him
his right hand with oaths; and though he were suspected by him
yet persuaded
he him to come forth of the sanctuary: whom forthwith he shut up without regard
of justice. 35 For the which cause not only the Jews
but many also of other
nations
took great indignation
and were much grieved for the unjust murder of
the man.' (2 Maccabees 4)
Others
think Seleucus Philopator his brother is meant
which is not probable
his
death being before described; rather Demetrius his nephew
with whom he
covenanted to hold the kingdom for him
or through whom the covenant and peace
with the Romans was continued so long
he being an hostage at Rome; though
others are of opinion that Trypho
a peer of the realm of Egypt
is designed
who was the principal person concerned in a covenant made between Antiochus and
Ptolemy Philometor king of Egypt; though it is more likely that Ptolemy himself
is the person intended.
Daniel 11:23 23 And
after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully
for he shall
come up and become strong with a small number of people.
YLT 23And after they join
themselves unto him
he worketh deceit
and hath increased
and hath been
strong by a few of the nation.
And after the league made with him
.... The prince of the
covenant; either Demetrius his nephew
or Ptolemy Philometor king of Egypt
with whom a league was made in the lifetime of Cleopatra
the sister of
Antiochus
and mother of Ptolemy:
he shall work deceitfully; either with the princes
and people of Syria
by good words and fair speeches
and by gifts and
presents
to get the kingdom for himself
though he had covenanted with his
nephew to hold it for him
and resign it to him at his return; and with the
Romans
and among his friends in the senate
he artfully worked to detain him
at Rome: or else with the king of Egypt
pretending great friendship to him
and to take the care and tuition of him during his minority; and at his
coronation he sent one Apollonius to be present at it
and to congratulate him
upon it; in the Apocrypha:
"Now
when Apollonius the son of Menestheus was sent into Egypt for the coronation of
king Ptolemeus Philometor
Antiochus
understanding him not to be well affected
to his affairs
provided for his own safety: whereupon he came to Joppa
and
from thence to Jerusalem:' (2 Maccabees 4:21)
for he shall come up
and shall become strong with a small people; either he
went into the heart of Syria with a small number of men at first
and gathered
together a large army; or into Phoenicia with a handful of men
where he
ingratiated himself into the affections of the people by words and gifts
and
became strong; or he went up into Egypt accompanied only with a few
lest
the
Egyptians should be suspicious of him; but these it is said were valiant men
whom he placed in the forts of Egypt
and so became master of it
which is an instance
of his deceitful working; and Sutorius
an ancient historian
as quoted by
Jerom
says that he subdued Egypt to himself with a very small number of
people.
Daniel 11:24 24 He
shall enter peaceably
even into the richest places of the province; and he
shall do what his fathers have not done
nor his forefathers: he shall
disperse among them the plunder
spoil
and riches; and he shall devise his
plans against the strongholds
but only for a time.
YLT 24Peaceably even into the
fertile places of the province He cometh
and he hath done that which his
fathers did not
nor his fathers' fathers; prey
and spoil
and substance
to
them he scattereth
and against fenced places he deviseth his devices
even for
a time.
He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the
province
.... Or
"into tranquillity
and the fattest places of the
province"F19בשלוה ובמשמני
"in quietem et in pinguia"
Montanus; "in tranquillitatem et
opima"
Cocceius; "in tranquillitatem et in pinguissima"
Michaelis. ; that is
into such places as were in great tranquillity
and men
thought themselves safe and secure
and had no suspicion of his designs upon
them
and which abounded in wealth and riches: these were either the principal
cities in the kingdom of Syria
which he visited in order to establish himself
in their good opinion of him; or the chief places of the province of Phoenicia
where he endeavoured to make himself acceptable by his munificence; or it may
be the best parts of the kingdom of Egypt are meant
the richest of them
such
as Memphis
and the places about it; where
as Sutorius in Jerome says
he
went; and which places being fat
producing a large increase
and abounding in
wealth
invited him thither; and which wealth he took
and scattered among his
friends and soldiers
as in a following clause:
and he shall do that which his fathers have not done
nor his
fathers' fathers; none of his ancestors
more near or more remote; not Antiochus
the great
nor Seleucus Ceraunus
nor Seleucus Callinicus
nor Antiochus Theos
nor Antiochus Soter
nor Seleucus Nicator
the founder of the Syrian empire;
for
however greater these might be in power or riches
they were inferior to
him in success; though they all
or most of them
however
had their eye upon
Egypt
and would gladly have been masters of it; yet none of the kings of Syria
prevailed over it
as Antiochus did; and this may also refer to what follows:
he shall scatter among them the prey
and spoil
and riches; which he took
from the places or rich cities he entered into; and these he plentifully and
liberally dispersed among his followers
his soldiers
"the small
people" he became strong with
Daniel 11:23
whereby he gained their affections
and attached them to his interest; and in
this his liberality and munificence he is said to abound above all the kings
that were before him
in the Apocrypha:
"He
feared that he should not be able to bear the charges any longer
nor to have
such gifts to give so liberally as he did before: for he had abounded above the
kings that were before him.' (1 Maccabees 3:30)
and
the character JosephusF20Antiqu. l. 12. c. 7. sect. 2. gives of him
is
that he was a man of a large and liberal heart:
yea
and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds; the
fortresses of Egypt; as he got into the fat and richest parts of it
and
distributed the wealth of them among his favourites and followers
which
answered a good purpose; so he had his eye upon the fortified places of the
kingdom
and contrived ways and means to get them into his possession
as
Pelusium
and other places; and how to keep them when he had got them
which he
did:
even for a time; till Ptolemy Philometor was at age
and
freed himself from him; or till the RomansF21Vid. Joseph. Antiqu. l.
19. c. 5. sect. 2. put a stop to his power.
Daniel 11:25 25 “He
shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a
great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very
great and mighty army; but he shall not stand
for they shall devise plans
against him.
YLT 25`And he stirreth up his
power and his heart against the king of the south with a great force
and the
king of the south stirreth himself up to battle with a very great and mighty
force
and standeth not
for they devise devices against him
And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of
the south with a great army
.... That is
Antiochus shall arouse
himself
and exert his courage
and gather a large and powerful army
and set
out with them to fight with Ptolemy Philometor
king of Egypt; this is his
second expedition into Egypt
as is observed in the Apocrypha:
"About
the same time Antiochus prepared his second voyage into Egypt:' (2 Maccabees 5:1)
before
he went into Egypt more privately
with a few men
under a pretence of
friendship; but now more openly as an enemy
with a large army; so it is said
in the Apocrypha:
"17
Wherefore he entered into Egypt with a great multitude
with chariots
and
elephants
and horsemen
and a great navy
18 And made war against Ptolemee
king of Egypt: but Ptolemee was afraid of him
and fled; and many were wounded
to death.' (1 Maccabees 1)
and he entered into Egypt with a great multitude
with chariots
and with elephants
and with horses
and with a great fleet; which account
exactly agrees with this prophecy
and serves to illustrate it:
and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a
very great and mighty army; this is Ptolemy Philometor
king of Egypt
who
hearing of the preparations of Antiochus
and of his design to enter his
kingdom
gathered a large army together to give him battle:
but he shall not stand; the king of Egypt could
not stand against Antiochus; the two armies met between Mount Casius and
Pelusium
where they came
to a battle
and Antiochus got the victory: upon his
second victory over the forces of Ptolemy
he took Pelusium
and led his army
into the very heart of the kingdom
and had it in his power to have cut off all
the Egyptians
to a man; he made himself master of Memphis
and all the rest of
Egypt
except Alexandria
which held out against himF23See the
Universal History
vol. 9. p. 280
281. :
for they shall forecast devices against him; Antiochus
and those that assisted him with their counsels
formed schemes against
Ptolemy
which succeeded: the loss of the battle was not owing to want of the
necessary preparations for it; or to an insufficient number of men; or to a
defect of military skill and courage; but to the treachery of his own courtiers
and commanders
particularly Eulaeus and Lennaeeus to whom the blame was laid
and to the desertion of Ptolemy Macron; which is more clearly expressed in the
following verse.
