Daniel 11:14-35

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Daniel 11:5-20

Here are foretold, I. The rise and power of two great kingdoms out of the remains of Alexander's conquests, Dan. 11:5. 1. The kingdom of Egypt, which was made considerable by Ptolemaeus Lagus, one of Alexander's captains, whose successors were, from him, called the Lagidae. He is called the king of the south, that is, Egypt, named here, Dan. 11:8, 42, 43. The countries that at first belonged to Ptolemy are reckoned to be Egypt, Phoenicia, Arabia, Libya, Ethiopia, etc. Theocr. Idyl. 17. 2. The... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Daniel 11:21-45

All this is a prophecy of the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, the little horn spoken of before (Dan. 8:9) a sworn enemy to the Jewish religion, and a bitter persecutor of those that adhered to it. What troubles the Jews m 8000 et with in the reigns of the Persian kings were not so particularly foretold to Daniel as these, because then they had living prophets with them, Haggai and Zechariah, to encourage them; but these troubles in the days of Antiochus were foretold, because, before that time,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:14

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 Polybius F17 Hist. l. 3. in initio. .... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:15

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:16

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:17

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 Justin F2 E Trogo, I. 31. c. 1. says, that upon the death of Ptolemy Philopator,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:18

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:19

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:20

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:21

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" F16 נבזה "despectus", Pagninus, Montanus; "contemptus", Vatablus, Piscator, Tigurine version. ; he was a vile person, and... read more

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