{"id":22052,"date":"2022-09-24T09:19:24","date_gmt":"2022-09-24T14:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/exegetical-and-hermeneutical-commentary-of-daniel-115-2\/"},"modified":"2022-09-24T09:19:24","modified_gmt":"2022-09-24T14:19:24","slug":"exegetical-and-hermeneutical-commentary-of-daniel-115-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/exegetical-and-hermeneutical-commentary-of-daniel-115-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 11:5"},"content":{"rendered":"

And the king of the south shall be strong, and [one] of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion [shall be] a great dominion. <\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n

5<\/strong>. Ptolemy I. (Lagi), 305 285, and Seleucus I. (Nicator), 312 280.<\/p>\n

the king of the south<\/em> ] The ‘south’ (Heb. Negeb<\/em>), when applied to a particular region, means commonly in the O.T., the southern part of Judah (Gen 12:9<\/span>, R.V. marg.<\/em>); but in this chapter (as in Dan 8:9<\/span>) it denotes regularly Egypt, as opposed to Antioch (or Syria), which is signified by the ‘north.’ Ptolemy, son of Lagus, a Macedonian, one of Alexander’s most trusted and capable generals, who distinguished himself especially in his Indian campaigns, succeeded, in the partition of Alexander’s empire which was arranged immediately after his death, in securing for himself Egypt, which he ruled as satrap from b.c. 322 to 305, when he assumed the title of king. He died b.c. 285.<\/p>\n

and<\/em> one of his princes<\/em> ] or captains<\/strong> (2Ki 9:5<\/span>, &c.). Seleucus, an officer of Alexander’s ‘companions’ ( ), or distinguished corps of heavy cavalry, received at the convention of Triparadisus, in 321, the wealthy satrapy of Babylonia. Being in 316 taken to account for his administration by Antigonus (who had received in 323 Phrygia, Lycia, and Pamphylia, but increasing in power had presumed to control the provinces as he thought fit), he took refuge with Ptolemy in Egypt. Ptolemy appointed him his general; and he helped him to gain the battle of Gaza in 312. After this he induced Ptolemy to send him with a small force to recover Babylon. He was successful, and regained his satrapy; and the era of the Seleucidae (b.c. 312), by which in later times the Jews reckoned ( 1Ma 1:10<\/span>), was fixed by the event.<\/p>\n

and he<\/em> (the latter, Seleucus) shall be strong above him<\/em> [358] (the former, Ptolemy), and have dominion: his dominion<\/em> shall be a great dominion<\/em> ] After the final defeat of Antigonus at Ipsus in 301 (which indeed was principally due to the large forces contributed by Seleucus), the empire ruled by Seleucus, reaching from Phrygia, Cappadocia, and Syria, on the W., almost to the Indus on the E., was much more extensive than that of Ptolemy, and commanded much larger resources. Seleucus is called by Arrian ( Exped. Alex.<\/em> vii. 22) the “greatest,” as well as the most “princely-minded,” of Alexander’s successors; and he deserves, more than any of his brother generals, to be regarded as the heir of Alexander. Antioch was founded by him as his capital, b.c. 300.<\/p>\n

[358] The reading ‘but one of his captains shall be strong above him’ (LXX., Theod., Meinh., Kamph., Prince) would improve this verse, without altering the sense.<\/p>\n

In the distribution of provinces, an ambiguous position was taken by Cle-Syria, with Phnicia, and Palestine; and this intermediate region remained a bone of contention between the kings of Syria and Egypt, and in the century and a half which followed the death of Alexander, repeatedly changed hands. At Triparadisus, in 321, Syria was assigned to Laomedon; but Ptolemy got possession of it in 320, only to lose it again in 315 to Antigonus, to recover at least the S. part of it after the battle of Gaza in 312, and to relinquish it a second time to Antigonus in 311. After the battle of Ipsus in 301, Ptolemy, as a matter of fact, obtained Cle-Syria and Phnicia; but his right to these provinces became a subject of protracted dispute between the later Ptolemies and Seleucidae. On the one hand, it was alleged that after the victory it had been distinctly agreed that Seleucus should have ‘the whole of Syria’; on the other, it was claimed that Ptolemy Lagi had only joined the coalition against Antigonus on the understanding that he should receive Cle-Syria and Phnicia (Polyb. v. 67; cf. also the quotation from Diodorus in Mahaffy, Empire of the Ptolemies<\/em>, p. 66). Upon the whole, during the period here in question, Palestine remained, with short interruptions, in the hands of the Ptolemies till the battle of Paneion in 198, after which it was retained permanently by the kings of Syria.<\/p>\n

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

And the king of the south – <\/B>The angel here leaves the general history of the empire, and confines himself, in his predictions, to two parts of it – the kingdom of the south, and the kingdom of the north; or the kingdoms to the north and the south of Palestine – that of Syria and that of Egypt; or that of the Seleucidae, and that of the Ptolemies. The reason why he does this is not stated, but it is, doubtless, because the events pertaining to these kingdoms would particularly affect the Jewish people, and be properly connected with sacred history. Compare the notes at Dan 8:7-8<\/span>. The king of the south here is, undoubtedly, the king of Egypt. This part of the empire was obtained by Ptolemy, and was in the hands of his successors until Egypt was subdued by the Romans. Between the kingdoms of Egypt and Syria long and bloody wars prevailed, and the prospective history of these wars it is the design of the angel here to trace. As the remainder of the chapter refers to these two dynasties, until the death of the great persecutor, Antiochus Epiphanes, and as the events referred to were very important in history, and as introductory to what was to follow in the world, it may be useful here, in order to a clear exposition of the whole chapter, to present a list of these two lines of princes. It is necessary only to premise, that the death of Alexander the Great occurred 323 b.c.; that of his brother, Philip Aridaeus, b.c. 316; that of his son, Alexander AEgus, by Roxana, 309 b.c.; and that a short time after this (about 306 b.c.), the chief Macedonian governors and princes assumed the royal title. The following list of the succession of the Seleucidae and the Ptolemies – or the kings of the north and the south – of Syria and Egypt, is copied from Elliott on the Apocalypse, iv. 123: – <\/P>

Lines of Princes of Ptolemy and Seleucidae<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/B><\/span><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>

B.C.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

The Ptolemies<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

B.C.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

The Seleucidae<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>

323<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Ptolemy Soter, son of Ptolemy Lagus, governor of Egypt.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

323<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Seleucus Nicator, governor of Babylon<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>


<\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD>

312<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Seleucus Nicator recovers Babylon, and the Era of the Seleucidae begins<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>

306<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Ptolemy Soter takes the title of king of Egypt<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>

284<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Ptolemy Philadelphus.
(It wasunder him that the Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament was made.)<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>


<\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD>

280<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Antiochus Soter<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>


<\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD>

261<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Antiochus Theus<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>

246<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Ptolemy Euergetes<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

246<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Seleucus Callinicus<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>


<\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD>

226<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Seleucus Ceraunus<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>


<\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD>

225<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Antiochus the Great<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>

221<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Ptolemy Philopator<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>

204<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Ptolemy Epiphanes<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>


