Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 11:26
Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
26. And they that eat of his delicacies (Dan 1:5) shall break him ] some of his courtiers will be his ruin. For the expression, cf. 1Ki 2:7, ‘those that eat of thy table’; break, as Dan 11:20. The allusion may be to Eulaeus and Lenaeus, at whose ill-advised suggestion it was that Philometor was first led to think of reconquering Syria, and the former of whom, after the battle of Pelusium, persuaded the king to abandon his country. Ptolemy Macron, also, the very capable (Polyb. xxvii. 12) governor of Cyprus (though this was perhaps later), deserted to Antiochus ( 2Ma 10:13 ).
and his army shall overflow ] i.e. Antiochus’ army. But the pronouns from Dan 11:25 b refer all to Philometor: the verb should therefore probably be vocalized as a passive ( ) and his army (Philometor’s) shall be flooded (or swept) away; the word, as Dan 11:22.
and many shall fall down slain ] cf. 1Ma 1:18 , ‘and many fell down slain’ (also of Antiochus’ victories in Egypt), where the Greek (except in the tense) is exactly the same as in LXX. and Theod. here.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him – They of his own family; they who are nourished at his table; they who are his cabinet counselors, and professed and confidential friends. The meaning is, that they would prove treacherous and unfaithful. This is by no means improbable. Antiochus was powerful, and had seized upon Pelusium, and upon Memphis, and upon the fairest portions of Egypt. He was also in possession of the person of the lawful king, and had a fair prospect of subduing the whole country. In these circumstances, nothing would be more natural than that the very inmates of the palace – the persons around the reigning king – should begin to doubt whether he could hold out, and should be disposed to make terms with the invader.
And his army shall overflow – The connection here requires us to understand this of the army of the king of Egypt. The meaning seems to be, that his forces would be great, and would spread themselves out like overflowing waters, but that not withstanding this many of them would be slain.
And many shall fall down slain – In battle. Not withstanding the army would be numerous, and would, as it were, spread over the land, still it would not be sufficient to keep out the invaders, but many of them would fall in the field. The account in 1 Macc. 1:18 is, that Ptolemy was afraid of him (Antiochus) and fled; and many were wounded to death.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat] This is the proof of what has been last noted, that the intrigues of Antiochus, corrupting the ministers and officers of Ptolemy, were the cause of all the disasters that felt on the Egyptian king. They that fed of the portion of his meat – who were in his confidence and pay, and possessed the secrets of the state, betrayed him; and these were the means of destroying him and his army, so that he was defeated, as was before observed.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
His most familiar friends and confidants shall be false and treacherous to him, for he shall he overthrown with a great slaughter, as when Nilus overflows the country, for there was the battle, between Mount Casius and Pelusium.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
26. they that feed of . . . hismeatthose from whom he might naturally have looked for help,his intimates and dependents (Psa 41:9;Joh 13:18); his ministers andguardians.
his army shalloverflowPhilometer’s army shall be dissipated as water. Thephrase is used of overflowing numbers, usually in a victorioussense, but here in the sense of defeat, the very numbers whichordinarily ensure victory, hastening the defeat throughmismanagement.
many shall fall down slain(1Maccabees 1:18, “many fell wounded to death”).Antiochus, when he might have slain all in the battle near Pelusium,rode around and ordered the enemy to be taken alive, the fruit ofwhich policy was, he soon gained Pelusium and all Egypt [DIODORUSSICULUS, 26.77].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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 down and destroy, the army of Ptolemy, and overrun all Egypt, as it did, as before related; no more resistance being to be made to it than to a rapid flood of water:
and many shall fall down slain: of the army of the king of Egypt. The account given of this affair in the Apocrypha:
“18 And made war against Ptolemee king of Egypt: but Ptolemee was afraid of him, and fled; and many were wounded to death. 19 Thus they got the strong cities in the land of Egypt and he took the spoils thereof.” (1 Maccabees 1)
Josephus says x, that Antiochus,
“being with a great army at Pelusium, and circumventing Ptolemy Philometor by fraud, seized on Egypt; and being in the parts near to Memphis, and taking it, he hastened to Alexandria to besiege it, and got Ptolemy, reigning there, into his hands.”
