Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11 · Questions · Question 34 – Question 38
34. Quest. Of the second expedition of Antiochus Epiphanes against Egypt, v. 25, 26, 27, 28.
In this second expedition, three things are declared, 1. the attempt, which these kings made one against the other, with the successe, v. 25. and the meanes thereof, v. 26. 2. the euent, which happened hereupon, v. 27. a dissembled peace. 3. the consequents, and such matters as followed, v. 28.
1. The king of the North Antiochus, seeing he could preuaile no longer by his fraud and deceit, who hitherto vnderunder colour of his protectourship, robbed and spoiled Egypt, (Philometor beeing now somewhat more growne in yeares) he seeketh now by open force to inuade Egypt: and the king of Egypt, called here the king of the South, prepareth to meete him with a great armie likewise: this was the preparation. But the successe was this: the king of Egypt was not able to stand, he is ouercome with his armie: and the meanes which Antiochus vfed, was this: he corrupted Ptolomes captaines and counsellers with gifts, who betraied Ptolomes armie: euen his owne feed men, and courtiers, that liued vponupon him, should deceiue him, v. 26.
2. The euent was this, that after Philometor was ouercome, he should make some peace with Antiochus: but it was a fraudulent peace: where 1. their intent and purpose is expressed; both the kings hearts shall be to doe mischiefe. 2. their dissimulation, they shall speake deceitfully at the same table: for Philometor feasted Antiochus, and gaue him great gifts. 3. but the issue was this, nothing was effected or concluded by this peace: for the time appointed of God was not yet, v. 27.
3. The sequele was this. 1. Antiochus returneth into his countrey with great substance, partly by the gift of Ptolome, partly by spoiling with his armie. 2. In his returne he set his heart against the holy Couenant, that is, the people of God: for he entred into Ierusalem beeing receiued by wicked Iason, and robbed and spoiled the Temple, though as yet he set not vp the abomination of desolation: as is further shewed, 1. Macchab. 1. 18. and 2. Macch. 4. 24.
Some vnderstand this battell to hauehave beene fought vnderunder Euleus and Leneus Ptolomes captaines, at which time Antiochus entred into Egypt, robbing and spoiling, and came to Memphis. Iun. annotat. 1. & 2. edit. Oecolampad. Bulling. But this can not be: 1. this was Antiochus second voyage into Egypt, 2. Macch. 5. 1. but that battell vnderunder those captaines was fought in his first voyage. 2. at this time Ptolomes captaines were corrupted, which could not be the foresaid Euleus and Leneus, for they were slaine in battell. 3. hitherto Antiochus had dealt by cunning and fraud, but now he went about by force to raigne ouer Egypt, 1. Macchab. 1. 17. which he did not attempt at the first: for he had sent in peaceable manner before Apollonius to the coronation of Philometor, 2. Macchab. 4. 22. 4. the kings now practised deceit one against an other: it seemeth then that Philometor was of yeares of discretion: but when Euleus and Leneus were slaine, he was vnderunder their tuition: this Hierome foreseeing, that Philometor beeing a child could not practise any deceit or mischiefe against Antiochus, thereupon saith, that some will hauehave it vnderstood of Antichrist, who should first ouercome the king of Egypt: But Philometor was not now a very child in Antiochus second expedition: he was somewhat growne in yeares, Osiand. for this happened in the sixt yeare of Antiochus raigne, who beganne to raigne in the 137. yeare of the raigne of the Greekes, and this was in the 143. yeare, 1. Macchab. 1. 11. 21. Wherefore I rather follow Iunius interpretation in his commentarie, with Polanus, who referre the battell of Euleus and Leneus to the first voyage of Antiochus into Egypt.
35. Quest. Of the third expedition of Antiochus Epiphanes against Egypt, v. 29, 30, 31.
Three things are here declared, 1. his attempt: he shall come againe against the king of the South: and the time is set downe, at the time appointed: which was about two yeares after, as may be gathered, 1. Macchab. 1. 30. Bulling. then entring into Egypt, and hauing taken Memphis, Philometor fled to his younger brother Physcon to Alexandria: and thither Antiochus followed, and besieged the citie, Ioseph. l. 12. c. 6.