<\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD>

187<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Seleucus Philopator<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>

180<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Ptolemy Philometor<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>


<\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD>

175<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Antiochus Epiphanes<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR>


<\/P> <\/TD>


<\/P> <\/TD>

164<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD>

Antiochus Eupator, of the the Romans assume guardianship<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR> <\/TABLE>

After this, fourteen mere Syrian kings reigned, in reigns of short and uncertain power, until Syria was occupied and formed into a Roman province under Pompey, at which time the era of the Seleucidae properly ends; and six more Egyptian princes, to the death of Ptolemy Auletes, who dying b.c. 51, left his kingdom and children to Roman guardianship – one of these children being the Cleopatra so famous in the histories of Caesar and Anthony. – Elliott, ut supra.<\/P>

Shall be strong – <\/B>This is in accordance with the wellknown fact. One of the most powerful of those monarchies, if not the most powerful, was Egypt.<\/P>

And one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him – <\/B>The meaning of this passage is, that there would be one of his princes, that is, of the princes of Alexander, who would be more mighty than the one who obtained Egypt, or the south, and that he would have a more extended dominion. The reference is, doubtless, to Seleucus Nicator, or the conqueror. In the division of the empire he obtained Syria, Babylonia, Media, Susiana, Armenia, a part of Cappadocia, and Cilicia, and his kingdom stretched from the Hellespont to the Indus. See the notes at Dan 8:8<\/span>. Compare Arrian, Exp. Alex. vii. 22; Appian, p. 618; and Lengerke, in loc<\/I>. The proper translation of this passage probably would be, And the king of the south shall be mighty. But from among his princes (the princes of Alexander) also there shall be (one) who shall be mightier than he, and he shall reign, and his dominion shall be a great dominion. It was of these two dominions that the angel spake, and hence follows, through the remainder of the chapter, the history pertaining to them and their successors. Seleucus Nicator reigned from 312 b.c. to 280 b.c. – or thirty-two years. In his time lived Berosus and Megasthenes, referred to in the Introduction to Dan. 4<\/span>.<\/P><\/p>\n

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

Verse 5<\/span>. The king of the south<\/B><\/I>] This was Ptolemy Lagus<\/I>, one of his generals, who had the government of Egypt, Libra, &c., which are on the south of Judea. He was strong, for he had added Cyprus, Phoenicia, Caria, &c., to his kingdom of Egypt.<\/P>

<\/P>

And<\/B><\/I> one <\/B>of his princes – shall be strong above him<\/B><\/I>] This was Seleucus Nicator<\/I>, who possessed Syria, Babylon, Media, and the neighbouring countries. This was the king of the north<\/I>, for his dominions lay north<\/I> of Judea.<\/P> <\/p>\n

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

This king was Ptolemy the son of Lagus, the first king of Egypt after Alexander, who is brought in because he took Jerusalem by treachery, for the angel minds only those persons and things which related to the Jews, passing over many things that pertained not to them. <\/P>

His dominion shall be a great dominion; his riches by land and sea, and his territory besides Egypt, that Theocritus takes notice of it in Idyllio, what this first Ptolemy, the father of Ptolemy Philadelphus, added, viz. Cyprus, Phoenicia, with many other countries, to Egypt, and left all to his son, with an incredible treasure and an invincible army. <\/P>

One of his princes, i.e. either one of these Ptolemies, or Antiochus, or Nicanor, or Seleucus Nicanor, so called for his great victories, who overcame Demetrius, and added Asia to his empire; he overcame the king of Thrace, and a king of India, and built many cities; and Judea, lying in the midst of them, was much afflicted by him, and his antagonists and allies. <\/P> <\/p>\n

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

5.<\/B> Here the prophet leaves Asiaand Greece and takes up Egypt and Syria, these being in continualconflict under Alexander’s successors, entailing misery on Judea,which lay between the two. Holy Scripture handles external historyonly so far as it is connected with God’s people, Israel [JEROME].TREGELLES puts a chasmbetween the fourth and fifth verses, making the transition to thefinal Antichrist here, answering to the chasm (in his view) atDan 8:22<\/span>; Dan 8:23<\/span>.<\/P>

king of . . .south<\/B>literally, “of midday”: Egypt (Dan 11:8<\/span>;Dan 11:42<\/span>), Ptolemy Soter, son ofLagus. He took the title “king,” whereas Lagus was but”governor.” <\/P>

one of his princes<\/B>Seleucus,at first a satrap of Ptolemy Lagus, but from 312 B.C.king of the largest empire after that of Alexander (Syria, Babylon,Media, &c.), and called therefore Nicator,<\/I> that is,”conqueror.” Connect the words thus, “And one of his(Ptolemy’s) princes, even<\/I> he (Seleucus) shall be strong abovehim” (above Ptolemy, his former master).<\/P><\/p>\n

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

And the king of the south shall be strong<\/strong>,…. That is, the king of Egypt, which lay south to Syria, as Syria lay north to Egypt; and therefore the king of the one is called the king of the south, and the other the king of the north, throughout this prophecy; and by the king of the south, or Egypt, is here meant Ptolemy Lagus, one of Alexander’s generals, who had Egypt for his share; and a very powerful king he was; for he reigned over Egypt, Lybia, Cyrene, Ethiopia, Arabia, Phoenicia, Coelesyria, Cyprus, and several isles in the Aegean sea, and many cities in Greece:<\/p>\n

and one of his princes<\/strong>; not of Ptolemy king of Egypt, but of Alexander the great; and this is Seleucus Nicator, afterwards called king of the north, having Syria for his part, which lay to the north of Egypt, as before observed:<\/p>\n

and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion<\/strong>; that is, be a greater and more powerful prince than Ptolemy king of Egypt:<\/p>\n

his dominion shall be a great dominion<\/strong>; even greater than the others; for he reigned over Macedonia, Greece, Thrace, Asia, Syria, Babylonia, Media, and all the eastern countries as far as India; even from Taurus to the river Indus, and so likewise from Taurus to the Aegean sea: these two are only mentioned, who shared the Persian monarchy, because the Jews were only affected by them, for the sake of whom this prophecy is delivered.<\/p>\n

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

From the 5th verse the prophecy passes to the wars of the kings of the south and the north for the supremacy and for the dominion over the Holy Land, which lay between the two. Dan 11:5<\/span> describes the growing strength of these two kings, and Dan 11:6<\/span> an attempt made by them to join themselves together. , to become strong<\/em>. The king of the south is the ruler of Egypt; this appears from the context, and is confirmed by Dan 11:8<\/span>. is differently interpreted; , however, is unanimously regarded as a partitive: “one of his princes,” as e.g., Neh 13:28<\/span>; Gen 28:11<\/span>; Exo 6:25<\/span>. The suffix to ( his<\/em> princes) does not (with C. B. Michaelis, Bertholdt, Rosenmller, and Kranichfeld) refer to , Dan 11:3<\/span>, because this noun is too far removed, and then also must be referred to it; but thereby the statement in Dan 11:5<\/span><\/em>, that one of the princes of the king of Javan would gain greater power and dominion than the valiant king had, would contradict the statement in Dan 11:4<\/span>, that no one of the Diadochs would attain to the dominion of Alexander.<\/p>\n

