Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11 · Questions · Question 46
46. Quest. Of the strange god that Antiochus should set vp, v. 28.
This verse is diuersly interpreted, and there is great difference about the meaning of these words, in his place he shall honour the god Mauzzim. These diuers opinions may be thus sorted: some doe vnderstand these words of the false god, which shall be set vp: some of the true God, in whose stead Antiochus, or Antichrist, shall set vp an other strange god.
Of the first sort: 1. some thinke that Mauzzim should be the name of the place where Antiochus set vp his idol, and caused it to be worshipped, which Porphyrius thinketh to hauehave beene called Modin, the countrey of Mattathia: Pellican also misliketh not this sense. But Mauzzim hath an other sense, it signifieth munition or strength: and betweene the words Mauzzim, and Modin, there is small affinitie.
2. Some applie this vntounto Antichrist, and thinke that he shall secretly worship the deuill, whom he shall call the god of his defence, Lyran. and Bellarmine doth hereunto incline.
3. Theodoret thus expoundeth, that Antichrist shall call himselfe the god Mauzzim, that is, a strong god: but it hath beene shewed sufficiently before, that this prophesie is historically and literally vnderstood of Antiochus. And if it should be referred to Antichrist, that he is himselfe this god Mauzzim, there can be made no sense of these words, he shall worship the god Mauzzim in his place: for how can he be said to worship himselfe? here is one that worshippeth, and an other that is worshipped.
4. Some vnderstand this prophesie of the Turke, and this god Mauzzim to be Mahomet, whome the Turks adore with siluer and gold; and whose religion he maintaineth by force and strength; still seeking to enlarge his Empire, and to subdue nations, which was one of Mahomets speciall precepts and principles: and it is saide, he shall worship him in his place, that is, according to his qualitie and dignitie, not as a God, but as a great Prophet: thus one Christian Irenophil. ex Polan. Oecolampadius much varieth not, hauing reference here vntounto Mecca the temple of Mahomet, which is adorned with siluer and gold. But I hauehave shewed, that this prophesie concerneth not the Turke, whose Monarchie beganne a 1000. yeares after Antiochus: & the affaires of the Turke did not belong to the state & condition of the Iewes the people of God then, for whose cōfort specially this prophesie was penned.
5. M. Calvin still proceedeth, applying all this vntounto the Romanes, that they had their peculiar god Iuppiter Olympius, Iuppiter set vp in the Capitol, whome they made the chiefe of all other gods: but in effect they onelyonly magnified themselues, their power and riches aboue all other gods: And so farre as it was for their aduantage and profit, they did pretend the name and worship of the gods: but in effect, they set vp altars, and offered sacrifice, suae foelicitati & fortunae, to their owne happines and fortune: so also Genevens. following Calvin: but this application to the Romane state we hauehave vponupon diuers reasons refused before, qu. 44.
6. Melancthon by the god Maosim, that is, of munitions, vnderstandeth the god variorum templorum, that was worshipped in diuers temples: for as the Iewes had but one Temple called before Maosa, v. 31. the Sanctuarie of strength: so the Gentiles had their Maosim, their diuers temples, wherein they worshipped a number of gods: as the Athenians worshipped Pallas, the Thebanes, Bacchus; the Eleusines, Ceres; the Sic…lians, Proserpina; the Argives, Iuno; they of Delphos, Phoebus; the Lemnians, Vulcan; the Lampsacenes, Priapus; the Phrygians, Cybele: But M. Calvin doth not much weigh this distinction of the singular and plural, for the word Maozim, he taketh it to be curious. And seeing Melancthon first vnderstandeth this of Antiochus, it can not be shewed how he brought in all these gods: and the text onelyonly speaketh in the singular, of the god Mauzzim.
7. Some doe properly vnderstand here the Pope the Romane Antichrist, and retaining the word as a proper name Mauzzim doe specially applie it to the idolatrous sacrifice of the Masse: Osiander maketh some allusion in the word Mauzzim, to the word Masse: Melancthon obserueth that the word mazon, which signifieth foode or meate, hath some assinitie with Mauzzim, noting the Papists breaden god: but Oecolampad. refuseth this conceit, because the word mazon is written without the letter ain, which the other word hath, Bullinger maketh this application, that Mauzzim which signifieth holds, may be taken for the Temples, which they adorne with siluer and gold, and doe tie thereunto the corporall presence of Christ: But all these are analogicall applications of this prophesie: we must seeke for an historicall sense beside, which was to take place long before the Romane Antichrist appeared in the world.
