Daniel 11:37

37. God Or, gods. Antiochus did not reverence the deities of Syria which had been respected by his royal forefathers, but cared only for the “god of fortresses.” (See Daniel 11:38.) The difference between he spoke “marvelous things against the God of gods” (Daniel 11:36) and he “had no regard for the gods of his fathers” should be noted. According to this statement he cared nothing for the heathen gods, measuring them at their true worth; but the God of the Hebrews he feared and blasphemed.

He shall magnify himself above all He “proudly” thought of himself “as if he were God” ( 2Ma 9:12 ); he allowed himself to be so addressed by the Samaritans (Josephus, Antiquities, XII, Daniel 5:5).

Nor the desire of women This is a name probably for the deity Tammuz (Adonis), whose worship was the most popular of all in Syria, and particularly with women. (See note Ezekiel 8:4.) It is generally, however, referred to Nanaea, anciently identified with Artemis or Aphrodite, the feminine counterpart of Adonis, whose temple Antiochus once attempted to plunder.

Nor regard any god He does not give any deity the proper honor, otherwise he would not magnify himself and his own will and his own honor above all temples and priests as he did. He even engraved “Theos” as his accepted title upon his coins.