(Note: This contradiction is not set aside, but only strengthened, by translating “he overcame him” (Kran.), according to which the king of Javan must be thought of as overcome by one of his princes, the king of the south. For the thought that the king of Javan survived the destruction of his kingdom, and that, after one of his princes had become the king of the south and had founded a great dominion, he was overcome by him, contradicts too strongly the statement of Dan 11:5<\/span>, that the kingdom of the valiant king of Javan would be destroyed, and that it would not fall to his survivors, but to others with the exception of those, for one to be able to interpret the words in this sense.)<\/p>\n

The suffix to can only be referred to the immediately preceding : “one of the princes of the king of the south.” But then in cannot be explicative, but is only the simple copula. This interpretation also is not opposed by the Atnach under , for this accent is added to the subject because it stands before separately, and is again resumed in by the copula , as e.g., Eze 34:19<\/span>. The thought is this: one of the princes of the king of the south shall attain to greater power than this king, and shall found a great dominion. That this prince is the king of the north, or founds a dominion in the north, is not expressly said, but is gathered from Dan 11:6<\/span>, where the king of the south enters into a league with the king of the north.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

The Affairs of Egypt and Syria; The Reign of Antiochus Magnus; The Fall of Antiochus Magnus.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/I><\/span><\/P> <\/TD>

B. C.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> 534.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR> <\/TABLE>

      5 And the king of the south shall be strong, and one<\/I> of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be<\/I> a great dominion.   6 And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king’s daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these<\/I> times.   7 But out of a branch of her roots shall one<\/I> 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:   8 And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and<\/I> with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more<\/I> years than the king of the north.   9 So the king of the south shall come into his<\/I> kingdom, and shall return into his own land.   10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one<\/I> shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even<\/I> to his fortress.   11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even<\/I> with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.   12 And<\/I> when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many<\/I> ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.<\/I>   13 For the king of the north 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 shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.   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<\/I> strength to withstand.   16 But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, 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: but she shall not stand on his side,<\/I> neither be for him.   18 After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it<\/I> to turn upon him.   19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.   20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in<\/I> the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.<\/P>

      Here are foretold,<\/P>

      I. The rise and power of two great kingdoms out of the remains of Alexander’s conquests, v.<\/I><\/span> 5<\/span>. 1. The kingdom of Egypt, which was made considerable by Ptolemus Lagus, one of Alexander’s captains, whose successors were, from him, called the Lagid.<\/I> He is called the king of the south,<\/I> that is, Egypt, named here, Dan 11:8<\/span>; Dan 11:42<\/span>; Dan 11:43<\/span>. The countries that at first belonged to Ptolemy are reckoned to be Egypt, Phnicia, Arabia, Libya, Ethiopia, c. Theocr. Idyl. 17. 2. The kingdom of Syria, which was set up by Seleucus Nicanor, or the conqueror<\/I> he was one of Alexander’s princes, and became stronger than the other, and had the greatest dominion of all,<\/I> was the most powerful of all Alexander’s successors. It was said that he had no fewer than seven-two kingdoms under him. Both these were strong against Judah (the affairs of which are particularly eyed in this prediction); Ptolemy, soon after he gained Egypt, invaded Judea, and took Jerusalem on a sabbath,<\/I> pretending a friendly visit. Seleucus also gave disturbance to Judea.<\/P>

      II. The fruitless attempt to unite these two kingdoms as iron and clay in Nebuchadnezzar’s image (v.<\/I><\/span> 6<\/span>): “At the end of certain years,<\/I> about seventy after Alexander’s death, the Lagid and the Seleucid shall associate, but not in sincerity. Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt, shall marry his daughter Berenice to Antiochus Theos, king of Syria,” who had already a wife called Laodice.<\/I> “Berenice shall come to the king of the north,<\/I> to make an agreement, but it shall not hold: She shall not retain the power of the arm;<\/I> neither she nor her posterity shall establish themselves in the kingdom of the north, neither shall Ptolemy her father, nor Antiochus her husband (between whom there was to be a great alliance), stand,<\/I> nor their arm, but she shall be given up and those that brought her,<\/I>” all that projected that unhappy marriage between her and Antiochus, which occasioned so much mischief, instead of producing a coalition between the northern and southern crowns, as was hoped. Antiochus divorced Berenice, took his former wife Laodice again, who soon after poisoned him, procured Berenice and her son to be murdered, and set up her own son by Antiochus to be king, who was called Seleucus Callinicus.<\/I><\/P>

      III. A war between the two kingdoms, Dan 11:7<\/span>; Dan 11:8<\/span>. A branch from the same root with Berenice shall stand up in his estate.<\/I> Ptolemus Euergetes, the son and successor of Ptolemus Philadelphus, shall come with an army against Seleucus Callinicus, king of Syria, to avenge his sister’s quarrel, and shall prevail; and he shall carry away a rich booty both of persons and goods into Egypt, and shall continue more years than the king of the north.<\/I> This Ptolemy reigned forty-six years; and Justin says that if his own affairs had not called him home he would, in this war, have made himself master of the whole kingdom of Syria. But (v.<\/I><\/span> 9<\/span>) he shall be forced to come into his kingdom<\/I> and return into his own land,<\/I> to keep peace there, so that he can no longer carry on the war abroad. Note, It is very common for a treacherous peace to end in a bloody war.<\/P>