x Antiqu. l. 12. c. 5, sect. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The angel predicted, yesterday, that Ptolemy should not stand forth in battle, through the treachery of his own adherents. He now expresses the kind of treachery, for his chief courtiers or counselors should be the authors of this perfidy. He opposes the common soldiers to their leaders, for in the second clause, he shews how the soldiers should discharge their duty without sparing either their life or their blood. We now understand the Holy Spirit’s intention in this verse, for he says the authors of this perfidy should not be ordinary men, but the chief among the counselors. They are said to eat at the king’s table, as in the first chapter we saw how a portion was given to Daniel, and to his companions, from the royal food at the king’s table. Thus he shews how dishonorable this perfidy was, as they eat at his table, and were his intimate companions. They shall destroy him, says he, and his army shall be overwhelmed He shews that many were prepared for this duty, who would boldly and freely expose their lives to danger for their king’s safety and their country’s defense, but many should fall wounded He signifies that there should be a great slaughter in his army, and the issue of the battle would not be according to his wish, because his generals would not preserve their fidelity to their sovereign. By this example the angel describes to us the ordinary situation of kings. They choose their counselors not by their honesty, but by the mere appearance of congeniality in their affections and tastes. If a king is avaricious, or cunning, or cruel, or sensual, he desires to have friends and attendants who will not check either his avarice or his craftiness, his cruelty or his lust. Hence they deserve the conduct which they receive, and experience treachery from those whom they ought not to treat with so much honor, if they considered themselves in duty bound to God and to their people. It now follows,-
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(26) They that feed.The context points to treachery. The false companions of the southern king betray him to the enemy; he is broken, the hostile army pours in, and many are slain. This has been referred to the second campaign of Antiochus in Egypt; however, history is silent of any treachery against Physcon. St. Jerome remarks: Nostri secundum superiorem sensum interpretantur omnia de Antichristo qui nasciturus est de populo Judorum, et de Babylone venturus, primum superaturus est regem Egypti, qui est unus de tribus cornibus.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Dan 11:26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
Ver. 26. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat. ] His own courtiers, captains, and pensioners, corrupted by Antiochus, betrayed Philometor. See /Apc 1Ma 1:16-20. In trust I have oft found treason, said Queen Elizabeth.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
they that feed, &c. There will be treachery within, as well as fighting without.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Dan 11:26
Dan 11:26 Yea, they that feedH398 of the portion of his meatH6598 shall destroyH7665 him, and his armyH2428 shall overflow:H7857 and manyH7227 shall fall downH5307 slain.H2491
Dan 11:26
Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
Those to whom young Ptolemy VI looked to for help turned against him, probably in self interest as they realized the futility of siding with him. His army was overwhelmed in defeat. At the battle between Ptolemy VI and Antiochus IV at Pelusium many were wounded and died. Antiochus IV emerged victorious and gained all of Egypt.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
that feed: 2Sa 4:2-12, 2Ki 8:14, 2Ki 10:6-9, Psa 41:9, Mic 7:5, Mic 7:6, Mat 26:23, Mar 14:20, Joh 13:18
overflow: Dan 11:10, Dan 11:22
Reciprocal: Jer 41:1 – they did
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 11:26. they that eat: the defeat of Ptolemy was largely due to the disaffection of his friends.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
11:26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of {c} his meat shall destroy him, and his army {d} shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
(c) Signifying his princes and the chief men about him.
(d) Declaring that his soldiers will break out and venture their life to stay and to be slain for the safeguard of their prince.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Those who ate Ptolemy’s choice food, those who should have supported him, plotted to destroy him. Eventually his army suffered defeat and many soldiers died.