Daniel 11:14

there shall many stand up, &c. Alluding to Antiochus, to Philip of Macedon, his ally, and also (according to Jerome) to rebellions which broke out in the provinces subject to Egypt, and insurrections in Egypt itself, through dissatisfaction with the haughty and dissolute Agathocles, Ptolemy Philopator's chief minister and favourite (see Polyb. xv. 25 34 [Mahaffy, pp. 276 287], where a graphic account is given of the assassination of Agathocles in a popular tumult, immediately after the accession of the infant king, Ptolemy V.).

also the children of the violent among thy people shall lift themselves up to establish(the) vision; but they shall be overthrown] The allusion is apparently to a faction among the Jews, who, for the purpose of fulfilling certain prophecies, took the part of Antiochus against Ptolemy, but were unsuccessful.

Antiochus the Great, in the invasion referred to on Daniel 11:13, had, it seems, obtained possession of Palestine: shortly afterwards, however, in 200, the guardian of the young Ptolemy Epiphanes sent Scopas, an Aetolian mercenary, to recover it: he was successful, -subdued the nation of the Jews" (Polyb. xvi. 39 ap.Jos. l. c.), and left a garrison in the citadel at Jerusalem. Within a year or two, as soon as his war with Attalus of Pergamum was over, Antiochus marched against Scopas, and defeated him with great loss at Paneion, by the sources of the Jordan (cf. Polyb. xvi. 18 f.), so that he was obliged to retreat, with 100,000 men, into Sidon, where Antiochus besieged him, and, though Ptolemy sent him assistance, compelled him to surrender (b.c. 198). After this Antiochus recovered Batanaea, Samaria, Abila and Gadara: he then entered Jerusalem, where the people received him gladly, provided his army with food, and assisted him to expel the garrison left in the citadel by Scopas; in return for this friendliness, Antiochus afterwards granted the Jews remission of many taxes, and contributed liberally to both the services and the repair of the Temple [365]. Only Gaza remained loyal to Ptolemy; and withstood a siege from Antiochus rather than join the Syrian side (Polyb. xvi. 40). We do not know particulars: but the allusion in this part of Daniel 11:14 can hardly be to anything except to a party in Jerusalem which (perhaps before the expedition of Scopas: notice Polybius" phrase -subdued," as though there had been some rebellion) supported Antiochus, and in some way was broken up.

[365] Jos. Ant.xii. iii. 3 (Mahaffy, p. 293 f.); Jerome on Daniel 8:15; Ewald, Hist.v. 284.

violent properly, breakers down(or breakers through): the word denotes a robber, Jeremiah 7:11 (-a den of robbers"); Ezekiel 7:22; Ezekiel 18:10; and is used of a destructive wild-beast, Isaiah 35:9. The author chooses a strong term for the purpose of expressing his disapprobation of a party who were instrumental in bringing Judah under the rule of the Seleucidae, Antiochus the Great being the father of the hated Antiochus Epiphanes.

be overthrown] lit. stumble: see Proverbs 24:16.

15 a. And the king of the north shall come, and throw up earth-works, and take a city of fortifications] Sidon, in which Scopas was shut up, and which Antiochus took (see on Daniel 11:14).

cast up a mount i.e. throw up (lit. pour out, viz. from the baskets used for collecting the earth) earth-works, the expression often used in the O.T. of a besieging army (2Sa 20:15; 2 Kings 19:32; Jeremiah 6:6; Ezekiel 4:2 al.). Mountis simply the old form of mound, the two words being really the same, though now differentiated in meaning. W. A. Wright (Bible Word-Book, s.v.) quotes from North's Plutarch (1595), Alexander, p. 748, -all the army in their armour did cast up a mountof earth fashioned like a tombe."

15 b 16. The final collapse of the Egyptian power in Syria.

15 b. and the arms of the south shall not stand] shall make no stand (Daniel 11:25; Amos 2:15) against Antiochus. The arm(of the body) is often fig. for strength(Psalms 71:18; Psalms 79:11; Psalms 83:8; Ezra 4:23; Jdt 9:7); here, the plur. is fig. for forces: cf. Daniel 11:22; Daniel 11:31.

and as for his chosen people(i.e. his chosen warriors: cf. Exodus 15:4; Jeremiah 48:15), there shall be no strength (in them) to stand] so the Heb. accents. Scopas, and the three "duces inclyti" (Jerome) sent to assist him, could not resist the forces of Antiochus.