      IV. The long and busy reign of Antiochus the Great,<\/I> king of Syria. Seleucus Callinicus, that king of the north that was overcome (v.<\/I><\/span> 7<\/span>) and died miserably, left two sons, Seleucus and Antiochus; these are his sons, the sons of the king of the north,<\/I> that shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces,<\/I> to recover what their father had lost, v.<\/I><\/span> 10<\/span>. But Seleucus the elder, being weak, and unable to rule his army, was poisoned by his friends, and reigned only two years; and his brother Antiochus succeeded him, who reigned thirty-seven years, and was called the Great.<\/I> And therefore the angel, though he speaks of sons<\/I> at first, goes on with the account of one only,<\/I> who was but fifteen years old when he began to reign, and he shall certainly come, and overflow,<\/I> and over-run,<\/I> and shall be restored<\/I> at length to what his father lost. 1. The king of the south,<\/I> in this war, shall at first have very great success. Ptolemus Philopater, moved with indignation at the indignities done by Antiochus the Great,<\/I> shall (though otherwise a slothful prince) come forth, and fight with him,<\/I> and shall bring a vast army into the field of 70,000 foot, and 5000 horse, and seventy-three elephants. And the other multitude<\/I> (the army of Antiochus, consisting of 62,000 foot, and 6000 horse, and 102 elephants) shall be given into his hand.<\/I> Polybius, who lived with Scipio, has given a particular account of this battle of Raphia. Ptolemus Philopater, having gained this victory, grew very insolent; his heart was lifted up;<\/I> then he went into the temple of God at Jerusalem, and, in defiance of the law, entered the most holy place, for which God has a controversy with him, so that, though he shall cast down many myriads,<\/I> yet he shall not be strengthened by it,<\/I> so as to secure his interest. For, 2. The king of the north, Antiochus the Great,<\/I> shall return<\/I> with a greater army<\/I> than the former;<\/I> and, at the end of times (that is, years<\/I>) he shall come with a mighty army, and great riches,<\/I> against the king of the south,<\/I> that is, Ptolemus Epiphanes, who succeeded Ptolemus Philopater his father, when he was a child, which gave advantage to Antiochus the Great. In this expedition he had some powerful allies (v.<\/I><\/span> 14<\/span>): Many shall stand up against the king of the south.<\/I> Philip of Macedon was confederate with Antiochus against the king of Egypt, and Scopas his general, whom he sent into Syria; Antiochus routed him, destroyed a great part of his army; whereupon the Jews willingly yielded to Antiochus, joined with him, helped him to besiege Ptolemus’s garrisons. They the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision,<\/I> to help forward the accomplishment of this prophecy; but they shall fall, and shall come to nothing,<\/I> v.<\/span> 14<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. Hereupon (v.<\/I><\/span> 15<\/span>) the king of the north,<\/I> this same Antiochus Magnus, shall carry on his design against the king of the south another way. (1.) He shall surprise his strong-holds; all that he has got in Syria and Samaria, and the arms of the south, all the power of the king of Egypt, shall not be able to withstand him. See how dubious and variable the turns of the scale of war are; like buying and selling, it is winning and losing; sometimes one side gets the better and sometimes the other; yet neither by chance; it is not, as they call it, the fortune of war,<\/I> but according to the will and counsel of God, who brings some low and raises others up. (2.) He shall make himself master of the land of Judea (v.<\/I><\/span> 16<\/span>): He that comes against him<\/I> (that is, the king of the north) shall carry all before him and do what he pleases, and he shall stand<\/I> and get footing in the glorious land;<\/I> so the land of Israel was, and by his hand<\/I> it was wasted and consumed, for with the spoil of that good land he victualled his vast army. The land of Judea lay between these two potent kingdoms of Egypt and Syria, so that in all the struggles between them that was sure to suffer, for to it they both bore ill will.<\/I> Yet some read this, By his hand it shall be perfected;<\/I> as if it intimated that the land of Judea, being taken under the protection of this Antiochus, shall flourish, and be in better condition than it had been. (3.) He shall still push on his war against the king of Egypt, and set his face<\/I> to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom,<\/I> taking advantage of the infancy of Ptolemy Epiphanes, and the upright ones,<\/I> many of the pious Israelites, siding with him, v.<\/I><\/span> 17<\/span>. In prosecution of his design, he shall give him his daughter Cleopatra to wife, designing, as Saul in giving his daughter Cleopatra to David, that she should be a snare to him,<\/I> and do him a mischief; but she shall not stand on her father’s<\/I> side, nor be for him,<\/I> but for her husband, and so that plot failed him. (4.) His war with the Romans is here foretold (v.<\/I><\/span> 18<\/span>): He shall turn his face to the isles<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 18<\/span>), the isles of the Gentiles (Gen. x. 5<\/span>), Greece and Italy. He took many of the isles about the Hellespont-Rhodes, Samos, Delos, c., which by war or treaty he made himself master of but a prince,<\/I> or state<\/I> (so some), even the Roman senate, or a leader,<\/I> even the Roman general, shall return his reproach<\/I> with which he abused the Romans upon himself,<\/I> or shall make his shame rest on himself,<\/I> and without his own shame,<\/I> or any disgrace to himself, shall pay him again.<\/I> This was fulfilled when the two Scipios were sent with an army against Antiochus. Hannibal was then with him, and advised him to invade Italy and waste it as he had done; but he did not take hid advice; and Scipio joined battle with him, and gave him a total defeat, though Antiochus had 70,000 men and the Romans but 30,000. Thus he caused the reproach offered by him to cease.<\/I> (5.) His fall. When he was totally routed by the Romans, and was forced to abandon to them all he had in Europe, and had a very heavy tribute exacted from him, he turned to his own land,<\/I> and, not knowing which way to raise money to pay his tribute, he plundered a temple of Jupiter, which so incensed his own subjects against him that they set upon him, and killed him; so he was overthrown, and fell,<\/I> and was no more found,<\/I> v.<\/span> 19<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. (6.) His next successor, v.<\/I><\/span> 20<\/span>. There rose up one in his place, a raiser of taxes,<\/I> a sender forth of the extortioner,<\/I> or extorter. This character was remarkably answered in Seleucus Philopater, the elder son of Antiochus the Great, who was a great oppressor of his own subjects, and exacted abundance of money from them; and, when he was told he would thereby lose his friends, he said he knew no better friend he had then money.<\/I> He likewise attempted to rob the temple at Jerusalem, which this seems especially to refer to. But within a few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger nor in battle,<\/I> but poisoned by Heliodorus, one of his own servants, when he had reigned but twelve years, and done nothing remarkable.<\/P>

      V. From all this let us learn, 1. That God in his providence sets up one, and pulls down another, as he pleases, advances some from low beginnings and depresses others that were very high. Some have called great men the foot-balls of fortune;<\/I> or, rather, they are the tools of Providence.<\/I> 2. This world is full of wars and fightings,<\/I> which come from men’s lusts,<\/I> and make it a theatre of sin and misery. 3. All the changes and revolutions of states and kingdoms, and every event, even the most minute and contingent, were plainly and perfectly foreseen by the God of heaven, and to him nothing is new.<\/I> 4. No word of God shall fall to the ground; but what he has designed, what he has declared, shall infallibly come to pass; and even the sins of men shall be made to serve his purpose, and contribute to the b ringing of his counsels to birth in their season; and yet God is not the author of sin.<\/I> 5. That, for the right understanding of some parts of scripture, it is necessary that heathen authors be consulted, which give light to the scripture, and show the accomplishment of what is there foretold; we have therefore reason to bless God for the human learning with which many have done great service to divine truths.<\/P> <\/p>\n

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

Here the angel begins to treat of the kings of Egypt and of Syria. He does not mention the king of Syria yet, but will do so in the next verse; but he begins with the king of Egypt, the neighboring monarchy to that of Israel. He says, the king of the south, meaning, the king of Egypt, would be brave. He next adds, and one of his princes. Many take this in one context; but I think the angel transfers his discourse to Antiochus the son of Seleucus. And one of his princes, he says, meaning, one of Alexander’s princes, shall strengthen himself against him. For the letter ו, vau, is taken in the sense of opposing, and implies an opposition between Ptolemy the son of Lagus, and Antiochus king of Syria. Hence the king of the south shall grow strong — another of Alexander’s chiefs shall grow strong against him, and shall have dominion. We know how much larger and more wealthy the kingdom of Syria was than that of Egypt, especially when Asia Minor was added to it. Without doubt, the angel was acquainted with the future superiority of Antiochus to Ptolemy, when these two kings are mutually compared. But the rest to-morrow. <\/p>\n

