Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 7 · Doctrines 1 · Question 26
Quest. 26. Of the tenne hornes, what is signified thereby, v. 7.
The diuerse opinions which are held concerning the interpretation of these words, are of two sorts, some by tenne vnderstand not precisely a certaine number, but an vncertaine and indefinite, they take tenne for many, as Num. 14. 22. they hauehave tempted me tenne times, Iob. 19. 2. yee hauehave tenne times reproached me. Some vnderstand according to the litterall sense, so many kings precisely.
1. Of the first sort. 1. Some by tenne kings vnderstand all the kings which should be in the Romne Empire, from the beginning to the ende thereof, vntounto the comming of Antichrist; numero isto denario vniuersitas Regum significata est, &c. by this number of tenne is signified the vniuersall companie of the kings in the Romane Empire, August, lib. 20. de ciuit. Dei. c. 23. 2. Some by these kings vnderstand the seuerall prouinces and kingdomes which were gouerned by Proconsuls and deputies, the Romane Empire yet standing, Calv. 2. Some the kingdomes into the which the Romane Empire was diuided and dissolued: as first it was parted into the East and West Empire: in the East sprang vp the kingdomes of the Persians, Saracenes, and of other nations: in the West, of the Gothes, Lombards, Hunnes, Bulling. so also Pintus, Sa, Oecolamp. Perer.
But all these are deceiued. 1. in taking this number of tenne for a number indefinite: for seeing this number is diuided, as after mention is made of three kings, which shall be pulled away, a certaine and finite number must be signified: and if tenne did not betoken a certain number, the time should not be known, when the little horne, the last of the ten, should be expected. 2. The kings doe not signifie kingdomes, but so many kings out of one kingdome, as it is expounded, v. 24. the tenne hornes out of this kingdome, are tenne kings that shall rise: they must rise out of one kingdome. 3. neither can these tenne kingdomes, which they vnderstand, be raised after the dissolution of the Empire; for the beast is not destroyed, that is the kingdome dissolued vntill the little horne came vp, v. 11.
2. Of the second sort also there are diuerse opinions. 1. Some by tenne hornes vnderstand so many kings, which in the end of the world shall diuide the Romane Empire among them, and then shall the eleuenth horne rise vp, which they suppose to be Antichrist: of this opinion is Hierome, whom Lyranus followeth, Hugo, gloss. ordinar. & interlin. But, as Oecolamp. noteth, we finde this to be otherwise: for one part of the Romane Empire onelyonly which is in Europe, we see to be diuided into tenne kingdomes: as Portugall, Spaine, England, Fraunce, Denmarke, Suecia, Polonia, Bohemia, Hungaria, Naples: the other parts of the Empire were deuided into more kingdomes.
2. Some vnderstand the 10. Prouinces, which were subiect to the Romane Emperour, gouerned by Consuls: as Strabo lib. 17. reckoneth tenne of them: But the Proconsuls and Deputies were not kings: and though they were as kings, they had their seueral prouinces as their kingdomes, but these kings must come out of one kingdome.
3. Some doe here number tenne seuerall kingdomes, into the which the Romane Empire was diuided: as some doe reckon these: Italie, Spaine, Fraunce, Germanie, Illyricum, Grecia, Africa, Egypt, Asia, Syria, Melancthon. Some doe for Illyricum, put England, numbring the rest which are before rehearsed, Osiand. Some doe name the tenne kingdomes in Europe before specified, ex Pap. But it is euident, that more then ten kingdomes are risen out of the Romane Empire, seeing so many are found onelyonly in Europe.
4. Some then leauing this conceit of the Romane Empire, doe finde these tenne hornes, that is so many kings in diuerse kingdomes, putting together Macedonia, Egypt, Syria: this was the opinion of Porphyrie rehearsed and refuted by Hierome: for these kings must rise out of the same kingdome, as these tenne hornes came out of one and the same beast.
