Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 11:19
Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
19. Then he shall turn his face towards the strongholds of his own land; but he shall stumble, &c.] The end of Antiochus (b.c. 187). After his discomfiture at Magnesia he was obliged to retire east of the Taurus, and confine himself to the ‘strongholds of his own land.’ To meet the heavy fine imposed upon him by the Romans [368] (Polyb. xxi. 14; Livy xxxvii. 45), he had to levy contributions where he could, and deemed sacrilege excusable under the circumstances. Having plundered for this purpose a wealthy temple of Bel in Elymais (Persia), he quickly met, says Diodorus (xxix. 15), , being attacked by the inhabitants and slain (cf. Justin xxxii. 2). The last words of the verse allude to this disastrous enterprise, which brought his life to an end.
[368] 15,000 Euban talents; 500 at once, 2500 when the Romans ratified the peace, and 1000 yearly for 12 years.
and not be found ] implying complete disappearance: Psa 37:36; Job 20:8.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land – The strong fortifications of his own land – for the Hebrew word is in the plural. This he would do, of course, for protection. He would cease his attempts at conquest, and endeavor to find security in his own fortresses. As a matter of fact, after this defeat, Antiochus, in order to replenish his exhausted coffers, and to find the means of meeting the claims of the Romans, went into certain provinces of his empire. He attempted no other foreign wars, but sought security in his own dominions.
But he shall stumble and fall, and not be found – He died in an attempt to plunder the temple of Elymais. In this he provoked the people to an insurrection, and was slain, together with the soldiers who were with him. What was his motive for plundering that temple is uncertain, whether it was to meet the demands of the Romans, or whether it was avarice (Justin, xxxii. 2); but it was in this way that he stumbled and fell, and passed away. – Jerome, Com. in loc.; Diod. Sic., Fragmenta, xxvi. 30, 49; Justin, xxxii. 2; Strabo, p. 744. The prophecy respecting him terminates here, and the particulars specified are as minute and accurate as if it had been written after the event. Indeed, the whole account is just such as one would prepare now who should undertake to express in a brief compass the principal events in the life of Antiochus the Great.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 19. He shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land] After this shameful defeat, Antiochus fled to Sardis, thence to Apamea, and the next day got into Syria, and to Antioch, his own fort, whence he sent ambassadors to treat for peace; and was obliged to engage to pay the immense sum of money mentioned above.
But he shall stumble and fall] Being under the greatest difficulties how to raise the stipulated sums, he marched into his eastern provinces to exact the arrears of taxes; and, attempting to plunder the temple of Jupiter Belus at Elymais, he was opposed by the populace, and he and his attendants slain. This is the account that Diodorus Sicules, Strabo, and Justin give of his death. But it is variously related by others; some saying that he was assassinated by some of his own people whom he had punished for being drunk at a feast.-So Aurelius Victor. St. Jerome says he lost his life in a battle against the inhabitants of Elymais. In short, the manner of his death is uncertain; and perhaps even this circumstance is referred to by the prophet, when he says, “He shall stumble and fall, and NOT BE FOUND.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Being beaten in battle by Scipio, with thirty thousand Romans, he himself having seventy thousand, and rejecting the counsel of Hannibal, he yielded upon dishonourable terms to deliver his ships and elephants to the Romans, and all the places he had taken from them, which turned to his disgrace. Then he turned his face homeward, and was made to be content with the narrow limits of the remotest corner of his kingdom; and though he sported himself with his retirement, yet was he not in safety so, but was slain when he sought to enrich himself by the sacrilegious spoils of the temple. Thus Antiochus called Magnus came to nothing.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. Then he shall turn . . . toward. . . his own landCompelled by Rome to relinquish all histerritory west of the Taurus, and defray the expenses of the war, hegarrisoned the cities left to him.