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

(2) PTOLEMIES AND SELEUCIDS, I<\/p>\n

TEXT: Dan. 11:5-9<\/span><\/p>\n

5<\/p>\n

And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.<\/p>\n

6<\/p>\n

And at the end of years they shall join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the strength of her arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm; but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in those times.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

But out of a shoot from her roots shall one stand up in his place, who shall come unto the army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:<\/p>\n

8<\/p>\n

and also their gods, with their molten images, and with their goodly vessels of silver and of gold, shall he carry captive into Egypt; and he shall refrain some years from the king of the north.<\/p>\n

9<\/p>\n

And he shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but he shall return into his own land.<\/p>\n

QUERIES<\/strong><\/p>\n

a.<\/p>\n

Who is the king of the south and his strong prince?<\/p>\n

b.<\/p>\n

How did the two join themselves together?<\/p>\n

c.<\/p>\n

What does the daughter have to do with it all?<\/p>\n

PARAPHRASE<\/strong><\/p>\n

And the king of Egypt shall be strong, and his favorite general shall be stronger than he is, and shall reign over a larger dominion. And after the expiration of a course of years alliances will be formed between the successors of these two. To carry out the terms of the agreements the daughter of the king of Egypt will go to the king of Syria as his wife. The king of Syria himself shall not last long as a consequence of his promiscuous actions toward his wives. One of the blood relatives of the king of Egypts daughter will stand in the place of the king of Egypt and he shall come against the army of the king of Syria. He shall even enter the fortified territories of the king of Syria. He will do according to his will and deal with those who murdered his sister. He will rob their temples and carry their gods of silver and gold back to Egypt. He shall refrain some years from attacking the king of Syria. But the king of Syria will march against the king of Egypt but he shall be completely defeated and retreat to his own land.<\/p>\n

COMMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dan. 11:5<\/span> . . . THE KING OF THE SOUTH . . . AND ONE OF HIS PRINCES . . . SHALL BE STRONG ABOVE HIM . . . This prophecy concerns Ptolemy I and Seleucus Nicator (Ptolemys general). See our comments on Dan. 11:3-4<\/span> above. When Antigonus was defeated, since Ptolemy sat on the sidelines and let Seleucus do his fighting, the other three generals of Alexander decided Seleucus should be sovereign over Syria-Palestine. As a matter of actual historical fact, the dominion of the Seleucids did greatly exceed that of the Ptolemies. It reached from Phrygia in the west to the Indus river in India on the east. And Daniel had this revealed to him hundreds of years before it took place!<\/p>\n

Dan. 11:6<\/span> AND AT THE END OF YEARS THEY SHALL JOIN THEMSELVES TOGETHER . . . Ptolemy I (Soter, or Lagi) was succeeded by his son Ptolemy II (Philadelphus) in 283 B.C. Seleucus Nicator was murdered in 281 B.C. and succeeded by his son Antiochus I. In 275 B.C. Ptolemy II invaded Syria and was repulsed by the Seleucid forces. Ptolemys naval power, however, enabled him to prolong the war. Hostilities ceased in 272 or 271 B.C. without a decisive victory for either side. When Antiochus II (Theos) (261246 B.C.) succeeded his father to the Syrian throne in 261 B.C., war broke out again. The results were indecisive, and peace was concluded in 252 B.C. At this time Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy II, was married to Antiochus II, for political purposes. But Antiochus was already married to Laodice, who had given him two sons, Seleucus Callinicus and Antiochus. Berenice was brought to Antiochus in great pomp. Two years later Ptolemy II died, and Antiochus divorced Berenice, taking back Laodice, from whom he had been separated. Laodice, fearing lest her husband might again turn to Berenice, had him poisoned and encouraged her son Seleucus to murder both Berenice and her infant, thus obtaining the throne for himself (Seleucus II [Callinicus]). Again, in minute detail, Daniel knows the intrigues of political marriages between two powerful enemies of Gods covenant land centuries in advance! Only the God who knows the beginning from the end of all history could have dictated this to Danielto assume that Daniel could have guessed such detail is foolish.<\/p>\n

Dan. 11:7<\/span> BUT OUT OF A SHOOT FROM HER ROOTS . . . In 246 B.C. Antiochus II was murdered and his son Seleucus II (Callinicus) succeeded him. In 245 B.C., the following year, Ptolemy II died and was succeeded by Ptolemy III (Euergetes). Ptolemy III (Euergetes) was the brother of Berenice. Thus is fulfilled the prophecy of this verse that one of the shoots from her roots (i.e., from her ancestry) will stand in the place of Ptolemy Philadelphus. How could Daniel have guessed this correctly? He might just as well have guessed that a usurper would stand in the place of Ptolemy IIfor all Daniel knew. He did not guess! God revealed it to him!<\/p>\n

War broke out between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies again when it was learned that Berenice had been murdered, with her infant son, through the intrigue of Laotice, half sister and wife of Antiochus II. The murder of the daughter and grandson of Ptolemy II was an outrage to the honor of the Ptolemies and resulted in the Laodicean War. After a series of brilliant victories in which northern Syria was completely subjugated, and the murderess Laodice was put to death, Ptolemy III was called back to Egypt to care for a local problem.<\/p>\n

Dan. 11:9<\/span> AND HE SHALL COME INTO THE REALM OF THE KING OF THE SOUTH . . . The he undoubtedly refers to the king of the north (Seleucus II) who, after two years (about 240 B.C.) succeeded in regaining lost territories as far south as Damascus. He then proceeded to march against Ptolemy and was soundly defeated. Peace was concluded in 240 B.C., and no further attacks were made on Syria during Ptolemy Ills reign. He died in 221 B.C. and was succeeded by Ptolemy IV (Philopater), one of the worst of the house of Ptolemy. Seleucus II (Callinicus) was succeeded, in 226, by Seleucus III, who died by poison, and he in turn was succeeded by his younger brother who is known as Antiochus III, the Great.<\/p>\n

QUIZ<\/strong><\/p>\n

1.<\/p>\n

Who is the king of the south?<\/p>\n

2.<\/p>\n

Who is the prince of the king of the south? and how was his dominion greater than the kings?<\/p>\n

3.<\/p>\n

Who is Berenice? Who is Laodice?<\/p>\n

4.<\/p>\n

Who avenged the murder of Berenice?<\/p>\n

5.<\/p>\n

Who is Euergetes?<\/p>\n

6.<\/p>\n

What happened to Seleucus II when he marched against Euergetes?<\/p>\n

7.<\/p>\n

How long before these events transpired did Daniel predict them?<\/p>\n

8.<\/p>\n

How well do the actual events fit the predictions?<\/p>\n

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

(5) The king.<\/strong>This king of the south (see Dan. 11:8<\/span>) is suddenly introduced to our notice. The vagueness of the language prevents us from asserting that the reference is to Ptolemy Soter, who assumed the title of king about B.C. 304. Equally obscure is the phrase one of his princes. Both the Greek versions interpret the passage to mean that one of the princes of the king of the south shall be stronger than his former master. It is hard to see how Seleucus Nicator can be called a prince of Ptolemy Soter. Any attempt at making the pronoun his refer to the mighty king mentioned in the last verse is opposed to the context, and to introduce any fresh sentence such as shall arise is an unwarrantable assumption. The obscurity of the Hebrew text is well reproduced in the English Version. It should be stated that Ptolemy took Jerusalem B.C. 320, and that these times must have been very critical to the Jews.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

