Daniel 11:24-45

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 11:24

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:30

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 Macedonia F26 Vid. Liv. Hist. l. 45. c. 10. , or Greece, to Antiochus, to require him to desist from making war... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:31

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Daniel 11:32

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... read more

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