stumble . . . not befoundAttempting to plunder the temple of Jupiter at Elymais bynight, whether through avarice, or the want of money to pay thetribute imposed by Rome (a thousand talents), he was slain with hissoldiers in an insurrection of the inhabitants [JUSTIN,32.2].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then he shall turn his face towards the fort of his own land,…. After his defeat he fled with a few to Sardis, and from thence to Apamea, so Livy; and to Susa, and to the further parts of his dominions, as Jerom; or rather he betook himself to Antioch his capital city, called here “the fort of his own land”, where he was obliged to continue:
but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found; the expenses of the war which Antiochus agreed to pay being reckoned at fifteen thousand Euboean talents, five hundred talents were to be paid down; two thousand five hundred at the ratification of the treaty by the senate of Rome; and the other twelve thousand to be paid yearly, at a thousand talents each year: now, being either in want of money, or through covetousness, he attempted to rob the temple of Jupiter Elymaeus, and went by night thither with his army for that purpose; but the thing being betrayed, the inhabitants got together, and slew him, with all his soldiers, as Justin l relates. Strabo m says, that Antiochus the great endeavouring to rob the temple of Bel, the barbarians near to (Elymais) rose of themselves, and slew him; and so never returned to Syria any more, but died in the province of Elymais, being slain by the Persians there, as related, and was never found more, or was buried; and this was the end of this great man, of whom so many things are said in this prophecy, and others follow concerning his successors. He died in the thirty seventh year of his reign, and the fifty second of his age n.
l E Trogo, l. 32. c. 2. m Geograph. l. 16. p. 512. n See the Universal History, vol. 9. p. 270.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here either the base end of Antiochus is denoted, who was slain in a popular tumult while spoiling the temple of Belus, or else the event of the war between him and the Romans is described. This war was conducted under the auspices of Lucius Scipio, because Cneius Scipio, the conqueror of Africa, had offered himself as his brother’s lieutenant-general, and after his death that province was committed to him. But, as we have said, the resources of Antiochus had been cut off before this. He had lost, the cities of Asia, and if he had ceded them at first, he might have quietly retained the greater part of Asia Minor. But as he extended his wings over Greece, and hoped by this means to become completely master of the whole of Greece and Macedonia, he could not be induced to withdraw his garrisons from those cities, but at length was compelled to give up Asia Minor. In this way, then, the angel describes the progress of the war by saying, He will turn his face towards the fortifications of his own land; that is, when compelled to relinquish Greece, he will betake himself to fortified places. He was very safe there, and in a region sufficiently at peace; he had almost impregnable towns on all sides, and appeared to be free from warfare. Historians relate this to have been done by the skill of Cneius Scipio. For his son was then a captive under Antiochus, and he knew him to have greater authority than his brother, although he only possessed the title of lieutenant-general. They record his persuading Antiochus not to try his fortune by any decisive engagement. However it was, it is quite evident that he delayed fighting till he was compelled by a sense of shame, as all men accused him of cowardice in not daring to try the issue of an engagement, when he possessed so large an army. The Romans had scarcely ever taken the field against so strong a force, and yet, according to the narrative of Titus Livius, they never displayed less terror or concern. The extent of the forces of Antiochus is readily apparent from the slaughter which occurred; in one day 50,000 men perished; and this would be almost incredible, unless it were borne out by numerous and trustworthy testimonies. In this way the angel said, Antiochus should return, as he did not go forth to meet Lucius Scipio, but suffered him to pass on. Had he given the least sign of resistance, without doubt Philip had in iris hand and power the whole force of the Romans. Many indeed pronounced the conduct of L. Scipio to be rash, in daring to allow Philip such license, as he had been lately conquered, and was still exasperated in consequence of the loss and disgrace which he had suffered. For if Antiochus had been on the alert to restrain the enemy, it would have been all over with the Roman army in those narrow and rugged defiles; but, as we have stated, he kept his army in idleness and luxury among fortified towns. If another and a probable sense is preferred, the sentence applies to his base retreat to further Asia, where he fell, slain by the rustic population. He shall fall, and shall not be found Antiochus in truth continued to reign from the period of the destruction of his army and of his acceptance of the conditions which the Romans imposed. He obtained peace, but not without the payment of a heavy fine while he retained the name of king. Although he united with the Romans in an honorable treaty, yet he was forced to retire beyond Mount Taurus, to pay a large sum of money on account of the expenses of the war, to give hostages, and to divide the ships equally with the Romans. In this latter case he was grossly and fraudulently deluded, for L. Scipio commanded all the ships to be cut to pieces, and delivered the materials to Antiochus, to whom they were utterly worthless. He knew the man to be deceptive and restless, and so he treated him with barbarity, according to his deserts. As far as the hostages are concerned, we find Antiochus and Demetrius his sons as hostages at Rome even after his death. He was left in peace indeed, but was deprived of the cities of Asia Minor, and was ordered to betake himself beyond Mount Taurus. Those ravines were the boundary of his empire; a part of Asia was assigned to Eumenes, and many cities became independent. Antiochus, by way of concealing his disgrace, made a joke of it, saying he had managed cleverly, for the government of Asia Minor was a great trouble to him. He had another ample and opulent kingdom with which he might well be content: I have hitherto been but a steward in Asia, he used to say, and the Romans have relieved me of that encumbrance.
