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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 11:21

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:22

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" F18 וזרעות השטף ישטפו "et brachia inundationis... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:23

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:24

He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province ,.... Or, "into tranquillity, and the fattest places of the province" F19 בשלוה 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:25

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:26

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:27

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:28

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:29

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 himself F25 See the Universal History, vol. 9. p. 282,409. : but it... read more

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