5<\/strong>. <\/strong> We here come to the climax for which chap. x and these introductory verses of chap. 11 have furnished the preface. We are now suddenly brought into close and startling contact with the fourth brute empire (the Syriac-Egyptian; see notes Dan 2:39<\/span>; Dan 7:7<\/span>). This particular king of the south <\/strong> is doubtless Ptolemy I, the famous general of Alexander and the founder of the Ptolemaic kingdom. <\/p>\n

One of his princes <\/strong> Seleucus I, who had obtained Babylon as his portion of the empire, but was forced to fly for help against Antigonus (another general of Alexander) to Ptolemy, was befriended by the Egyptian Pharaoh, and afterward obtained possession of Palestine and the adjoining territories, which were held with a firm hand by himself and retained by his successors for centuries. He well deserved the name, which he adopted, of Nicator (“the conqueror”), for his dominion, as this verse states, was a great dominion excelling even that of the Ptolemies. (See notes Dan 2:39-40<\/span>; 1M<\/span>a 1:10<\/span>.)<\/p>\n

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

‘And the king of the south will be strong, and one of his princes, and he will be strong above him and have dominion. His dominion will be a great dominion.’<\/p>\n

The king described here was Ptolemy I, one of Alexander’s most powerful generals, who proclaimed himself king of Egypt in 304 BC. He was very ambitious and sought to extend his empire north into Cyprus, Asia Minor, and Greece. His dynasty ruled Egypt until around 30 BC.<\/p>\n

The prince under the king of the south who would ‘be strong in excess of him’ was Seleucus I, another of Alexander’s prominent generals. He was given authority over Babylon in 321 BC. But another of Alexander’s generals, Antigonus, took over Babylon, and Seleucus had to flee and seek help from Ptolemy I. With Ptolemy’s sponsorship and superior power he was able to regain control of Babylon. This was the sense in which he was Ptolemy’s prince, for he submitted to him in order to gain his military support against Antigonus. But Seleucus I eventually ruled from Phrygia in the west to the Indus in the east, including all of Babylonia, Media, and Syria, a territory much larger than Ptolemy’s. His dynasty was seen as commencing in 312 BC. His descendants are the kings of the north. His dynasty lasted until 64 B.C.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

The Syrian Wars between the Ptolemaic and Seleucid Kingdoms Dan 11:5-20<\/span><\/strong> describes the on-going power struggles between Egypt and Syria, or the Ptolemaic and Seleucid kingdoms referred to in this passage of Scripture as the kings of the South and the kings of the North. This passage will cover the period from the time of the division of Alexander the Great’s empire (323 B.C.) until the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, who ruled the Seleucid kingdom from 175 to 164B.C.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

Dan 11:5<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>The king of the south, <\/em><\/strong>&c.<\/strong> The LXX render the words, And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes shall be strong above him; <\/em>or perhaps it may be better rendered thus, And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and the king of the north shall be strong above him, and have dominion: His dominion shall be a great dominion. <\/em>[Houbigant reads, Afterwards the king of the south shall be powerful; but yet one of his princes shall be more powerful than he, and shall have a dominion far greater than his dominion.<\/em>] The king of the south <\/em>was indeed very strong: <\/em>for Ptolemy had annexed Cyprus, Phoenicia, Caria, and many islands, cities, and regions, to Egypt. He had likewise enlarged the bounds of his empire by the acquisition of Cyrene; and was now become so great, as not so much to fear his enemies, as to be feared by them. But still the king of the north, or Seleucus Nicator, was strong above him; <\/em>for, having annexed the kingdom of Macedon and Thrace to the crown of Syria, he was become master of three parts in four of Alexander’s dominions. After Alexander, he possessed the largest part of Asia; for all was subject to him, from Phrygia up to the river Indus, and beyond it. Seleucus Nicator, having reigned seven months after the death of Lysimachus, was basely murdered; to him succeeded in the throne of Syria, his son Antiochus Soter, and to Antiochus Soter, his son Antiochus Theus: at the same time Ptolemy Philadelphus reigned in Egypt. There were frequent wars between the kings of Egypt and Syria; particularly between Ptolemy Philadelphus, the second king of Egypt, and Antiochus Theus, the third king of Syria. See Bishop Newton. <\/p>\n

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

If my Reader be more curious to make search into hidden things, than to turn over again and again those which the Lord hath revealed; I fear that he will not be pleased with the shortness I purpose to observe, in my Commentary on this Chapter, and in including almost the whole Chapter under one view. But my apology is this. Where the word of God is not very clear and plain, I humbly conceive, that the Lord’s intuition is, in this obscurity, his people should humbly wait the explanation of prophecy, until that in the accomplishment, the thing predicted, by the event, be explained. If (as some think) what is here said, hath already been fulfilled in the kingdoms of Persia and Greece; and since those periods, in Pagan Rome, and Papal Rome; there will need no further comment. But if there are yet remaining in those scriptures, things to be unfolded, I humbly conceive, they will only be so unfolded, agreeably to all the other prophecies of God, as the events predicted come forward. One thing I beg the godly Reader to observe, how several circumstances respecting the Church of God, are incorporated and mixed up with the prophecies concerning other nations in this Chapter. Hence the Reader may notice what is said (Dan 11:14<\/span> ) of the robbers of God’s people. And in like manner ((Dan 11:16<\/span> ,) of the glorious land being consumed. So again, Dan 11:22<\/span> , of the Prince of the covenant; and of the hatred of the enemies of God to the holy covenant, (Dan 11:30<\/span>Dan 11:30<\/span> ,) of the pollution of the daily sacrifice and the sanctuary, and of taking away the daily sacrifice, and placing the abomination that maketh desolate, Dan 11:31<\/span> . All these, and similar phrases, we may, without violence, safely apply to the destruction of the Jewish temple, after our Lord’s ascension; and which Jesus himself foretold. Hence that memorable passage, Mat 24:15<\/span> . compared with Luk 21:20<\/span> . When ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, stand in the holy place. But when we have paid all due respect to this explanatory passage of our Lord Jesus, and which, as far as it goes, becomes altogether satisfactory and decisive; we shall do right by this Chapter, to observe the same conduct, as was ordered to Daniel, in closing up his book of prophecy altogether. Go thy way, Daniel, for the words are closed up, and sealed, to the time of the end. Dan 12:9<\/span> . Lord! cause both Writer and Reader, thus far to become wise in prophecy, and which is the wisest and truest improvement of the whole, to see that to Jesus give all the prophets witness, that through his Name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Act 10:43<\/span> .<\/p>\n

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

Dan 11:5 And the king of the south shall be strong, and [one] of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion [shall be] a great dominion.<\/p>\n