Daniel 11:26 26 Yes
those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army
shall be swept away
and many shall fall down slain.
YLT 26and those eating his
portion of food destroy him
and his force overfloweth
and fallen have many
wounded.
Yea
they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him
.... Those of
his own household
his familiar friends
his courtiers and counsellors
and the
generals of his army; his destruction
or the loss of the battle
was owing
either to the bad counsels they gave him
or to their desertion of him
being
corrupted by Antiochus:
and his army shall overflow: that is
the army of
Antiochus
like a mighty inundation of water
which carries all before it
should overflow
or bear down and destroy
the army of Ptolemy
and overrun all
Egypt
as it did
as before related; no more resistance being to be made to it
than to a rapid flood of water:
and many shall fall down slain: of the army of the king
of Egypt. The account given of this affair in the Apocrypha:
"18
And made war against Ptolemee king of Egypt: but Ptolemee was afraid of him
and fled; and many were wounded to death. 19 Thus they got the strong cities in
the land of Egypt and he took the spoils thereof.' (1
Maccabees 1)
Josephus
saysF24Antiqu. l. 12. c. 5
sect. 2.
that Antiochus
"being
with a great army at Pelusium
and circumventing Ptolemy Philometor by fraud
seized on Egypt; and being in the parts near to Memphis
and taking it
he
hastened to Alexandria to besiege it
and got Ptolemy
reigning there
into his
hands.'
Daniel 11:27 27 Both
these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil
and they shall speak lies at
the same table; but it shall not prosper
for the end will still be
at the appointed time.
YLT 27`And both of the kings'
hearts [are] to do evil
and at one table they speak lies
and it doth not
prosper
for yet the end [is] at a time appointed.
And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief
.... Antiochus
Epiphanes
king of Syria
and Ptolemy Philometor
king of Egypt
the latter
being now in the hands of the former; whether he was taken by him
or
voluntarily came to him
is not certain; but though they seemed to carry it
very friendly to one another
yet at the same time they were contriving in
their minds to do as much mischief to each other as they could:
and they shall speak lies at one table: at an
entertainment at Memphis
where they met to eat food together
which shows
great familiarity; or at the council table
where they pretended to consult
each other's good
and to secure the peace of both kingdoms
but imposed on
each other with lies. Antiochus pretended a great respect for Ptolemy
and that
he had nothing more at heart than to take care of his affairs
and defend him
against his brother Euergetes
whom the Alexandrians had set up for king; when
his design was no other than to seize the kingdom of Egypt for himself: on the
other hand
Ptolemy seemed greatly satisfied with his uncle's protection
and
to place great confidence in him; when his view was to disappoint his scheme
and come to an agreement with his brother; neither of them meant what they
said:
but it shall not prosper; the consultations they
held
the schemes they laid
succeeded not; the peace made between them did not
last:
for yet the end shall be at the time appointed; by the Lord
by whom all events are predetermined; whose counsel shall stand
notwithstanding all the devices in the hearts of men
and of kings themselves:
the end of this peace between these two kings
and the end of the wars between
them
yea
the end of the two kingdoms
when they should cease
and come into
other hands; all was fixed to a time appointed of God
and should surely come
to pass
as he had decreed.
Daniel 11:28 28 While
returning to his land with great riches
his heart shall be moved
against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own
land.
YLT 28And he turneth back [to]
his land with great substance
and his heart [is] against the holy covenant
and he hath wrought
and turned back to his land.
Then shall he return into his land with great riches
.... That is
Antiochus
with the spoils of Egypt
and the gifts and presents he had received
there; so the author of the first book of Maccabees says
"20
And after that Antiochus had smitten Egypt
he returned again in the hundred
forty and third year
and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with a great
multitude
21And entered proudly into the sanctuary
and took away the golden
altar
and the candlestick of light
and all the vessels thereof
' (1 Maccabees 1)
that
is
of the era of the Selucidae
and the fifth or sixth year of his reign:
and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; not the
covenant he had made with Ptolemy
which was a fraudulent one; but the covenant
between God and the Jews; whereby they became a distinct and peculiar people
having a religion
laws
and ordinances
different from all others; for which reason
they were hated by other nations
and particularly by Antiochus; and his heart
was the more enraged against them at this time
for the following reason; a
false rumour being spread in Judea that Antiochus was dead
Jason took the
opportunity to recover the office of high priest from his brother Menelaus;
and
with a thousand men
took the city of Jerusalem
drove his brother into
the castle
and slew many he took for his enemies. Antiochus
hearing of this
concluded the whole nation of the Jews had revolted from him; and therefore
took Judea in his way from Egypt
in order to suppress this rebellion; in the
Apocrypha:
"5
Now when there was gone forth a false rumour
as though Antiochus had been
dead
Jason took at the least a thousand men
and suddenly made an assault upon
the city; and they that were upon the walls being put back
and the city at
length taken
Menelaus fled into the castle: 6 But Jason slew his own citizens
without mercy
not considering that to get the day of them of his own nation would
be a most unhappy day for him; but thinking they had been his enemies
and not
his countrymen
whom he conquered. 11Now when this that was done came to the
king's ear
he thought that Judea had revolted: whereupon removing out of Egypt
in a furious mind
he took the city by force of arms
' (2
Maccabees 5)
and he shall do exploits; in Jerusalem
very
wicked ones indeed! he ordered his soldiers to slay all they met
without
mercy
old and young
women and children
virgins and young men; and in three days'
time eighty thousand were slain
forty thousand bound
and no less sold: he
went into the temple
and took all the vessels in it
and all the gold and
silver
and hidden treasures of it
to the value of a thousand and eight
hundred talents
in the Apocrypha:
"12And
commanded his men of war not to spare such as they met
and to slay such as
went up upon the houses. 13Thus there was killing of young and old
making away
of men
women
and children
slaying of virgins and infants. 14And there were
destroyed within the space of three whole days fourscore thousand
whereof
forty thousand were slain in the conflict; and no fewer sold than slain. 15 Yet
was he not content with this
but presumed to go into the most holy temple of
all the world; Menelaus
that traitor to the laws
and to his own country
being his guide: 16 And taking the holy vessels with polluted hands
and with
profane hands pulling down the things that were dedicated by other kings to the
augmentation and glory and honour of the place
he gave them away. 21So when
Antiochus had carried out of the temple a thousand and eight hundred talents
he departed in all haste unto Antiochia
weening in his pride to make the land
navigable
and the sea passable by foot: such was the haughtiness of his mind.'