When, therefore, the angel says, After his fall, he should be no longer king; this may be understood of his ignominious death which followed shortly afterwards. His avarice was insatiable, and when compelled to pay a large tribute to the Romans, he pretended to be reduced to extreme poverty; then he wished to spoil the temple of Jupiter Dodoneus, and was slain there during a tumult. This last word ought properly to be referred to this event, for King Antiochus was not found, because these rustics slew him in the tumult which arose. Thus far concerning Antiochus the Great; Seleucus now follows, who was his first successor. He had three sons, Seleucus whom many call Ceraunus, then Antiochus Epiphanes, and Demetrius. Concerning Seleucus the angel speaks as follows, —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(19) The fort.The king of the north is forced to take refuge in his fortresses, and here meets with his end. This is explained of the death of Antiochus the Great at Elymais, where he had profaned a temple.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19. The fort Rather, forts. Having returned to the small dominion still left to him west of the Taurus, he was killed in an insurrection in Elymais (197 B.C.). The tradition is that his death occurred during a sacrilegious night attack upon the temple of Bel, in that city, in order to rob it of its treasures.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Then he will turn his face towards the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and will not be found.’
In view of his current weakness dissent broke out at home and he had to deal with it by force, subduing fortresses in his own land. And then came his ignominious end described above.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Dan 11:19. Then he shall turn his face towards the fort Antiochus, after the battle, fled away at night to Sardis, thence to Apamea; and the next day came into Syria, to Antioch, the fort of his own land. Thence he sent ambassadors to sue for peace; and within a few days after it was granted, sent part of the money demanded, and the hostages, to the Roman consul at Ephesus. Being under the greatest difficulties how to raise the stipulated sums, he marched into the eastern provinces to collect the arrears of tribute; and attempting to plunder the temple of Jupiter Belus at Elymais, he was resisted by the inhabitants, and slain, together with his attendants. See Bishop Newton.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Dan 11:19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
Ver. 19. Then he shall turn his face. ] Not accepting the aforesaid hard conditions; till, beaten again by the Romans, he was forced so to do. He fled into the utmost parts of his kingdom of Syria, and there kept him in forts, not daring to wage war any more.
But he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
a Strabo, lib. xvi.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
fort = fortresses.
stumble = stagger. Antiochus III, after his defeat by Scipio at Magnesia (near Smyrna), withdrew to Syria.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Dan 11:19
Dan 11:19 Then he shall turnH7725 his faceH6440 toward the fortH4581 of his own land:H776 but he shall stumbleH3782 and fall,H5307 and notH3808 be found.H4672
Dan 11:19
Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
Antiochus III had been compelled by Rome to relinquish all his territory west of the Taurus, and to repay the expenses of the war. The Romans demanded a thousand talents in war indemnity which in today’s accounting comes to roughly eight hundred million dollars as a rough estimate. Needing to acquire a large sum of money on short notice, Antiochus III attempted to loot the temple of Jupiter at Elymais by night and was killed by the inhabitants of the temple in 187 BC. Thus ends the career of Antiochus III whom was also known as Antiochus the Great of the Seleucid – Syrian Empire.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
but: From the preceding verses in this chapter let us learn:
1. That God, in his providence, sets up one and pulls down another, as he pleases.
2. That this world is full of wars and fightings, which result from the indulgence of the lusts of men.
3. That all the changes and revolutions of states were plainly and perfectly foreseen by the God of heaven.
4. That no word of God can fall to the ground, but what he has declared shall infallibly come to pass.
For the elucidation of the historical parts of Scripture, it is advantageous to notice the writings of heathen authors: light is thus thrown on many passages of Holy Writ, by shewing the accomplishment of the prophecies therein contained, or customs elucidated, which, in the course of years, or in our more northern latitude, would be to us inexplicable. We have therefore reason to bless God for human learning, by which many have done great service to the readers of His blessed word. Job 20:8, Psa 27:2, Psa 37:36, Jer 46:6, Eze 26:21
Reciprocal: Isa 24:20 – and it Dan 11:17 – set Rev 18:21 – and shall
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Dan 11:19. Antiochus, completely defeated, turned his steps towards his own country. Stumble, and fall refers to his failure in another matter of his obligations, and tbe explanation of the predictions is best shown in the his torlal quotations which will be quoted before making further comments.
“Antiochus, after his defeat, returned to Antioch, the capital of his kingdom, and the strongest fortress in it. He went soon after into the provinces of the east, in order to levy money to pay the Romans; but having plundered the temple of Elymais, he there lost his life in a miserable manner.”-Rollins Ancient History, Volume 4, page 146.
The defeat of Magnesia is followed by the revolt of Armenia, B.C. 189, which henceforth becomes independent, It leads also to the death of Antiochus. who, in order to pay the war contribution imposed upon him by the Romans, is driven to the plunder of the Oriental temples. Hence a tumult In Elymais, wherein the king Is killed, B.C. 187.-Rawlinson, Ancient History, page 254.
“Retiring to his eastern provinces in order to raise money for the tribute he [Antiochus III) owed Rome, he was slain in 187. while plundering the temples of Belus in Elymais.-Schaff Herzog, Article, Antiochus III.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Dan 11:19. Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land The word rendered fort, , is plural, and would be more properly rendered, the fortresses. It is intended to signify, that he should return after the battle to some of his fortified towns. And accordingly we find that he fled away that night, first to Sardes, and from thence to Apamea, and the next day came into Syria to Antioch, a fortress of his own land; from whence he sent ambassadors to sue for peace; and within a few days after peace was granted, he sent part of the money demanded, and the hostages, to the Roman consul at Ephesus. Being under great difficulties how to raise the money which he had stipulated to pay to the Romans, he marched into the eastern provinces, to collect there the arrears of tribute, and amass what treasure he could; and attempting to plunder the rich temple of Jupiter Belus in Elymais. he was assaulted by the inhabitants of the country, and slain, together with his attendants. Such is the account given of the circumstances of his death by Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, Justin, and Jerome. Aurelius Victor, however, reports it otherwise, affirming that he was slain by some of his companions, whom, in his liquor, he had beaten at a banquet; but this account deserves not so much credit as the concurrent testimony of earlier historians. However it was, his death was inglorious; he stumbled, and fell, and was no more found. Bishop Newton.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Dan 11:19 b. refers to the murder of Antiochus in 187 B.C. by the inhabitants of Elymais, in revenge for his sacrilege upon the Temple of Bel.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
11:19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of {o} his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be {p} found.
(o) For fear of the Romans he will flee to his strongholds.
(p) For when as under the pretence of poverty he would have robbed the temple of Jupiter Dodomeus, the countrymen slew him.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Antiochus III returned to Antioch were he died a year later in 187 B.C. He had tried to reunite Alexander the Great’s empire under his own authority, but he failed largely because he underestimated the power of the rising Roman Empire. Nevertheless Antiochus III, "the Great," was a brilliant and successful military leader.