Ver. 5. And the king of the south shall be strong.<\/strong> ] Ptolemy, king of Egypt, together with his whole family, line, and race, the Lagidae, shall be eminently strong; and a great enemy he was to the poor Jews, as Josephus a<\/em> explains. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And one of his princes,<\/strong> ] i.e., <\/em> Of Alexander’s princes, meaning Seleucus Nisanor, king of Syria, together with his house and line, called the Seleucidae. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And he shall be strong above him,<\/strong> ] i.e., <\/em> Stronger than Ptolemy, and that the poor Church shall feel; for Judea lay between these two potent princes, and was therefore beaten on both sides. Perinde ac isthmus inter duo maria interiacens,<\/em> or as bread grain ground between two millstones. This was here foretold, and much more, three hundred years before it happened, that we may know that there is an omnipotent and omniscient majesty, who decreeth and doeth whatsoever himself pleaseth. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

His dominion shall be a great dominion,<\/strong> ] viz., As long as it will hold. Besides Syria and Babylon, Seleucus had more of Asia than ever any had but only Alexander. So our Henry VI, till deposed, had been the most potent monarch for dominions that ever England had; yet afterwards he was not the master of a mole hill, nor owner of his own liberty, as hath been said before. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

a<\/em> Antiq., <\/em> lib. xii. cap. 1.<\/p>\n

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Dan 11:5-9<\/p>\n

5Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will gain ascendancy over him and obtain dominion; his domain will be a great dominion indeed. 6After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to carry out a peaceful arrangement. But she will not retain her position of power, nor will he remain with his power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who sired her as well as he who supported her in those times. 7But one of the descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and display great strength. 8Also their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years. 9Then the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own land.<\/p>\n

Dan 11:5 This begins the series of intrigues between the Ptolemies of Egypt (kings of the south) and the Seleucids of Syria (kings of the north). The Jews were caught in the middle of the struggles of these two empires. The rest of Dan 11:5-20 are a summary of the historical conflict, at least up until 175 B.C.<\/p>\n

the king of the South This refers to Ptolemy I Soter (323-285 B.C.), who was the very effective military general of Alexander who founded the Ptolemy dynasty in Egypt.<\/p>\n

along with one of his princes This apparently refers to Seleucus I Nicator (321-281 B.C.), anotherof Alexander’s military leaders who served Ptolemy I for a time after he was forced to flee Babylon by Antigonus in 316 B.C. He later (312 B.C.) took an army and re-conquered Babylon thus becoming the first ruler of the Seleucid dynasty, which controlled Syria-Babylon.<\/p>\n

Dan 11:6 and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North This was an attempt to stop the tension between these two dynasties by marriage (252 B.C.). However, the king of the North, Antiochus II Theos (261-246 B.C.), was already married to a lady named Laodice and they had two sons, Seleucus II Callinicus and Antiochus III. This lady was divorced and the daughter of Ptolemy II, Philadelphus (285-246 B.C.), was made the bride of Antiochus II. Her name was Bernice. However, when her father, Ptolemy II, died, Bernice was rejected for Laodice. Laodice, fearful of her position, poisoned her husband, Antiochus II, and had her son (Seleucus II Callinicus) put on the throne. She also killed Bernice and her child and her servants.<\/p>\n

Dan 11:7 In this verse we see that Bernice’s brother (branch of her roots), Ptolemy III (one of the descendants of her line), angry over the death of his sister, invaded the north (246 B.C.). He was very successful militarily against the Seleucid Empire, but did not push his advantage. He took a large amount of the spoils from Antioch and returned to Egypt. We learn of this in Dan 11:8-9.<\/p>\n

Dan 11:8 Also their gods Ptolemy III, when he invaded Syria and Babylon, recovered the Egyptian’s idols that had been taken by Cambyses II in 524 B.C. By restoring these Egyptian idols, he became a very popular Egyptian ruler.<\/p>\n

Dan 11:9 There is a time gap of two years between Dan 11:8-9. There is no historical record of this incident.<\/p>\n

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

the king of the south. Ptolemy Soter, son of Lagus, king of Egypt (see Dan 11:8). He took the title “king”; whereas his father “Lagus” had been only governor. <\/p>\n

south. With reference to Judea. <\/p>\n

one of his princes. Seleucus I (Nicator = conqueror). <\/p>\n

him: i.e. Ptolemy. <\/p>\n

a great dominion. It added Syria to Babylon and Media. <\/p>\n

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

Dan 11:5<\/p>\n

Dan 11:5 And the kingH4428 of the southH5045 shall be strong,H2388 and one ofH4480 his princes;H8269 and he shall be strongH2388 aboveH5921 him, and have dominion;H4910 his dominionH4474 shall be a greatH7227 dominion.H4474 <\/p>\n

Dan 11:5<\/p>\n

And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.<\/p>\n

The “King of the South was Ptolemy I Soter who had eventually established himself in Egypt. Ptolemy was a Macedonian Greek general under Alexander the Great who became ruler of Egypt from 323 to 283 BC. He was the founder of both the Ptolemaic Kingdom and the Ptolemaic Dynasty. He took the title of pharaoh of Egypt in about 305 BC. <\/p>\n

He was the son of Arsinoe of Macedon. He was described in ancient times as either the son of Lagus, a Macedonian nobleman, or that he was an illegitimate son of Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. This would make Alexander his half brother and would account for the close friendship they shared. Ptolemy was a few years older than Alexander and one of his closest friends since childhood. As a result of this, he became one of Alexander’s most trusted generals. He was with Alexander from his first campaigns, and played a leadership role in the later campaigns in Afghanistan and India. At the Susa marriage festival in 324, Alexander had him marry the Persian princess Artakama.<\/p>\n

“and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.”<\/p>\n

Ptolemy’s prince was Seleucus I Nicator of Syria, who had fled to him in temporary exile from the power threats of Antigonus of Asia Minor. Antigonus was one of Alexander’s generals who ended up with all of Asia Minor under his authority after a number of conflicts. Antigonus then entered Babylon, of which Seleucus I Nicator of Syria was governor. Seleucus fled to Ptolemy and entered into a league with him. After serving as an officer to Ptolemy for four years (316-312 BC), he returned to Syria and established himself as ruler and established the Seleucid Dynasty and as a result, rose in power to rule a kingdom larger and more powerful than Egypt, however, it was Egypt that was the more stable of the two. This alliance did not last long as their respective successors, Antiochus I Soter and Ptolemy II Philadelphus waged territorial wars among themselves which served to drastically deplete their respective resources. The great dominion spoke of in this vision was the Seleucid Empire which encompassed Babylon. At the height of its power it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today’s Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

south i.e. “south” of Palestine. Egypt is meant. <\/p>\n

his princes i.e. One of Alexander’s princes; historically Ptolemy Lagidae. <\/p>\n

he shall Not the “king of the south” (Ptolemy Lagidae, to whom Egypt was given), but the “king of the north” Dan 11:6, Seleucus, to whom Syria was given: <\/p>\n

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

the king: Ptolemy Lagus, king of Egypt, Cyrene, etc. Dan 11:8, Dan 11:9, Dan 11:11, Dan 11:14, Dan 11:25, Dan 11:40 <\/p>\n

and one: Dan 11:3, Dan 11:4 <\/p>\n

he shall: Seleucus Nicator, who had Syria, etc., to which he added Macedonia and Thrace. <\/p>\n