(2 Maccabees 5)
"23He
took also the silver and the gold
and the precious vessels: also he took the
hidden treasures which he found. 24And when he had taken all away
he went into
his own land
having made a great massacre
and spoken very proudly. 25
Therefore there was a great mourning in Israel
in every place where they
were;' (1 Maccabees 1)
and return to his own land; having done these
exploits
he made what haste he could to Antioch
with the spoils of Egypt
and
the plunder of the temple at Jerusalem
in the Apocrypha:
"And
when he had taken all away
he went into his own land
having made a great
massacre
and spoken very proudly.' (1 Maccabees 1:24)
"So
when Antiochus had carried out of the temple a thousand and eight hundred
talents
he departed in all haste unto Antiochia
weening in his pride to make
the land navigable
and the sea passable by foot: such was the haughtiness of
his mind.' (2 Maccabees 5:21)
Daniel 11:29 29 “At
the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be
like the former or the latter.
YLT 29At the appointed time he
turneth back
and hath come against the south
and it is not as the former
and
as the latter.
At the time appointed he shall return
and come toward the south
.... At the
time appointed of God
he should return from Syria again to Egypt; which was
his third expedition thither
and was occasioned by the Alexandrians setting up
the brother of Ptolemy Philometor for king; wherefore he hastened to Egypt with
a large army
under a pretence of restoring the deposed king; but in reality to
seize the kingdom for himselfF25See the Universal History
vol. 9.
p. 282
409. :
but it shall not be as the former
or as the latter; this
expedition should not succeed so well as the two former
as it did not; he
could not carry his point
neither subdue Egypt
nor get any of the two
brothers into his hands
as he had done before; the reason of which follows:
Daniel 11:30 30 For
ships from Cyprus[i] shall come
against him; therefore he shall be grieved
and return in rage against the holy
covenant
and do damage.
“So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy
covenant.
YLT 30And ships of Chittim have
come in against him
and he hath been pained
and hath turned back
and hath
been insolent toward the holy covenant
and hath wrought
and turned back
and
he understandeth concerning those forsaking the holy covenant.
For the ships of Chittim shall come against him
.... Ptolemy
king of Egypt
and his brother
being come to an agreement
sent an embassy to
the senate of Rome
to implore their help and assistance against Antiochus
who
was preparing to besiege them in Alexandria; upon which they sent their
ambassadors Caius Popilius Laenas
Caius Decimus
and Caius Hostilius
in ships
from MacedoniaF26Vid. Liv. Hist. l. 45. c. 10.
or Greece
to
Antiochus
to require him to desist from making war upon Ptolemy
and that he
quit the land of Egypt; see Numbers 24:24.
Macedonia is called the land of Cittim
in the Apocrypha:
"And
it happened
after that Alexander son of Philip
the Macedonian
who came out
of the land of Chettiim
had smitten Darius king of the Persians and Medes
that he reigned in his stead
the first over Greece
' (1 Maccabees 1:1)
"Beside
this
how they had discomfited in battle Philip
and Perseus
king of the
Citims
with others that lifted up themselves against them
and had overcome
them:' (1 Maccabees 8:5)
Jarchi
Aben Ezra
Saadiah
and Jacchiades
interpret it of the Romans; and
according
to GorionidesF1Heb. Hist. l. 1. c. 1. p. 7.
Cittim are the Romans;
and Jerom here interprets them of them; and Bochart has proved at largeF2Phaleg.
l. 3. c. 5. that they are meant. The word seems to be used both of Grecians and
Romans
and here of Romans in Grecian ships:
therefore he shall be grieved
and return; being obliged
to it
sore against his will: as soon as he saw Popilius
with whom he had contracted
a friendship while he was an hostage at Rome
he offered his hand to kiss; but
Popilius refused it
and observed that private friendship should give way to
public interest; and then produced the decree of the senate
and delivered it
to him
and required his answer; but Antiochus delaying
telling him he would
consult his friends
Popilius
with a rod in his hand
drew a circle round him
and bid him consult his friends directly; adding that he should not stir from
that circle till he had given a positive answer; which roughness struck him
and
hesitating a little
he replied he would obey the senate
as JustinF3E
Trogo
l. 34. c. 2
3.
LivyF4Hist. l. 45. c. 12.
Velleius
PaterculusF5Roman. Histor. l. 1.
and other historians
relate; and
upon which he at once departed with his army
though fretted and vexed to the
last degree:
and have indignation against the holy covenant; the Jews
God's covenant people; on whom he gratified his revenge
sending Apollonius
with an army of twenty two thousand men
to whom he gave orders to slay the
men
and sell the women and children; and who committed many outrages in the
city and temple: now it was the daily sacrifice was made to cease
and the
abomination of desolation set up
as in the following verse
and all that done
predicted in Daniel 8:10
this
was two years after his former expedition into Egypt
and the havoc he made
upon his return from thence
and in the eighth year of his reign
and one
hundred and forty fifth of the Seleucidae; in the Apocrypha:
"And
spake peaceable words unto them
but all was deceit: for when they had given
him credence
he fell suddenly upon the city
and smote it very sore
and destroyed
much people of Israel.' (1 Maccabees 1:30)
"He
sent also that detestable ringleader Apollonius with an army of two and twenty
thousand
commanding him to slay all those that were in their best age
and to
sell the women and the younger sort:' (2 Maccabees 5:24)
so shall he do; such wicked deeds as before declared
in
his wrath and fury against the Jews
being provoked at his disappointment in
Egypt:
he shall even return
and have intelligence with them that forsake
the holy covenant: apostate Jews
who had renounced their religion
forsook the law
of God
and the ordinances of his worship
and turned Heathens; of whom it is
said
agreeably to the language of this prophecy
and seemingly with a view to
it
that they made themselves uncircumcised
and departed from the
holy covenant
in the Apocrypha:
"And
made themselves uncircumcised
and forsook the holy covenant
and joined
themselves to the heathen
and were sold to do mischief.' (1 Maccabees 1:15)
with
these Antiochus kept an intelligence
and held a correspondence
in order not
only to know the affairs of the Jews from time to time
but to draw them off
from their religion
and propagate Heathenism among them; such as Jason
Menelaus
and others; in the Apocrypha:
"12
So this device pleased them well. 13 Then certain of the people were so forward
herein
that they went to the king
who gave them licence to do after the
ordinances of the heathen: 14 Whereupon they built a place of exercise at Jerusalem
according to the customs of the heathen: 15 And made themselves uncircumcised
and forsook the holy covenant
and joined themselves to the heathen
and were
sold to do mischief. 43 Yea
many also of the Israelites consented to his
religion
and sacrificed unto idols
and profaned the sabbath. 44 For the king
had sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Juda that they
should follow the strange laws of the land
45 And forbid burnt offerings
and
sacrifice
and drink offerings
in the temple; and that they should profane the
sabbaths and festival days:' (1 Maccabees 1)
Daniel 11:31 31 And
forces[j] shall be
mustered by him
and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall
take away the daily sacrifices
and place there the abomination
of desolation.
YLT 31And strong ones out of him
stand up
and have polluted the sanctuary
the stronghold
and have turned
aside the continual [sacrifice]
and appointed the desolating abomination.
