Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11 · Questions · Question 25 – Question 27
Quest. 25. Of the first expedition of Antiochus the great against Epiphanes king of Egypt, v. 13. 14.
Now followe diuerse other expeditions and attempts of this Antiochus against the king of Egypt, vntounto v. 18. with his ende, v. 19.
In this first is set forth his preparation, v. 13. then his successe, v. 14. In his preparation there are three things expressed, the number of his armie, the time, after certaine yeares, and his great riches: for Philopator beeing now dead, and Epiphanes his sonne left but young, whose tuition together with the gouernement of the kingdome was committed to Agathocles an infamous person, Philopators minion, by which occasion many fell away from the king of Egypt; Antiochus took this to be a fit opportunity to recouer his former estate, both in the nonage of the young king, who was but 4. yeare old when his father died, and because the Egyptians were at variance among themselues: for they rose vp against Agathocles, and killed him, and the strumpets they hanged vp, and then sent embassadors to Rome, that they would take vponupon them the protection of the young king and his kingdome, to whose trust Philopator dying had commended his sonne. The Romanes twice sent embassadours to Antiochus, who had inuaded diuerse cities in Syria, belonging to the king of Egypt: but for all this Antiochus surceased not, Hierome ex Iustin. therefore it is said in the text, veniendo veniet, he shall certainely or speedily come, nothing could let him.
And concerning his rich preparation, this may be an euident proofe thereof: that afterwards, when he prepared in like manner to encounter with the Romanes, and at that time, Hannibal beeing ouercome of the Romanes was fledde vntounto him, he shewed vntounto him his chariots and Elephants set forth with ornaments of siluer and gold, and asked him if this were not sufficient for the Romanes, who made this answer, satis esse credo Romanis haec omnia, licet sint auarissimi, I thinke these things may suffice and content the Romanes, though they were most couetous, &c. Gellius in Noctib. Attic. lib. 5. c. 5. his meaning was, that it would be a sufficient pray, whereas Antiochus had asked his opinion of the sufficiencie of his preparation.
2. Then in the successe described, v. 14. is shewed, 1. the helpe that Antiochus had. 2. how he preuailed against those factious persons which tooke part with the king of Egypt.
1. The text saith, that at that time, many shall stand vp against the king of the South: which some vnderstand of the Iewes which hitherto had taken part with the king of Egypt, who should now ioyne with Antiochus, Iun. but it is better vnderstood, of the league and confederacie which Antiochus made with Philip king of Macedon, that they should both ioyne together against the king of Egypt, and part his cities among them, each of them to take the cities next adioyning, Hierome. which confederacie was the occasion of warre betweene the Romanes and the said Philip: who beeing ouercome by Flaminius the Consull, lost a great part of his kingdome, euen all the cities of Thraci…, onelyonly Macedonia beeing left him, Melancth. Bulling.
2. Then followeth what became of the rebellious sonnes of the people, that is, the refractarie Iewes, which stood against Antiochus, and were refractarie against God and his laws. 1. These rebellious and refractarie Iewes are well vnderstood to be those which fled with Onias (beeing expelled by Iason) vntounto the king of Egypt, (which Iosephus saith was Philometor) but by the words of the prophesie it is better referred to these times of Ptolome Euergetes, who gaue vntounto Onias leaue to build a Temple in Egypt in the region of Hierapolis, about 180. furlongs from Memphis, which Onias accordingly did: making it in some things like, in some things vnlike to the Temple of Ierusalem: So herein they are called refractraie, because against the ordinance of God, that appointed the place of his publike worship onelyonly at Ierusalem, where they should offer all their sacrifices, yet did erect a Temple in an other place.
2. Whereas it is said, to establish the vision: this also agreeth verie fitly: some vnderstand it, of the fulfilling this present vision, Iun. annot. Polan. but that fulfilling was against their will: now here their purpose and intendment seemeth to be noted: to establish the vision: and so Onias pretended, that herein he fulfilled the prophecie of Isay. c. 19. v. 19. that the altar of the Lord should be in the middes of Egypt, Hierome, Pellican. Calv. Melancth. whereas that place is vnderstood of the spirituall worship of God, which should be established in Egypt at the comming of the Messiah, which euidently appeareth out of the same place: for there the Prophet speaketh of a generall vnitie and concord, that should be betweene Assur, Egypt, and Iudaea, which was not now in the time of this Onias: for the Assyrians now vnderunder Antiochus were enemies to the Egyptians. And beside Eusebius out of this verie place sheweth, that the sacrifices and ceremonies of Moses law were to cease: for seeing by Moses lawe they were not to sacrifice, nor to set vp any altar but at Ierusalem, if that law should not be abolished, the prophesie of Isay of setting vp an altar, that is the true seruice of God in Egypt, could not hauehave beene fulfilled: to this purpose Eusebius, lib. 1. de domonst. Euangel. c. 4.
3. Then it followeth what shall become of those refractarie persons: they shall fall. 1. Hierome vnderstandeth it of the destruction of this newe Temple, and the citie, which came to passe, 330. yeare after, as Iosephus writeth, vnderunder Vespasian the Emperour: who when he had destroyed the Temple at Ierusalem, sent vntounto Lupus president of Alexandria, to demolish the other Temple in Egypt, least it might be an occasion of mutinie and rebellion to the Iewes: But this Lupus onelyonly spoiled the Temple of the ornaments thereof: Paulinus succeeding him vtterly abolished the seruice, which the Iewes there exercised, and shut vp the Temple for euer, not suffering the same to be vsed at all: and so it came to ruine, Iosephus lib. 7. de bello Iudaic. c. 30. But this ruine and fall here prophecied of seemeth to hauehave been present, to shew how Antiochus preuailed against them. Some vnderstand it of the Iewes in Palestina, which rebelled against Antiochus, Polan. Iun. in his last edition: But in his first annotations he seemeth to referre it to the Iewes, whom Antiochus destroyed at his comming into Egypt.