Reciprocal: Zec 6:6 – toward<\/p>\n

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

Dan 11:5. We have seen that when Alexander died his dominions were divided into four parts and taken over by his generals. Two of these divisions were shortlived and were absorbed by the other forces about them. The two that remained were ruled by Seleueus Nicator, and Ptolemy. The dominions of the former are referred to in this chapter as king of the north, the latter as king of the south. They may occasionally be referred to simply by a pronoun, in which case an explanation will be given. These two divisions of Alexander’s conquests were ruled at first by the two men named, but their realms were ruled successively by different persons as long as they existed as governments, until all was finally absorbed by the Roman Empire. This northern, and southern kingdom were constantly hostile toward each other, in spite of a few occasions of pretended friendliness, and the entire chapter from here on is a series of predictions of their dealings with their respective conditions. I shall now take up the comments on the verses in their order. The king of the south was Ptolemy Soter who ruled over Egypt. One of his (Alexanders) princes was Seleueus Nicator who ruled over Syria. Stronjr above him means the king of the north was stronger or had more extensive dominions than those possessed by the king of the south. The history and geography of the times will verify this prediction. Syria embraced “Syria and the countries eastward to the Indus, while “Ptolemy held sway over Egypt, according to the history of Myers, it can thus be seen why the prediction is that the king of the north was to be strong above him (the king of the south).<\/p>\n

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

Dan 11:5. And the king of the south, &c. Though the kingdom of Alexander was divided into four principal parts, yet only two of them have a place in this prophecy, Egypt and Syria. These two were by far the greatest and most considerable, and at one time were, in a manner, the only remaining kingdoms of the four; the kingdom of Macedon having been conquered by Lysimachus, and annexed to Thrace, and Lysimachus again having been conquered by Seleucus, and the kingdoms of Macedon and Thrace annexed to Syria. These two, likewise, continued distinct kingdoms after the others were swallowed up by the power of the Romans. But there is a more proper and peculiar reason for enlarging on these two particularly; because Judea, lying between them, was sometimes in the possession of the kings of Egypt, and sometimes of the kings of Syria; and it is the purpose of Holy Scripture to interweave only so much of foreign affairs as hath some relation to the Jews; and it is in respect of their situation to Judea, that the kings of Egypt and Syria are called the kings of the south and the north. Bishop Newton.<\/p>\n

The king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes That is, of Alexanders princes. There is manifestly either some redundance, says Bishop Newton, or some defect in the Hebrew copy, which should be rendered, as it is by the LXX., And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes shall be strong above him. The king of the south, Ptolemy, son of Lagus, called Soter, that is, saviour, the first king of Egypt, and the first founder of the famous library at Alexandria, was indeed very strong: for his dominion extended over Libya, Cyrene, Palestine, Cyprus, some Grecian islands, and Asiatic provinces. His wealth and strength are celebrated by Theocritus in one of his idyls, and by Appian the historian. But still the king of the north, or Seleucus Nicator, that is, the conqueror, was strong above him: for having annexed, as we have seen, the kingdoms of Macedon and Thrace to the crown of Syria, he had become master of three parts out of four of Alexanders dominions. All historians agree in representing him, not only as the longest liver, but likewise as the most powerful of all Alexanders successors. Appian in particular, enumerating the nations which he subdued, affirms that, after Alexander, he possessed the largest part of Asia; for that all was subject to him from Phrygia to the river Indus, and beyond it. He built Seleucia on the Tigris, and many other very considerable cities in India, Scythia, Armenia, and various parts of his wide empire; so that his dominion was indeed a great dominion. He was also, according to Appian, a person of such great strength, that, laying hold on a bull by the horn, he could stop him in his full career: the statuaries, for this reason, made his statue with two bulls horns on his head. This prince, having reigned seven months after the death of Lysimachus, over the kingdoms of Macedon, Thrace, and Syria, was basely murdered; and to him succeeded, in the throne of Syria, Antiochus Soter; and to him his son, Antiochus Theus. At the same time, Ptolemy Philadelphus reigned in Egypt after his father, the first Ptolemy. There were frequent wars between the kings of Egypt and Syria, and particularly between Ptolemy Philadelphus, the second king of Egypt, and Antiochus Theus, the third king of Syria. See Bishop Newton and Wintle.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

Dan 11:5. the king of the south: the king of Egypt, Ptolemy I. The two chief divisions of the Greek Empire were (a) Egypt, which was ruled by the Ptolemies, (b) Syria, which was governed by the Seleucid. The following verses give an account of the relations between these two empires.one of his princes: Seleucus, the founder of the rival empire.he shall be strong above him: Seleucus shall be stronger than Ptolemy.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

11:5 And the {l} king of the south shall be strong, and [one] of {m} his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion [shall be] a great dominion.<\/p>\n

(l) That is, Ptolemeus king of Egypt.<\/p>\n

(m) That is, Antiochus the son of Seleucus, and one of Alexander’s princes will be more mighty: for he would have both Asia and Syria.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

Conflicts between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids 11:5-20<\/span><\/p>\n

The angel now began describing the affairs of two kingdoms whose kings he called "the king of the South" and "the king of the North." These north and south directions are in relation to Palestine, the land of Daniel and his people. The nation to the south was Egypt (Dan 11:8), which Ptolemy I and his descendants ruled. The kingdom to the north was what later became Syria, which Seleucus I and his heirs governed. Shortly after the division of Alexander’s kingdom into four parts, this Syrian kingdom included much of Asia Minor in the West, and it extended into India in the East. The Holy Land stood between these two great powers, Egypt and Syria, and it became territory that each one coveted and tried to possess.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

The king described in this verse proved to be Ptolemy I Soter (323-285 B.C.), one of Alexander’s most powerful generals, who proclaimed himself king of Egypt in 304 B.C. He was an ambitious monarch who sought to extend his holdings north into Cyprus, Asia Minor, and Greece. His dynasty ruled Egypt until 30 B.C.<\/p>\n

The "prince" under the king of the South, who would gain ascendancy over the king of the South, was Seleucus I Nicator (312-281 B.C.), another of Alexander’s most prominent generals. He had gained authority to rule Babylon in 321 B.C. However, in 316 B.C., another of Alexander’s generals, Antigonus, attacked Babylon. Seleucus sought help from Ptolemy I, and with Ptolemy’s sponsorship and superior power was able to retain control of Babylon. He was in this sense Ptolemy’s prince; he submitted to him to gain his military support against Antigonus. Seleucus I eventually ruled all of Babylonia, Media, and Syria, a territory much larger than Ptolemy’s. He assumed the title "king" in 305 B.C., and was "the king of the North" referred to in this verse. His dynasty lasted until 64 B.C.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And the king of the south shall be strong, and [one] of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion [shall be] a great dominion. 5. Ptolemy I. (Lagi), 305 285, and Seleucus I. (Nicator), 312 280. the king of the south ] The ‘south’ (Heb. Negeb), when applied … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 11:5”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22052\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}