And arms shall stand on his part
.... Powerful armies sent
by him into Judea; garrisons of soldiers placed in Jerusalem; mighty generals
and commanders who fought for him
as Lysias
Philip the Phrygian
Andronicus
Apollonius
Bacchides
and others:
and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength; the temple
which stood in Jerusalem
a fortified city
and was itself a building strong
and stable; and especially it was so called
because here the mighty God had
his residence
the symbol of which was the ark of his strength
and here he
gave strength unto his people: this holy place
sacred to his worship and
service
the commanders and soldiers of Antiochus defiled by entering into it
who were men unholy and unclean; by making it a place of luxury and rioting
of
whoredom
and all manner of uncleanness; by bringing things into it which were
not lawful
and filling the altar with what was abominable
in the Apocrypha:
"4For
the temple was filled with riot and revelling by the Gentiles
who dallied with
harlots
and had to do with women within the circuit of the holy places
and
besides that brought in things that were not lawful. 5 The altar also was
filled with profane things
which the law forbiddeth.' (2
Maccabees 6)
particularly
by erecting a high place upon the altar
and sacrificing swine upon it
as
JosephusF6Antiqu. l. 12. c. 5. sect. 4. relates; with which agrees
what is said of Antiochus
in the Apocrypha in is written that he ordered:
"46
And pollute the sanctuary and holy people: 47 Set up altars
and groves
and
chapels of idols
and sacrifice swine's flesh
and unclean beasts:' (1 Maccabees 1)
and shall take away the daily sacrifice; the sacrifice
of the lamb in the morning
and in the evening
which the priests were hindered
from offering
by the crowds of Heathens in the temple; or prohibited by the
order of Antiochus; for he forbad burnt offerings
sacrifice
and libation
to
be made in the temple
in the Apocrypha:
"Set
up altars
and groves
and chapels of idols
and sacrifice swine's flesh
and
unclean beasts:' (1 Maccabees 1:47)
and
JosephusF7lbid. expressly says
that he forbad the daily sacrifices
to be offered
which were used to be offered to God
according to the law: and
they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate; either a garrison of
Heathen soldiers in the temple
which drove the priests and people from it
and
made it desolate; or rather an idol in it
it being usual in Scripture to call
idols abominations
as they are to God and all good men; the image of Jupiter
Olympius
as is thought
which was placed upon the altar of God by Antiochus
on the fifteenth day of the month Cisieu
in the hundred and forty fifth year
of the Seleucidae
and is called the abomination of desolations
in the
Apocrypha:
"And
whosoever was found with any the book of the testament
or if any committed to
the law
the king's commandment was
that they should put him to death.' (1 Maccabees 1:57)
and
the temple itself was ordered to be called the temple of Jupiter Olympius
in
the Apocrypha:
"And
to pollute also the temple in Jerusalem
and to call it the temple of Jupiter
Olympius; and that in Garizim
of Jupiter the Defender of strangers
as they
did desire that dwelt in the place.' (2 Maccabees 6:2)
and
what with this and other things that were done
the temple and city were left
desolate; for it is said in the Apocrypha:
"Now
Jerusalem lay void as a wilderness
there was none of her children that went in
or out: the sanctuary also was trodden down
and aliens kept the strong hold;
the heathen had their habitation in that place; and joy was taken from Jacob
and the pipe with the harp ceased.' (1 Maccabees 3:45)
It
may be rendered
"the abomination that maketh astonished"F8השיקוץ משומם "abominationem
obstupefacientem"
Montanus; "quae obstupefaciet"
Calvin. ; for
it struck the people of the Jews with astonishment; it amazed and stupefied
them
when they saw such an idol placed in their temple. The Karaite Jews
who
by the others are called Sadducees
give a very foreign interpretation of this
passage
which Aben Ezra observes:
"it
is marvellous (says he) that the wise men of the Sadducees should explain this
of future time
and say that this sanctuary is Mecca
where the Ishmaelites or
Turks keep a feast; "the daily sacrifice"
to be removed
their five
prayers; and the "abomination" set up is their idolatrous worship.'
Sir
Isaac Newton understands all this of the Romans
and their building a temple to
Jupiter Capitolinus
where the temple in Jerusalem had stood.
Daniel 11:32 32 Those
who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the
people who know their God shall be strong
and carry out great exploits.
YLT 32And those acting wickedly
[against] the covenant
he defileth by flatteries; and the people knowing their
God are strong
and have wrought.
And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall be corrupted by
flatteries
.... That forsook the law of God
the book of the covenant
and
did things contrary to it; and particularly violated the covenant of
circumcision
drawing on the foreskin
and becoming uncircumcised; as well as
rejected other ordinances of religious worship the Jews by covenant were
obliged to observe: these apostates Antiochus corrupted by good words and fair
speeches
by gifts and presents; and they became his tools
to do his pleasure
and were his instruments to seduce the Jews to renounce their religion
and
give in to his idolatry; such as Jason
Menelaus
and others; in the Apocrypha:
"Now
when the kingdom was established before Antiochus
he thought to reign over
Egypt that he might have the dominion of two realms.' (1 Maccabees 1:16)
"Now
such was the height of Greek fashions
and increase of heathenish manners
through the exceeding profaneness of Jason
that ungodly wretch
and no high
priest;' (2 Maccabees 4:13)
"Yet
was he not content with this
but presumed to go into the most holy temple of
all the world; Menelaus
that traitor to the laws
and to his own country
being his guide:' (2 Maccabees 5:15)
"But
they that had the charge of that wicked feast
for the old acquaintance they
had with the man
taking him aside
besought him to bring flesh of his own
provision
such as was lawful for him to use
and make as if he did eat of the
flesh taken from the sacrifice commanded by the king;' (2 Maccabees 6:21)
but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do
exploits; such who knew the Lord God of Israel to be the true God
and
owned and acknowledged him as such; and not only professed him
but served and
worshipped him
having a spiritual knowledge of him
and communion with him;
and therefore could not be drawn off from him and his worship by flatteries or
frowns
by promises or menaces: these were strong in the Lord
and in the power
of his might; they held fast their religion
and the profession of it
and were
proof against all allurements or threatenings
and endured racks and tortures
all sorts of punishment
and death in every shape
with the greatest constancy
and courage; such as Eleazar
the mother and her seven sons
and others; as
well as others did many valiant actions in the defence of themselves and
country
as Mattathias
Judas Maccabaeus
and his brethren; to which heroic
actions the apostle refers in Hebrews 11:34
so
JosephusF9Antiqu. l. 12. c. 5. sect. 4. says
"that
many of the Jews indeed
some willingly
and others through fear of punishment
obeyed the king's commands; but the more approved
and those of generous minds
had a greater regard to the customs of their country than to the punishment
threatened to the disobedient; and for this being continually harassed
and
enduring grievous punishments
died; some were scourged
and their bodies
mutilated
and being yet alive and breathing
were crucified; women and their
children
whom they crucified
were by the king's orders strangled
and hanged
about the necks of their parents that were crucified;'
In
the Apocrypha:
"60
At which time according to the commandment they put to death certain women
that had caused their children to be circumcised. 61 And they hanged the
infants about their necks
and rifled their houses
and slew them that had
circumcised them. 62 Howbeit many in Israel were fully resolved and confirmed
in themselves not to eat any unclean thing. 63 Wherefore the rather to die
that they might not be defiled with meats
and that they might not profane the
holy covenant: so then they died. 64 And there was very great wrath upon
Israel.' (1 Maccabees 1)
Daniel 11:33 33 And
those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many
days they shall fall by sword and flame
by captivity and plundering.
YLT 33And the teachers of the
people give understanding to many; and they have stumbled by sword
and by
flame
by captivity
and by spoil -- days.
