Analysis of the Chapter This chapter contains a portion of those things which the angel said were written in “the scripture of truth,” and which he came to disclose to Daniel. The revelation also embraces the twelfth chapter, and the two comprise the last recorded communication that was made to Dan... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO I - I the angel. He alludes here to what he had done on a former occasion to promote the interests of the Hebrew people, and to secure those arrangements which were necessary for their welfare - particularly in the favorable disposition of Darius the Mede toward them. IN THE FIRST YEAR OF DARIU... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOW WILL I SHOW THEE THE TRUTH - That is, the truth about events that are to occur in the future, and which will accord with what is written in “the scripture of truth,” Daniel 10:21. BEHOLD, THERE SHALL STAND UP YET THREE KINGS IN PERSIA - The phrase “stand up means that there would be so many... [ Continue Reading ]
AND A MIGHTY KING SHALL STAND UP - So far as the language here is concerned, it is not said whether this would be in Persia, as a successor of the “fourth king” Daniel 11:2, or whether it would be in some other part of the world. The next verse, however, shows that the reference is to Alexander the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE SHALL STAND UP - In the might and power of his kingdom. When his power shall be fully established. I understand this, with Rosenmuller and Havernick, as meaning, when he shall be at the height of his authority and power, then his kingdom would be broken up. The reference is, undoubtedly,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING OF THE SOUTH - The angel here leaves the general history of the empire, and confines himself, in his predictions, to two parts of it - the kingdom of the south, and the kingdom of the north; or the kingdoms to the north and the south of Palestine - that of Syria and that of Egypt; or th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THE END OF YEARS - In the future periods of the history of these two kingdoms. The event here referred to did not occur during the lives of these two kings, Seleucus Nicator and Ptolemy Soter, but in the reign of their successors, Ptolemy Philadelphus and Antiochus Theos or Theus. The phrase... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT OUT OF A BRANCH OF HER ROOTS - Compare the notes at Isaiah 11:1. The meaning is, that as a branch or shoot springs up from a tree that is decayed and fallen, so there would spring up some one of her family who would come to avenge her. That is, a person is indicated who would be of a common stoc... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALL ALSO CARRY CAPTIVES INTO EGYPT THEIR GODS ... - That is, their idols. Jerome (_in loc_.) says that Ptolemy took with him, on his return, forty thousand talents of silver, a vast number of precious vessels of gold, and images to the number of two thousand four hundred, among which were many... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE KING OF THE SOUTH SHALL COME INTO HIS KINGDOM - That is, into the kingdom of the north, or the kingdom of Syria. This verse seems to be a summary of what had been said about his invading Syria. He would come, on account of the wrongs done to his sister, into the kingdom of the north, and woul... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HIS SONS SHALL BE STIRRED UP - Margin, “or, war.” The Hebrew word (יתגרוּ _yı̂th__e__ggârû_ - from גרה _gârâh_) means, to be rough; then, in Piel, to excite, stir up; and then, in Hithpa, to excite one’s self, to be stirred up to anger, to make war upon .... Here it means, according to Gesen... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING OF THE SOUTH SHALL BE MOVED WITH CHOLER - With anger. That is, that his provinces were invaded, and his strongholds taken - referring particularly to the invasion of Syria and Palestine as mentioned in the previous verse, and the attempt to wrest them out of the hands of the king of Egy... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HATH TAKCN AWAY THE MULTITUDE - When he has subdued them. Lengerke, however, renders this, “And the multitude shall lift themselves up,” supposing it to refer to the fact that the people as well as the king would be excited. But the more natural interpretation is that in our common versi... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE KING OF THE NORTH SHALL RETURN - That is, he shall come again into the regions of Coelo-Syria and Palestine, to recover them if possible from the power of the Egyptian king. AND SHALL SET FORTH A MULTITUDE GREATER THAN THE FORMER - Than he had in the former war when he was defeated. The fac... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THOSE TIMES THERE SHALL MANY STAND UP AGAINST THE KING OF THE SOUTH - Against the king of Egypt. That is, not only Antiochus the Great, who was always opposed to him, and who was constantly waging war with him, but also others with whom he would be particularly involved, or who would be oppos... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE KING OF THE NORTH - Antiochus the Great. SHALL COME - Shall come again into these provinces. This occurred after he had vanquished the army of the Egyptians at Paneas. He then took Sidon and Patara, and made himself master of the whole country. - Prideaux, iii. 198. This happened 198 b.c. Sc... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE THAT COMETH AGAINST HIM SHALL DO ACCORDING TO HIS OWN WILL - That is, Antiochus, who “came against” Scopas, the Egyptian general, sent out by Ptolemy. The idea is, that Antiochus would be entirely successful in the countries of Coelo-Syria and Palestine. As a matter of fact, as stated above,... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL ALSO SET HIS FACE - Antiochus. That is, he shall resolve or determine. To set one’s face in any direction is to determine to go there. The meaning here is, that Antiochus, flushed with success, and resolved to push his conquests to the utmost, would make use of all the forces at his disposa... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THIS SHALL HE TURN HIS FACE UNTO THE ISLES - The islands of the Mediterranean, particularly those in the neighborhood of and constituting a part of Greece. This he did in his wars with the Romans, for the Roman power then comprehended that part of the world, and it was the design of Antiochus,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HE SHALL TURN HIS FACE TOWARD THE FORT OF HIS OWN LAND - The strong fortifications of his own land - for the Hebrew word is in the plural. This he would do, of course, for protection. He would cease his attempts at conquest, and endeavor to find security in his own fortresses. As a matter of fa... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL STAND UP IN HIS ESTATE - Margin, “or, place.” The word used - כן _kên_ - means, properly, “a stand, station, place” (see the notes at Daniel 11:7), and the idea here is simply that he would be succeeded in the kingdom by such an one. His successor would have the character and destiny whi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN HIS ESTATE - In his place. See the notes at Daniel 11:7, Daniel 11:20. SHALL STAND UP A VILE PERSON - There shall succeed to the throne. The reference here is to Antiochus Epiphanes, who reigned from 175 b.c. to 163 b.c. The epithet “vile” here given him was one which his subsequent history s... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WITH THE ARMS OF A FLOOD - The refercnce here is to some mighty invasion of some country by Antiochus, which would sweep everything before him. There seems to be some confusion of metaphor in the phrase, “the arms of a flood.” The idea in the mind of the writer appears to have been this: He saw... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AFTER THE LEAGUE MADE WITH HIM - A treaty of peace and concord. The great subject of contention between the kings of Syria and Egypt was the possession of Coelo-Syria and Palestine. This they often endeavored to settle by conquest as each of them claimed that in the original partition of the emp... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL ENTER PEACEABLY EVEN UPON THE FATTEST PLACES OF THE PROVINCE - The margin is, “or, into the peaceable and fat.” The version in the text, however, is the more correct, and the sense is, that he would do this “unexpectedly” (Lengerke, uvermuthet); he would make gradual and artful approaches u... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL STIR UP HIS POWER AND HIS COURAGE AGAINST THE KING OF THE SOUTH WITH A GREAT ARMY - This must refer to a subsequent invasion of Egypt by Antiochus. In the course of his reign he four times invaded that conntry with various degrees of success. In the first, he took Pelusium, and having p... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, THEY THAT FEED OF THE PORTION OF HIS MEAT SHALL DESTROY HIM - They of his own family; they who are nourished at his table; they who are his cabinet counselors, and professed and confidential friends. The meaning is, that they would prove treacherous and unfaithful. This is by no means improbabl... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BOTH THESE KINGS’ HEARTS SHALL BE TO DO MISCHIEF - Margin, “their hearts.” The meaning is, that their hearts were set on some evil or unjust purpose. The reference here is, evidently, to Antiochus and Ptolemy Philometor, and the time alluded to is when Ptolemy was in the possession of Antiochus,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL HE RETURN INTO HIS LAND WITH GREAT RICHES - Enriched with the spoils of Egypt. Having taken Memphis, and the fairest portions of Egypt, he would, of course, carry great wealth to his own country on his return. Thus it is said in 1 Macc. 1:19: “Thus they got the strong cities in the land o... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THE TIME APPOINTED - In the purposes of God. See the notes at Daniel 11:27. That is, at the time when God shall design to accomplish his own purposes in regard to him. The idea is, that there was a definite period in the Divine Mind in which all this was to be done, and that when this should occu... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE SHIPS OF CHITTIM SHALL COME AGAINST HIM - The word rendered Chittim - כתים _kı̂ttı̂ym_ - according to Gesenius, properly means “Cyprians,” so called from a celebrated Phoenician colony in the island of Cyprus. In a wider acceptation the name came to comprehend the islands and coasts of the M... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ARMS SHALL STAND ON HIS PART - Up to this verse there is a general agreement among commentators, that the reference is to Antiochus Epiphanes. From this verse, however, to the end of the chapter, there is no little diversity of opinion. One portion suppose that the description of Antiochus and h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SUCH AS DO WICKEDLY AGAINST THE COVENANT - That is, among the Jews. They who apostatized, and who became willing to receive the religion of foreigners. There “was” such a party in Jerusalem, and it was numerous. See Jahn, “Heb. Commonwealth,” pp. 258, 259. Compare 1 Macc. 1:52: “Then many of the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY THAT UNDER STAND AMONG THE PEOPLE - Among the Hebrew people. The allusion is to such as, in those times of so general corruption and apostasy, should have a proper understanding of the law of God and the nature of religion. There were such in the days of Judas Maccabeus, and it is reasonabl... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHEN THEY SHALL FALL, THEY SHALL BE HOLPEN WITH A LITTLE HELP - By small accessions to their forces. The armies of the Maccabees were never “very” numerous; but the idea here is, that when they should be persecuted, there would be accessions to their forces, so that they would be able to prosecu... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SOME OF THEM UNDERSTANDING SHALL FALL - Some of those who have a correct understanding of religion, and who have joined the army from pure motives. The idea seems to be that on some occasion they would meet with a temporary defeat, in order that the sincerity of the others might be tested, or th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING SHALL DO ACCORDING TO HIS WILL - Shall be absolute and supreme, and shall accomplish his purposes. This refers, it seems to me, beyond question, to Antiochus Epiphanes, and was exactly fulfilled in him. He accomplished his purposes in regard to the city and temple in the most arbitrary... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SHALL HE REGARD THE GOD OF HIS FATHERS - The God that his fathers or ancestors had worshipped: That is, he would not be bound or restrained by the religion of his own land, or by any of the usual laws of religion. He would worship any God that he pleased, or none as he pleased. The usual res... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IN HIS ESTATE - The marginal reading here is, “As for the Almighty God, in his seat he shall honor, yea, he shall honor a god,” etc. The more correct rendering, however, is that in the text, and the reference is to some god which he would honor, or for which he would show respect. The rendering... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SHALL HE DO IN, THE MOST STRONG HOLDS - Margin, “fortresses of munitions.” The reference is to strongly fortified places; to those places which bad been made strong for purposes of defense. The idea is, that he would carry on his purposes against these places, as it were, under the auspices of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AT THE TIME OF THE END - See Daniel 11:35. The “time of the end” must properly denote the end or consummation of the series of events under consideration, or the matter in hand, and properly and obviously means here the end or consummation of the transactions which had been referred to in the pr... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL ENTER ALSO INTO THE GLORIOUS LAND - Margin, “land of delight,” or ornament, or goodly land. The Hebrew is, “land of ornament;” that is, of beauty, to wit, Palestine, or the holy land. The same word is used in Daniel 11:16. See the note at that place. As to the fact that he would invade that... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL STRETCH FORTH HIS HAND ALSO UPON THE COUNTRIES - Margin, send forth. Significant of war and conquest. The idea is, that he would be an invader of foreign lands - a characteristic which it is not necessary to show pertained to Antiochus. AND THE LAND OF EGYPT SHALL NOT ESCAPE - Moab and Edo... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE SHALL HAVE POWER OVER THE TREASURES OF GOLD AND OF SILVER - See the notes at Daniel 11:28. Having seized upon the most important places in Egypt, and having possession of the person of the king, he would, of course, have the wealth of Egypt at his disposal, and would return to his land laden... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT TIDINGS OUT OF THE EAST AND OUT OF THE NORTH SHALL TROUBLE HIM - Shall disturb him, or alarm him. That is, he will hear something from those quarters that will disarrange all his other plans, or that will summon him forth in his last and final expedition - on that expedition in which “he will co... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL PLANT THE TABERNACLES OF HIS PALACE - The loyal tents; the military tents of himself and his court. Oriental princes, when they went forth even in war, marched in great state, with a large retinue of the officers of their court, and often with their wives and concubines, and with all th... [ Continue Reading ]