Quest. 26. Of the second expedition of Antiochus the great against Ptolomeus Epiphanes.
v. 15. The king of the North shall come, and cast vp a mount, &c. In this expedition, first is described his preparation, then his successe.
In the preparation it is expressed, how he should cast vp a mount: Iunius and Polanus expound the word otherwise, taking it for a sling and other engins, which were vsed in the besieging of cities: the meaning is, that Antiochus should besiege the strong cities of Egypt: and it hath speciall reference beside vntounto the besieging of Scopas, Ptolomes captaine, whom the king of Egypt had sent against him: who encountring with Antiochus at Pan…as was put to the worse, and fled vntounto Sidon, where Antiochus besieged him with tenne thousand men: then Ptolome sent three captaines, Eropus, Menocleas, and Damaxenus to rescue him: but they could not raise the siege, till Scopas forced by famine yeelded himselfe. Antiochus also laid siege to the fortified place or tower in Ierusalem, which he tooke by helpe of the Iewes, Hierome ex Ioseph. lib. 12. antiquit. c. 13. And many other strong cities did Antiochus take at this time in Syria, which did hold with Ptolome before.
2. The successe was this. 1. concerning Egypt: the armies of Egypt were not able to resist, nor his chosen people; that is, the armies and strength of the king of Egypt, and his valiant captaines had no power to resist Antiochus, but he should do what he would. 2. Then it is said, he shall stand in the pleasant, beautifull, or excellent land, that is Iudea, so called, not for any terrene excellencie in it, but it was excellent because of the worship of the true God: This land he should also possesse, not so much by conquest, but the Iewes willingly submitted themselues vntounto him: they receiued him into Samaria with his armie, and prouided prouender for his elephants: of the which their kindnesse he wrote letters to his friends purposing to requi…e the same, Iosephus. lib. 12. c. 3. the words then following, which some reade, he shall co…sume it with his hand, Hierome, Iun. Calv. Genevens. (vnderstanding it of the miseries and afflictions which he brought vponupon the Iewes) cannot hauehave that sense; because at this time he receiued kindnesse at their hands, and intended to recompense them with the like againe, as Iosephus saith. Some giuegive this sense, deficiet in manu eius, it shall faile or faint vnderunder his hand, Bulling. that is, shall yeeld themselues vntounto him, Vatab. not resist him, but beare the tribute which was imposed vponupon them, Melancth. rather this is the meaning, consummatio in manu eius, consummation shall be in his hand; his hand shall consummate and perfect his desire, in obtaining the land of Iudea, which willingly yeelded it selfe, Polan.
Quest. 27. Of the third expedition of Antiochus Megas against Epiphanes, v. 17.
Here two things are declared in this third exploit: first the attempt of Antiochus, then the euent.
His attempt was partly by force, but seeing he could not preuaile that way, he seeketh to compasse his desire by subtiltie and craft, (affecting the gouernement and kingdome of Egypt) in giuing his daughter Cleopatra to Epiphanes: wherein three things are expressed: 1. his subtill intent, he pretended peace and amitie, offred equall conditions of peace, vt recta faciat, to doe rights, as the Latine interpreter: some read, his confederates with him, B. G. but the other sense is better, Iun. Polan. for, as Appian writeth, Antiochus feared the Romane power, and when they sent vntounto him embassadors to restore the cities which he had taken from Ptolome, he made answer, that there was amitie betweene him and Ptolome, and that he intended to make him his sonne in law, Appian in Syriac. 2. then it is said, he shall giuegive him the daughter of women: which Hierome thinketh to be a pleonasme, as when we say, he spake with his mouth: but it signifieth more: Iunius vnderstandeth by this phrase, to be a virgin: Polan. that she was ferme lactens, yet but young, and in a manner a suckling: but (though this were true) yet it is better interpreted, that she was bath nashim, a daughter of women, that is, of special womanhood: to the which answereth her name Cleopatra, the glorie of the countrey: H. Br. concent. and so Vatablus translateth, pulcherrima foemina, she was a most beautifull woman, so also Perer. a choice woman, Osiand. And together with this daughter, Antiochus promised by way of dowrie, Coelesyria, Phoenice, Iudaea, and Samaria, the reuenues to be deuided betweene them, Ioseph. lib. 12. antiquit. c. 3. 3. It followeth to corrupt her, not, as the Latine, to destroy it, that is, the kingdome: or as Perer. readeth, to destroy him, that is her husband: for the pronoune affix is of the feminine gender: neither is the meaning, to destroy her, V. G. B. for Antiochus had no meaning herein to seeke the destruction of his daughter, but he corrupted her with euill cou…sell: for as yet neither of them were mariageable. Hierome saith, that Epiphanes was but fowre yeare old when he beganne to raigne, and Cleopatra was betrothed to him in the 7. yeare of his raigne, and married in his 13. yeare: In the meane time Antiochus had the keeping of her, and so corrupted her with euill counsell, and gaue her instructions how she should practise to take her husband away by poyson, or some such like meanes: and this is vnderstood by corrupting her.
2. Then the euent was this, contrary to his expectation: for Cleopatra like a good wife tooke part with her husband, and obeied not her fathers wicked counsell: and by her means Epiphanes recouered much in Asia minor.