The Conflicts between the Kings of the South and of the North, the Ptolemies and Seleucidæ—Antiochus Epiphanes. Dan. 11:5- 45.
“This chapter foretells, in most minute detail, the successive histories of Xerxes of Persia; Alexander the Great, king of Macedon and conqueror of Persia; the four-fold division of Alexander’s kingdom at his death, and the consequent conflicts between the kings of the north and the kings of the south, the Seleucidæ and the Ptolemies; and, lastly, the proud violence of Antiochus Epiphanes against the covenant-people of God, and his final doom. The details are given with such minuteness beforehand, to strengthen and support the faithful ones among God’s ancient people, in the fiery ordeal…during the long period when they were to be without any living prophets. If the world-powers were about to be permitted to trample underfoot the people of the covenant, the latter would take comfort in knowing that their God had told them of it “in the Scripture of truth” (ch. 10:21) long before: and had also engaged that, though the trial under Antiochus, the Old Testament Antichrist, was to be most severe, yet it was to be of short duration, and he was to come to his end, and none should help him (v. 45)” Fausset A. R. Hos. 3:4-5
- “God in His providence puts down one and sets up another, according to His sovereign pleasure. The Holy Scripture handles secular history only in so far as it bears upon the interests of Israel, the covenant-people, and His Church. Judea, as lying between Syria and Egypt, necessarily was affected seriously by the struggle between the kings of those two countries. Let us similarly view the politics of nations, chiefly as they affect the interests of thekingdom of God and the people of God.” Fausset A. R.
- Dan. 11:5 The king of the South with reference to Judea is Ptolemy I founder of Egyptian division of the Grecian empire (323-285 b.c.). He added Cyprus, Phoenicia, Caris, Corinth to become strong. Seleucus I Nicator-the conqueror founder of Seleucid Empire (311-280 b.c.), fled to Egypt and distinguished himself as one of the commanders of Ptolemy 1. He abandoned him and returned to become ruler of Babylonia, Media, and Syria, and establish the Seleucid kingdom that grew to be greater than that of Ptolemy’s Egypt” Dakes ref. Bible & HCSB study Bible. “Ptolemy, soon after he gained Egypt, invaded Judea, and took Jerusalem on a sabbath, pretending a friendly visit. Seleucus also gave disturbance to Judea.” M. Henry
- Dan. 11:6 “The fruitless attempt to unite these two kingdoms north and south as iron and clay in Nebuchadnezzar’s image (v. 6), after several years of bloody war. Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt (285-246 b. c.), shall marry his daughter Berenice to Antiochus Theos, king of Syria (261-246 b. c. ),” who shall put off his wife called Laodice and her children. The agreement was sealed with the marriage of princess Berenice and Antiochus. Yet Berenice would not retain power, as Antiochus’s former wife Laodice would return to murder Antiochus, Berenice, and their child and set up her son Seleucid 11 called Antiochus II on the throne. The Egyptian women who came with tried to defend her but failed. Dakes & M. Henry
- Dan. 11:7-8 “One from Berenice’s family, her brother Ptolemy III Euergetes (246-221 b.c.), would avenge her murder by storming Antioch, the fortress of the king of the North, Seleucus II Callinicus (246-226 b.c.), and killing Laodice. Ptolemy III would even seize Seleucid gods and valuables, bringing them back to Egypt.” HCSB Study Bible.
