The Book of Daniel Unlocked

by W. S. Auchincloss

CHAPTER XI. [Hebrew.]

[a]1.] Also I

Gabriel

in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

This does not indicate a change of date, it simply declares that the same solicitude was now bestowed on Cyrus, as had been manifested toward his royal representative Darius the Mede, when first placed on the throne of Babylon by Cyrus.

2. And now

“in the third year” since Cyrus captured the city. Daniel X. 1.

will I show thee the truth. Behold there shall stand up yet

after the setting up of the sanctuary and the host, B.C. 445, three kings in Persia, viz.: Darius Nothus, Artaxerxes Mnemon, and Ochus,

and the fourth

Darius Codomannus

shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength and through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.

3. And a mighty king

Alexander the Great

shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

from Greece to India.

4. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven;

among his four generals;

and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

5. And the king of the south

Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt

shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him

Antiochus II

and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

6. And in the end of the years

in the course of time

they shall join themselves together; for the king’s daughter

Bernice

of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement:

Antiochus banished his own wife Laodice and her children in favor of Bernice

but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up

Antiochus after the death of Ptolemy expelled Bernice and recalled the rejected Laodice.

and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.

7. But out of a branch of her roots

Ptolemy II, called Evergetes

shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north and shall deal against them and shall prevail:

Laodice placed her son Seleucus II on the throne. Ptolemy III made an expedition against Syria, slew Laodice and conquered the realm from Cilicia to the Tigris.

8. And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold

the booty was immense, 2500 idols, 4000 talents of gold, etc.

and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.

9. So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.

10. But his sons

Seleucus III and Antiochus III, the Great

shall be stirred up and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through; then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.

11. And the king of the south

Ptolemy IV, was luxurious and indolent

shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude: but the multitude shall be given into his hand.

Ptolemy defeated Antiochus near Gaza but did not follow up the victory.

12. And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.

13. For the king of the north

Antiochus the Great

shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.

14. And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south; also the robbers of thy people

secret enemies of the Jews

shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fail.

15. So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities; and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.

16. But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will,

the wars of Antiochus the Great

and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land

Palestine

which by his hand shall be consumed.

17. He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her:

Using marriage for political gain: Antiochus gave his daughter Cleopatra in marriage to Ptolemy Epiphanes, hoping for benefit, but it turned out otherwise

but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.

18. After this he shall turn his face unto the Isles, and shall take many: but a prince

a Roman General

for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach

Antiochus said:—“Asia did not concern the Romans and he was not subject to their orders”

he shall cause it to turn upon him.

He was defeated by the Romans, at Magnesia.

19. Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land;

pillage the temples

but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

Antiochus the Great was slain.

20. Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom:

his son Seleucus Philopater, who sent out Heliodorus and taxed the temples as well as the people

but within a few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.

Seleucus shortly after, died in a mysterious manner.

21. And in his estate shall stand up a vile person,

Antiochus Epiphanes

to whom they shall not give the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

22. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.

Onias III, the high priest was put to death by his order.

23. And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

24. He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his father’s fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strongholds even for a time.

25. And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south

Ptolemy Philometer

shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.

26. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.

27. And both these kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table

a pretended friendship

but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

28. Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant;

the worship of Jehovah

and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.

29. At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

30. For the ships of Chittim

the fleet of the Romans under Laenas

shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them

the Samaritans

that forsake the holy covenant.

31. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength,

the Temple

and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

Antiochus Epiphanes established idol-altars in every town and village of Palestine, and ordered a daily sacrifice of swine on the altars.

32. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.

Mattathias and his 5 sons, the “Maccabees.”

33. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

34. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

see life of Judas Maccabeus.

35. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

36. And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that, that is determined shall be done.

37. Neither shall he regard the god of his fathers, nor the desire of women,

in other words, the idol Astarte, “the queen of heaven”

nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

38. But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces:

a god of castles or fortresses

and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

39. Thus shall he do in the most strongholds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

40. And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

41. He shall enter also into the glorious land,

Palestine

and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon

Antiochus passed them by. When, however, they tried to take advantage of Judas Maccabeus, he defeated them.

42. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

43. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

44. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him:

rumors of rebellion and lack of funds made him resolve to go at once to Persia, restore order and collect taxes.

therefore he shall go forth with great fury

Threatened on his return to exterminate the Jews

to destroy, and utterly to make away many.

45. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain;

he left a garrison in the Citadel adjoining the Temple

yet he shall come to his end

B.C. 163

and none shall help him.