5. Wherefore these tenne hornes, were indeede tenne kings of Syria, which the Seleucia…s held, one succeeding another, and these they were. 1. Seleucus N…canior. 2. An…iochus Soter, who was in louelove with Stratonica his fathers wife, whom he enioyed by the meanes of Erasistratus his Physitian, and raigned, his father yet beeing aliue. 3. Antiochus called Theos, God, of the Milesians, for deliuering them from the tyrannie of Timarchus; him his wife Laodice, the daughter of Ptol…me Philadelphus, poisoned. 4. Seleucus Callmicus, whom Ptolome Euergetes expelled his kingdome. 5. P…olome Euergetes. 6. Seleucus Ceraunus, Ptolome Euergetes being expelled. 7. Antiochus the great the brother of Ceraunus, who had warre with the Romanes, and draue them out of Asia. 8. Ptolome Philopator, who inuaded Syria, Antiochus the great beeing otherwise occupied and busied, and held the kingdome a while. 9. Then Philopator beeing expelled by Antiochus and his sons, Seleucus Philopator succeeded. 10. And Seleucus beeing slai…e, then Antiochus Epiphanes the younger brother inuaded the kingdome: who was the little horne here spoken of, and did rage most cruelly against the people of God, Iun. ann. there were after him other of the Seleucians, that held the kingdome of Syria, but they had not that power ouer Iudea, which the other had; for Antiochus Eupator, and after him Demetrius the sonne of Seleucus, attempted in vaine to subdue Iudea vntounto their kingdome. Polan.
6. But here is some defference betweene Iunius and Polanus account of these tenne kings: Iunius maketh Ptolome Euergetes the fift, who expelled Seleucus Call…nichus, and Seleuchus Ceraunus, the sonne of Callinicus the sixt: But Polanus omitting Ptolome Euergetes, maketh Ceraunus the sonne of Callinicus the fift, and the sonne of Ceraunus the s…xt, who beeing but a child, and not able to gouerne the kingdome, after he had raigned two yeares, was poisoined: But I rather followe Iunius for these reasons. 1. seeing Polanus confesseth that Euergetes expelled Callinicus, and held the kingdome, he is as well to be counted among these tenne kings, as afterward Ptolome Philopator, who inuaded the kingdome vnderunder Antiochus the great. 2. Seleucus Ceraunus raigned himselfe but three yeares, and next vntounto him succeeded Antiochus the great: no mention is made in some Chronicles of Ceraunus sonne comming betweene, Bullinger.
7. But against this interpretation of the tenne kings of Syria, thus it will be obiected. 1. Lyranus saith that these kings must not be vnderstood per successionem vnius post alterum, by the succession of one after another, but they were all at one time, as the Angell expoundeth afterward.
Contra. 1. The contrarie appeareth by the Angels exposition, that these kings shall one succeed another,See further appendix. exerci…. 1. argu. 8. 1. as v. 24. the Angel saith, tenne hornes out of this kingdome, are tenne kings that shall rise: now in one kingdome there cannot be tenne kings at once, euerie king hath his kingdome: 2. as the three kings which shall be subdued, are vnderstood successiuely, so are the tenne: but these followed one an other by succession: as Andreas whose opinion Hugo reporteth, thus expoundeth, alios duos sibi succedentes similiter occidet, he shal likewise kill two other kings succeeding one another.
2. Pererius obiecteth that in the Syrian kingdome, there were but eight kings in all vntounto Antiochus Epiphanes.
Contra. There were but eight of that line: but two kings of Egypt, Ptolome Euergetes, & Ptolome Philopator, which held the kingdom by conquest, are to be numbred among them.
3. This fourth kingdome shall be more fierce and mightier, then any before it: but the kingdome of Syria was not mightier then Alexanders, Perer.
Contra. It is not said simply to be mightier, or stronger, but in respect of the Iewes, whom they carried a more strong and terrible hand ouer, then did Alexander who fauoured them.
4. It may be obiected, that this fourth beast shall deuoure the whole earth, and shall tread it downe, and breake it in peices, v. 23. but the kingdome of Syria did not subdue the whole earth.
Contra. By the whole earth is here vnderstood the whole land of Iudea, as is expounded v. 25. he shall consume the Saints of the most high: and so thinketh R. Saadia, that the whole earth is taken here for Iudea, which was brought into such subiection vntounto the kings of Syria, that Memnon in his Chronicle lib. 13. 14. calleth Antiochus warring with the Romanes, the king of Iudea.