And they that understand among the people shall instruct many
.... Such as
had a better understanding of divine things than others
had more light and
knowledge in the sacred Scriptures
in the law of God
and in his mind and
will
and were capable of teaching others; and such as these the Lord raises up
among his people in the worst of times
in the times of the greatest apostasy
and declension; and these are enabled to perform their duty
to instruct the
people in theirs
teach them what they should do
and how they should behave;
exhort them to retain the doctrines and ordinances of their holy religion
and
not embrace the doctrines and inventions of men
will worship
superstition
and idolatry; and so they instructed the ignorant
strengthened the weak
and
established the wavering; such were Mattathias the priest of Modin
and
Eleazar
one of the chief scribes
in the Apocrypha:
"In
those days arose Mattathias the son of John
the son of Simeon
a priest of the
sons of Joarib
from Jerusalem
and dwelt in Modin.' (1 Maccabees 2:1)
"Eleazar
one of the principal scribes
an aged man
and of a well favoured countenance
was constrained to open his mouth
and to eat swine's flesh.' (2 Maccabees 6:18)
Auk
applies this to the times of the apostles
who he thinks are here meant; so Sir
Isaac Newton:
yet they shall fall by the sword; by the sword of
Antiochus and his soldiers; as multitudes of the Jews did
even both the
instructors and the instructed
who would not comply with his orders:
and by flame; some were burnt alive in caves
where they
fled for shelter; and others as the mother and her seven sons
were cast into heated
caldrons of brass; in the Apocrypha:
"And
others
that had run together into caves near by
to keep the sabbath day
secretly
being discovered by Philip
were all burnt together
because they
made a conscience to help themselves for the honour of the most sacred day.' (2 Maccabees 6:11)
"3Then
the king
being in a rage
commanded pans and caldrons to be made hot: 4Which
forthwith being heated
he commanded to cut out the tongue of him that spake
first
and to cut off the utmost parts of his body
the rest of his brethren
and his mother looking on. 5 Now when he was thus maimed in all his members
he
commanded him being yet alive to be brought to the fire
and to be fried in the
pan: and as the vapour of the pan was for a good space dispersed
they exhorted
one another with the mother to die manfully
saying thus
' (2 Maccabees 7)
by captivity; so it is expressly said of Antiochus
that
he carried captive women and children and at another time ordered the women and
children to be sold for slaves
in the Apocrypha:
"Insomuch
that the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them: whereupon the city was
made an habitation of strangers
and became strange to those that were born in
her; and her own children left her.' (1 Maccabees 1:38)
"He
sent also that detestable ringleader Apollonius with an army of two and twenty
thousand
commanding him to slay all those that were in their best age
and to
sell the women and the younger sort:' (2 Maccabees 5:24)
and by spoil many days; being plundered of their
substance
their houses rifled
and their goods carried away; and this distress
lasted "days"
a short time only; JosephusF11De Bello Jud.
l. 1. c. 1. sect. 7. reckons it at three years and a half. All this Cocceius
interprets of the persecutions of the Christians by the Romans; and likewise
Sir Isaac Newton.
Daniel 11:34 34 Now
when they fall
they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join
with them by intrigue.
YLT 34And in their stumbling
they
are helped -- a little help
and joined to them have been many with flatteries.
Now when they shall fall
they shall be holpen with a little help
.... When the
Jews shall be thus harassed and distressed by Antiochus and his armies
to the
ruin of many
by the several sorts of punishments inflicted on them; they
should be helped and eased a little by Mattathias
a priest of Modin
and his
five sons
commonly called the Maccabees; Porphyry himself interprets this of
Mattathias: the help and assistance which he and his sons gave to the Jews was
but "little"; if we consider they were persons of a small figure
began with a handful of men
and could do but little
especially at first; and
though great exploits were done by them
considering their number and strength
yet they were not able to restore the land to its former glory and liberty; nor
did this help of theirs last long
but the enemy returned with great fierceness
and cruelty
and sadly afflicted the people of the Jews. Cocceius understands
this of the help the Christians had under Constantius Chlorus
and Constantine
the great; and so does Sir Isaac Newton
who agrees with him in interpreting
this and the preceding verse: he interprets "arms"
in Daniel 11:31
of
the Romans
and so Jacchiades; and makes this to be the beginning of the fourth
kingdom that should "stand"
ממנו
"after him"; that is
after Antiochus; so the particle
he observes
is used in Daniel 11:8
and it
must be owned this is the sense in which it is sometimes used
of which NoldiusF12Concord.
Part. Ebr. p. 557. has given instances: and this seems to agree with the thread
of history
and introduces the Romans
who must have a place in this prophecy
in a very proper manner; and carries on the account of things
through the
times of Christ
his apostles
the first ages of Christianity under
persecution
until the rise of antichrist
Daniel 11:36 and
throws light upon the text in Matthew 24:15
the
language of which seems best to agree with Daniel 11:31
and
if so
must respect something to be done
not in the times of Antiochus
but
after the times of Christ.
But many shall cleave to them with flatteries; seeing
Mattathias and his sons succeed
some of those
who had been apostates from
their religion
or not heartily friends to it
joined them
but not sincerely;
pretended to be on their side
and commended their bravery and courage; and
being ambitious of honour and fame
took with them
in order to share the glory
of their actions; such were Joseph the son of Zachariah
and Azarias
in the
Apocrypha:
"56
Joseph the son of Zacharias
and Azarias
captains of the garrisons
heard of
the valiant acts and warlike deeds which they had done. 57 Wherefore they said
Let us also get us a name
and go fight against the heathen that are round
about us.' (1 Maccabees 5)
and
those under whose clothes were found idols
or what belonged to them
at
Jamnia
when they were slain
in the Apocrypha:
"Now
under the coats of everyone that was slain they found things consecrated to the
idols of the Jamnites
which is forbidden the Jews by the law. Then every man
saw that this was the cause wherefore they were slain.' (2 Maccabees 12:40)
and
Rhodocus
a soldier of the Jewish army
who betrayed their secrets
in the
Apocrypha:
"But
Rhodocus
who was in the Jews' host
disclosed the secrets to the enemies;
therefore he was sought out
and when they had gotten him
they put him in
prison.' (2 Maccabees 13:21)
Cocceius
applies this to antichrist and his followers pretending to be for Christ and
his church
but were not.
Daniel 11:35 35 And
some of those of understanding shall fall
to refine them
purify them
and make them white
until the time of the end; because it is
still for the appointed time.
YLT 35And some of the teachers do
stumble for refining by them
and for purifying
and for making white -- till
the end of the time
for [it is] yet for a time appointed.
And some of them of understanding shall fall
.... Not into
sin
or from the religion they profess; and the doctrines they have an understanding
of
and have instructed others in; but into distresses and calamities for their
steadfast adherence to the word
worship
and ordinances of God:
to try them
and purge and make them white; to try their
faith
patience
and other graces
and whether they would hold fast their
profession
and persevere in the good ways of God; and to purge and separate
them from others
that were like chaff
hypocrites
that so they might be
manifest
both the one and the other; and these good men appear to be sincere
and upright: moreover
the best of men have their dross
and chaff
and spots
to be removed from them; and this is one way of doing it
even by afflictions:
the allusion
in the first word
is to the melting
purifying
and refining of
metals
gold and silver; the second to the winnowing of a grain floor
and
separating the chaff from the wheat; and the third to the cleansing and
whitening of cloths
and taking the spots out of them by the fuller.
Afflictions are the furnace in which the Lord refines and purifies his people;
the fan with which he purges his floor; and the fuller's soap with which he
makes his people white; by all this the iniquity of Jacob is purged
and the
fruit of it is to take away sin
Isaiah 27:9
so
that afflictions are not hurtful
but beneficial to the saints
even those more
violent ones
severe persecutions.