8. All these doe by the god Mauzzim, vnderstand a false god, which should be brought in by this aduersarie here spoken of. Polychronius by the god Mauzzim, that is, of strength, would hauehave signified the true god of Isreal, whome Antiochus at length was forced to confesse by the extremitie of his disease, and sent great gifts and presents to Ierusalem to the Temple: But neither is mention made in the storie, 2. Macchab. 9. of any such gifts which he sent, Oecolampad. and it is a strange god, not the true God, which Antiochus here is said to worship with gold and siluer.
9. Iunius and Polanus doe concurre together, thus reading, as for the God of strength, in his place he shall honour: he shall honour a god, whome his fathers knew not, &c. And Polanus will hauehave the first clause distinguished, because of the accent zakeph katon, which diuideth it from the words following: so that they would hauehave the god Mauzzim here taken for the true God, called the God of strength, Polan. or the God of munitions, that is, whose seate was at Ierusalem, which is called in Scripture a citie of munition: Iun. commentar. But 1. neither that accent, nor yet the imperfect distinction rebia, which is ouer the word maghuzim, or (as Montanus) mahuzim, are of such force wholly to suspend these words from the clause following; but onelyonly they make a little pause or stay, not diuiding the sense: for then the words, leeloha maghuzim, the god Mauzzim, standing by themselues, should make no sense at all. 2. And againe, the same word leeloha, God, is repeated in the next sentence: it must therefore be taken in the same sense in both places: if in the latter, it might be translated, and God, he shall honour, whome &c. it must be so taken in the first place: and the god Mauzzim, or of munitions: not, as for the God: the preposition lamed must hauehave the like vse in both places: and this reason chiefly maketh me to dissent from these learned men in this place.
10. Wherefore I rather condescend to that other interpretation of Melancthon, that Mauzzim signifieth not onelyonly strength, but an hold, munition, a place of defence: and so Antiochus after he had set vp the idol of Iuppiter Olympius in the Temple, he built a strong tower or place of defence, neare vntounto the Temple, where he set a garrison, to force the people to worship that idol: so the author of the Scholasticall historie interpreteth, Maozim praesidium sonat, & Antiochus in Ierusalem praesidium posuit, Maozim signifieth an hold or garrison, and so Antiochus set garrisons in Ierusalem: Lyranus taketh Mauzzim for a strong place, where Antichrist shall worship his idol: Vatablus by the god of strength, vnderstandeth the idol, cuius fortitudini tribuet acceptum imperium, to whose fortitude he shall ascribe his Empire & dominion, which he had obtained. But I preferre rather the former sense for these two reasons: 1. because an other word by way of explanation is added to Mauzzim, which signifieth holds: he shall make or set in the holds, Mauzzim, munitions with a strange god, v. 39. 3. The historie hereunto agreeth, how they built a strong wall and made towers in the citie of Dauid, which was neere vntounto the Temple: and so they were an ambushment to the Sanctuarie, 1. Macchab. 1. 35. 38. This god of munitions then was Iuppiter Olympius, whome Antiochus caused to be set vp in the Temple at Ierusalem, and to be called by the name of that idol, 2. Macchab. 6. 2. which idol he garded with munitions, worshipped with siluer and gold: which was a strange god, because the Syrians worshipped other gods, and goddesses, as Apollo, Diana, Atargates: Strabo lib. Geogra. 16. Iuppiter Olympius was the idol of the Greekes, which was not knowne in these places before: at the least neuer set vp in the Temple at Ierusalem, by any of Antiochus predecessours: so foure things are here declared concerning this abominable idol: 1. he shall be garded with munition. 2. he shall be set vp in his place, that is, in the seat and place of the true God of Israel. 3. it shall be a strange idol, not knowne in that countrey before. 4. he shall honour him with siluer and gold.