Even to the time of the end; because it is yet for a
time appointed; these distresses
calamities
and persecutions
would have an
end
and the time for it was appointed of God; as yet it was not come
but
quickly would
and then an end would be put to the third or Grecian monarchy; a
hint of the Roman power over that being given
Daniel 11:30
hence
we have no further account of Antiochus or his sons. Very remarkable are the
words of Aemilius SaraF13De annis populi Romani apud Velleii Paterculi
Hist. Roman. l. 1. c. 6.
"the
Assyrians first were possessors of monarchy; then the Medes; afterwards the
Persians; then the Macedonians; from that time the kings
Philip and Antiochus
who sprung from the Macedonians
being conquered
not long after Carthage was
subdued
the supreme power of empire came to the Roman people;'
of
whom
under one character or another
the following part of the prophecy is
chiefly to be understood. So another historian saysF14"Festi
Breviarium
prope initium".
Antiochus being drove out of Asia
the
Romans first set footing there; and anotherF15Eutropii Hist. Rom. l.
4. So Plutarch. in Vita Scipionis Africani. observes
that Antiochus being
defeated by L. Cornelius Scipio
he took the name of Asiaticus
because he had
conquered Asia; as his brother was called Africanus
from his subduing Africa:
wherefore Asia and Africa being now in the hands of the Romans
the supreme
power might well be said to be with them; and therefore
henceforward
are only
spoken of
and particularly the Roman antichrist.
Daniel 11:36 36 “Then
the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself
above every god
shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods
and shall
prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined
shall be done.
YLT 36`And the king hath done
according to his will
and exalteth himself
and magnifieth himself against
every god
and against the God of gods he speaketh wonderful things
and hath
prospered till the indignation hath been completed
for that which is
determined hath been done.
And the king shall do according to his will
.... Not
Antiochus
for he could not do as he would
being curbed by the Romans
as has
been observed; and there are many things which follow that cannot be applied to
him; rather the Roman people
under the name of a king or kingdom
rising up to
universal monarchy
upon the decline of the Grecian empire
are meant; and who
did what they would
subdued kingdoms at pleasure
and gave laws to the whole
world; and particularly in the little horn
or Rome Papal
antichrist
Daniel 7:8
of
which Antiochus was a type
and is called by the same name
Daniel 8:9 and the
transition is easy from the type to the antitype
with whom everything said
agrees: for the pope of Rome
claiming infallibility
does
or has done
whatsoever
he pleases; regarding neither the laws of God nor man
but dispensing with both
at his pleasure; coining new doctrines; appointing new ordinances; setting
himself up above councils and princes; taking upon him a power to depose kings
and set them up as he pleases; with many other things done by him in an
arbitrary and despotic way
both civil and religious; and with none does the
character agree as with him
as well as what follows:
and magnify himself above every god; that is so called
whether angels whom he commands
or the kings of the earth he claims an
authority over
those gods in heaven
and gods on earth; which is the exact
description of antichrist
as given by the apostle
who has manifestly a
reference to this passage; see Gill on 2 Thessalonians 2:4
and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods; the true God
to whom angels and civil magistrates are subject
being his creatures
and
acting under him; but such is the arrogance of the man of sin
that he takes
upon him to speak against God
and such things as are astonishing; and it may
be extremely wondered at that he should dare to speak them
as to call himself
God on earth; to take such things to himself
which only belong to God
as by
claiming all power in heaven
earth
and hell; power to bind the consciences of
men
and impose what he pleases on them; to make new articles of faith; to
pardon the sins of men; to open and shut the gates of heaven when he pleases;
with other blasphemies against God
his mouth
given him to speak
utters; see Revelation 13:5
and shall prosper until the indignation be accomplished; the wrath of
God upon the Jewish nation for their rejection of the Messiah; until the time
of their conversion is come; and then antichrist shall be destroyed
to make
way for it; till that time he shall prosper and flourish
more or less
until
the 1260 days or years are ended
the date of his reign
Revelation 11:2
for that that is determined shall be done; all the
decrees and purposes of God shall be accomplished; all respecting the state and
condition of the people of God under antichrist
particularly the people of the
Jews
and concerning the reign and ruin of antichrist.
Daniel 11:37 37 He
shall regard neither the God[k] of his
fathers nor the desire of women
nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself
above them all.
YLT 37And unto the God of his
fathers he doth not attend
nor to the desire of women
yea
to any god he doth
not attend
for against all he magnifieth himself.
Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers
.... Of the
apostles of Christ
from whom he pretends to descend
and whose successor he
would be thought to be: now their God was the Lord Jesus Christ
whom they
worshipped and adored
believed in
embraced
professed
and preached; but whom
antichrist disregards
though he would be thought to be his vicar on earth; yet
slights him
yea
opposes and acts contrary to him
in his offices of Prophet
Priest
and King
and therefore is rightly called antichrist:
nor the desire of women; or "wives"F16נשים "conjuges"
Gejerus. ; not desirous of
having wives
or enjoying women in lawful marriage; but forbidding his priests
to marry
as is notoriously a tenet of antichrist
and foretold by the apostle
in agreement to this prophecy
1 Timothy 4:3
otherwise
none more lustful or desirous of women in an unlawful way than the
Romish priests:
nor regard any god; either the true God
and his laws
or any
god in a metaphorical sense
any king or potentate on earth; showing no respect
to any authority
or to any laws
divine or human:
for he shall magnify himself above all; above all
gods
real or nominal
as in 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
Daniel 11:38 38 But
in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers
did not know he shall honor with gold and silver
with precious stones and
pleasant things.
YLT 38And to the god of
strongholds
on his station
he giveth honour; yea
to a god whom his fathers
knew not he giveth honour
with gold
and with silver
and with precious stone
and with desirable things.
But in his estate shall he honour the god of forces
.... Or god
MahuzzimF17ולאלהוה מעזים
"deum Mahuzim"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus. ; departed saints and their
images
whom the Papists make their protectors
defenders
and guardians: the
word signifies towers
strong holds
fortresses; and by these titles the
martyrs
saints departed
are called by the ancient fathers
who first
introduced the worship of them: So BasilF18Homil. in 40. Martyr. p.
151.
speaking of the forty martyrs
says
"these
are they
who obtaining our country
like certain towers
afford us a refuge
against the incursion of enemies:'
and
a little after thus addresses them
"O
ye common keepers of mankind
the best companions of our cares
the suffragans
of our prayers and wishes
"most powerful" ambassadors with God
&c.:'
and
elsewhereF19Homil. de Martyr. Mamant. p. 167. he prays
"that
God would keep the church unmoved
and fortified with the great towers of the
martyrs;'
so
ChrysostomF20Sermo in Berenice
Homil. l. in 1Thess. See Mede's
Works
B. 3. p. 673
674. calls them patrons and protectors. Or
"with God
he shall honour"F21"Ad
vel juxta deum Mahuzzimos
in sede ejus honorabit"
Medus
p. 667
671. ; these along with him
or
besides him; these shall be the objects of religious worship and honour
as
they are: and that "in his estate"; or in his room and stead
that
is
of the true God
our Lord Jesus Christ
the only Mediator between God and
man; and yet angels and departed saints are set up as mediators in his stead:
and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour; the host
the
wafer
the breaden god
made a god by the words of a muttering priest; this is
such a god as the apostles
and Peter particularly
from whom the popes of Rome
pretend to
derive their succession
never knew
nor once dreamed of; and yet
this is received as a god
bowed unto
and worshipped
and honoured:
with gold
silver
and with precious stones
and pleasant things; with rich and
costly ornaments
with which the pyxis or box
in which it is carried in
procession
is adorned.
Daniel 11:39 39 Thus
he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god
which he
shall acknowledge
and advance its glory; and he shall cause them
to rule over many
and divide the land for gain.
YLT 39And he hath dealt in the
fortresses of the strongholds with a strange god whom he hath acknowledged; he
multiplieth honour
and hath caused them to rule over many
and the ground he
apportioneth at a price.
Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god
.... Or
"in the strong holds of Mahuzzim"F23למבצרי
מעזים "munitionibus Mahuzim"
Pagninus
Montanus. that is
in the temples
churches
and chapels
dedicated to angels
and departed saints; deck and adorn their images with gold
silver
precious
stones
and with desirable things
which is notorious; as well as commit the
grossest idolatries with this strange breaden god; which they hold up in such
places
cringe and bow to
and pay all religious worship and adoration to it:
whom he shall acknowledge
and increase with glory; as really
God; the wafer being transubstantiated into the very body and blood of Christ
as is said; and own it as such
as very God
and heap religious honour and
glory upon it
which is due to Christ:
he shall cause them to rule over many; that is
the
Mahuzzim
the departed saints; one shall rule over England
and be the patron
and defender of it
as St. George; another over Scotland
as St. Andrew;
another over Ireland
as St. Patrick; another over France
as St. Dennis;
another over Spain
as St. James:
and shall divide the land for gain; or "price"F24במחיר "pro pretio"
Vatablus
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator. ; the whole Romish jurisdiction
all antichristian
states
which are divided among those tutelar saints; each of them have their
proper country assigned them they are to defend; but this is not done without
gain arising to the pope of Rome from those countries
as by firstfruits
annates
Peter's pence
&c.
Daniel 11:40 40 “At
the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the
North shall come against him like a whirlwind
with chariots
horsemen
and
with many ships; and he shall enter the countries
overwhelm them
and
pass through.
YLT 40`And at the time of the
end
push himself forward with him doth a king of the south
and storm against
him doth a king of the north
with chariot
and with horsemen
and with many
ships; and he hath come in to the lands
and hath overflowed
and passed over
And at the time of the end
.... At the end of the
time appointed of God
when antichrist is arrived to the height of his power
and authority:
shall the king of the south push at him; not
Philometor king of Egypt; nor is Antiochus meant in the next clause by the king
of the north; for
after he was required by the Romans to quit the land of
Egypt
there was no more war between him and the king of Egypt; rather
therefore the Saracens are meant by the king of the south
as Mr. MedeF25Works
B. 3. p. 674. and Cocceius think
who came from the south
from Arabia Felix:
and so Gravius interprets it of the king or caliph of the Saracens
and his
successors; who
extending their empire through Asia and Africa
repressed the
attempts of the Roman antichrist affecting primacy in the east; and this way
goes Mr. Mede
who takes them to be the same with the locusts in Revelation 9:3
that distressed antichrist:
and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind; not
Antiochus
as before observed; but either emperors
kings
and Christian
princes
the chief of which was Godfrey of Bullain
who was crowned king of
Jerusalem
as Cocceius: or the Turks
as Jacchiades
so Mr. Brightman on the
place
and Mr. Mede; who were originally Tartars or Scythians
and came from
the north
the same with the horsemen at Euphrates
Revelation 9:15
who also came against antichrist; for he seems to be the "him" they
both came against; both the king of the south
and the king of the north
the
two woes that came upon Christendom the Saracens are the first woe
and the
Turks the second; and who chiefly afflicted the antichristian states
and came
like a whirlwind upon them
suddenly
swiftly
and with great rapidity and
force:
with chariots
and with horsemen
and with many ships; which well
agrees with the Turks
whose armies chiefly consist of horse:
and he shall enter into the countries
and shall overflow
and
pass over; into the countries belonging to antichrist; particularly the
Greek or eastern empire; which they overran like a flood
seized it for
themselves
and set up an empire for themselves
which still continues; as well
as entered into some parts of Europe
and did much damage.
Daniel 11:41 41 He
shall also enter the Glorious Land
and many countries shall be
overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom
Moab
and the prominent
people of Ammon.
YLT 41and hath come into the
desirable land
and many do stumble
and these escape from his hand: Edom
and
Moab
and the chief of the sons of Ammon.
He shall enter also into the glorious land
.... The land
of Israel
as the Syriac version expresses it; or the land of Judea
which the
Turk entered into
and got possession of
and still retains
notwithstanding
all the attempts made by the European princes to get it out of his hand:
and many countries shall be overthrown; of which the
eastern empire listed as Bithynia
Mysia
Lycaonia
Phrygia
and Carlo
and to
the Hellesport and the Euxine sea
conquered by Ottoman and his son Urchenes;
Callipolis
Hadrianople
by Amurath; Thessalia
Macedonia
Phocis
Mysia
and
Bulgaria
by Bajazet; and at last Constantinople itself by Mahomet the second
which put an end to the eastern empire: though perhaps those countries and
places may be here more especially meant which lay near Judea
and fell into
the hands of the Turk when that did; as Comagene of Syria
Antioch
Damascus
Tripolis
Berytus
Sidon
and all Palestine
and all the sea coast to Egypt:
but these shall escape out of his hand
even Edom and Moab
and
the chief of the children of Ammon; by which according to
Jerom is meant Arabia
left untouched by him; so Mr. Mede interprets them of
Arabia and Petraea
which some of the above people formerly inhabited
as
Jacchiades observes; and which Arabians were never subdued by the Turks
but
are independent of them to this day; yea
the Turks pay a yearly tribute to
them for the passage of their pilgrims to Mecca
as well as pay for the canyons
that pass through their country
as is affirmedF26See Dr. Newton's
Dissertations on the Prophecies. p. 53
54
&c. by modern travellers; and
yet it may be observed that these countries did not escape Antiochus
who
particularly took Rabbath
the metropolis of Ammon.
Daniel 11:42 42 He
shall stretch out his hand against the countries
and the land of Egypt shall
not escape.
YLT 42`And he sendeth forth his
hand upon the lands
and the land of Egypt is not for an escape;
He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries
.... Before
mentioned
and take possession of them and rule over them
as the Turk does to
this day:
and the land of Egypt shall not escape; the hands of
the Turk by whom it was taken from the Mamalucs; and is now a province of the
Turkish empire
and governed by a Turkish basha
with twenty four princes under
himF1Ibid. (See Dr. Newton's Dissertations on the Prophecies) p.
394. . This was not true of Antiochus
who
after he had been checked by the
Romans
never entered into Egypt
and much less became master of it
as the
Turk now is.
Daniel 11:43 43 He
shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver
and over all the
precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow
at his heels.
YLT 43and he hath ruled over
treasures of gold and of silver
and over all the desirable things of Egypt
and Lubim and Cushim [are] at his steps.
But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver
and
over all the precious things of Egypt
.... The land of Egypt
as it is a very large
so a very rich country
abounding with gold
silver
and
precious things; all which came into the hands of the Turk along with it; for
when Selim
the ninth emperor of the Turks
conquered the Mamalucs he caused
five hundred of the chiefest Egyptian families to be transported to
Constantinople; as likewise a great number of Mamalucs' wives and children
besides the sultan's treasure
and other immense richesF2See Dr.
Newton's Dissertations on the Prophecies
p. 393. .
And the Lybians and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps; at his
command and pleasure; shall follow him
being taken captive
or go where he
orders them; that is
in all things shall be obedient to him. So we find that
these very people will be in the army of Gog or the Turk
when he shall march
against the land of Judea
to recover it from the Jews
when possessed of it
Ezekiel 38:5. These
people
the Africans and Ethiopians
are near to Egypt
and therefore mentioned
with it
and never were under the power of Antiochus
as Jerome observes; but
are now subject to the Ottoman empire
and make a part of it; which is a very
strong evidence of the Turk being the king of the north here spoken of.
Daniel 11:44 44 But
news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out
with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.
YLT 44`And reports trouble him
out of the east and out of the north
and he hath gone forth in great fury to
destroy
and to devote many to destruction;
But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him
.... This and
the following verse respect times and things yet to come
and the
interpretation of them is not so certain: perhaps this clause may have a regard
to the news brought to the Turk
of the Jews
upon their conversion
being
about to return to their own land
from the eastern and northern parts of the
world
where they chiefly are at this day; which will greatly alarm him
since
their land is part of his dominions: or it may be
out of the east may come
tidings of some commotions and disturbances in the eastern part of the world
as Tartary
&c. which he may fear would be of bad consequence to the
Ottoman empire; and news out of the north
of the northern Christian princes
preparing to assist the Jews in the repossession of their country; all which
may give him great uneasiness.
Therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy
and
utterly to make away many; hearing the Jews are preparing to return to
their own country
or that they have got possession of it
he will be provoked
to the last degree
and raise a prodigious army
and march out of his own land
with them to Judea;
and will come like a storm
with the utmost rage and
fury
and like a cloud for number
and threaten utter ruin and destruction to
the nation of the Jews; this will be his end in view in coming out
but he will
not be able to accomplish it; of all which see Ezekiel 38:2
where
the Turk
and this expedition of his
are prophesied of
and where he goes by
the name of Gog.
Daniel 11:45 45 And
he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy
mountain; yet he shall come to his end
and no one will help him.
YLT 45and he planteth the tents
of his palace between the seas and the holy desirable mountain
and hath come
unto his end
and there is no helper to him.
And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace
.... Or
"pavilion"F3אפדנו
"praetorii sui"
Vatablus. So Aquila in Drusius. ; the tents for his
princes and generals that come with him; which shall be placed about his own
and where he will think himself safe and secure
and sure of victory. Symmachus
renders the words
"the tents of his cavalry"F4 τας σκηνας του ιπποστασιου αυτου
Symm.; "papiliones equitatus sui"
interpr. Hieronymo; "vel
potius tentoria equilis sui
seu stabuli equorum suorum"
Fuller. ; or the stables of his horses; which agrees well enough with the Turks
whole cavalry is usually very large
their armies chiefly consisting of
horsemen; such he shall bring into the land of Judea
and place them as after
mentioned
as if he had got the day
and had obtained a settlement. The word
used has the signification of covering and clothing; hence some translate it
"the tents of his curtain"F5"Tentoria aulaei
sui"
Schindler
col. 108. ; tents covered with curtains or veils
such as
the tents of kings
generals
and principal officers
were covered with
distinguished from others by the splendour and magnificence of them. It seems
to be derived from the same root as the ephod
a curious garment wore by the
high priest among the Jews; hence Saadiah interprets it here a covering figured
and wrought very artificially; and it is by some rendered "the tents or
tabernacles of his tunic or clothing"F6"Tentoria tunicae
suae"
Fuller; "tentoria hujus amietus"
Cocceius
Lex. col. 57.
. And it is an ingenious conjecture of a learned man of our own countryF7Fuller.
Miscell. Sacr. l. 5. c. 18. So Lydius
De Re Miliari
l. 4. c. 2. p. 155
156.
that it may refer to an ancient custom of the Roman emperors
who used before
a battle to have a scarlet coat spread over their tents
or hung up upon a
spear
to give notice of it
as appears from Plutarch
Isidore
and others; and
so this furious enemy of the church of God is here represented as setting up
his bloody flag or ensign
and preparing for battle
threatening with utter
desolation and destruction. And this will be
between the seas
in the glorious holy mountain; in the
mountain or mountains of the land of Israel
upon which it is certain Gog or
the Turk shall come
and there he shall fall
Ezekiel 39:2
particularly the mountains about Jerusalem
and more especially Mount Zion
or
Moriah
as Jacchiades; on which the temple was built formerly
and was glorious
and holy on that account
and for which reason the epithets may be retained; though
it will now be glorious and holy
through a glorious and holy people
the Jews
become Christian
residing and worshipping in Jerusalem; whose situation is
between two seas
the Mediterranean sea to the west
and the sea of Sodom
or
the Syrian or Persian sea
to the east
called the hinder and the former seas
in Zechariah 14:8.
Some take the word אפדנו
"Apadno"
translated "palace"
for the proper name of a place
Theodoret takes
it to be a place near Jerusalem; and Jerom says it was near Nicopolis
which
was formerly called Emmaus; where the mountainous parts of Judea begin to rise
and lay between the Dead sea on the east
and the great sea on the west
where
he supposes antichrist will pitch his tent: and Porphyry
as he relates
who
interprets the whole of Antiochus
places it between the two rivers Tigris and
Euphrates; he says that Antiochus went on an expedition against Artaxis
king
of Armenia
and
having slain many of his army
pitched his tent in the place
Apadno
which is situated between two large rivers
Tigris and Euphrates; and
that he afterwards went to the top of a mountain
in the province of Elymais
the further part of Persia to the east
with a design to rob the temple of
Diana; but being discovered by the people was obliged to flee
and that he died
with grief in Tabes
a town in Persia: and Father Calmet is of opinion that a
place between those two rivers before mentioned is meant
and translates the
words thus
"he
shall pitch his tents in Apadno of the two seas;'
or
in Padan of two rivers
Mesopotamia
situated between the Euphrates and the
Tigris
two large rivers
and justly compared with the sea
particularly for
their inundations. Dr. GoodwinF8Exposition of the Revelation
part
2. p. 166.
expresses
his fears that our British isles are here invaded
which so eminently stand
between the seas
and which God has made the eminent seat of the church in
these latter days; and his fears would seem to be too well grounded
were the
Romish or western antichrist here designed; but the Turk
or the eastern
antichrist
is manifestly spoken of
as appears by the context: and the reason
why he is so much observed
and so many things said of him
is
because the
Jews have
and will have
the greatest concern with him
their country being in
his hands; and it is for their sakes chiefly that the whole of this prophecy is
delivered out; however
both antichrists
the one and the other
shall come to
utter destruction
as follows: "yet he shall come to his end
and none
shall help him"; he shall fall upon the mountains of Israel
he and his
princes
his generals
and captains
and mighty men; the whole Ottoman empire
shall be destroyed
signified by the drying up of the river Euphrates
which is
in his dominions
Revelation 16:12
and of the vast multitudes that shall come with him
Persia
Ethiopia
Lybia
Gomer
and Togarmah
Ezekiel 38:5 and
the numerous provinces he is master of; none shall be able to help him
or save
him from ruin: of the destruction of the Turk
under the name of Gog
see Ezekiel 39:1.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)