2. Then the successe is shewed, not to be like vntounto the former: it should not be as at the first, and as at the last: for so are the words, not, the last shall not be as at the first, Geneuens. for two expeditions or voiages are mentioned before: then the reason is shewed of this crosse, successe, he shall be staied by the Romanes, which arriued there in shippes of Cilicia, called the shippes of Chittim: for Ptolome had sent vntounto the Romanes for aid, who sent Popilius, or as some call him Pompilius, who in their name should charge Antiochus to depart: who arriuing at Alexandria found Antiochus vponupon the shore, who first would hauehave saluted Popilius with a kisse, being of his old acquaintance in Rome, & would with flattering words hauehave put off that matter for which Popilius came, and hauehave craued some time to consider of it: But the couragious Romane, bid him leaue off his trifling, and vponupon the sand did with his rod make a circle before Antiochus, requiring his present answear before he went from that place: who, though much against his will, there yeelded himselfe to obey his embassage: and therefore it is said in the text, he shall be sorie and returne: thus Hierom. out of Iustin. lib. 34. the same is reported by Florus, in epitom. lib. 45.
3. The euent was this, that this cruell Tyrant beeing disappointed of his hope in Egypt, shall freat against the holy couenant: for in his returne he entred into Ierusalem beeing receiued in peaceable manner at the first: but afterward he made hauocke of the citie, put them to the sword, caused the daily sacrifice to cease, and set vp the abhomination of desolation, a filthie idol in the Temple, and burnt the bookes of the lawe: as is declared, 1. Mac. 1. 57. 58.
And the meanes is shewed also how he compassed this his wicked purpose: he had inelligence by those which did forsake the holy coueuant, he was brought in by the wicked counsell and practise first of Iason, then of Menelaus, 2. Macchab. 4. Iunius, Polanus, Oecolampadius.
Quest. 36. Of the meaning of the word Chittim, v. 30.
1. Here are two words vsed, tziim, and Chittim, which some Hebrewes vnderstand to be the Italians and Romanes, Hierome: but the first word signifieth shippes: it commeth of tzi, which properly betokeneth a bird, and so consequently a shippe, which beeing vnderunder saile is like a bird that flieth. 2. Iosephus whom Theodoret followeth, and Vatablus, vnderstand the shippes of Chittim to be shippes of the Isle Cyprus, where was a towne called Citium, where Zeno the Stoike was borne: But the word Chittim is more generall, then to be taken for one small Island: and Cyprus was vnderunder the command of Alexandria, which nowe Antiochus besieged, and therefore the shippes of Cyprus could not repell Antiochus. 3. Some take Chittim directly for the Romanes, as Hierome, so also the Chalde paraphrast. and the Tharg. Hierosol. so interpreteth that place of the Italians and Romanes, Numb. 24. 24. the shippes shall come from the coasts of Chittim, and subdue Ashur, and shall subdue Heber: But originally Chittim, are not the Italians or Romanes: for Chittim was one of the sonnes of Iavan the father of the Grecians: as likewise were Elisha the founder of the Aeliseans or Aeolians, and Dodanim of the Dodoneans, and Tharshish of the Cilicians where Tarsus was: all these were countreys belonging vntounto Grecia. 4. Some thinke that Chittim signifieth both the Grecians, Macedonians, and Romanes, Calvin: but so we should make it too generall a name. 5. Some vnderstand the shippes of the Romanes which were kept in the coasts of Cilicia, (where the Isle Cetis was) that they might the better command the Seas, Polan. Iun. But that seemeth not to be so proper to call them shippes of Chittim, that is of Cilicia, because they onelyonly harboured there. 6. And it is too slender a conceit, to thinke that the Romane Embassadour came thither in shippes of Grecia, ex Bulling. as if that potent nation of the Romanes had no shippes of their owne. 7. nor yet is Chittim taken only for Grecia, for the shippes of Chittim came now against Antiochus, which were not the Grecians, but the Romanes. 8. Wherefore, I thinke with Melancthon, that Chittim originally is taken for some countreys of Grecia, and comprehendeth also Macedonia: whereupon Alexander king of Macedonia, is said to hauehave come from the land of Chittim, 1. Macchab. 1. 1. and the two last kings of Macedonia Philip and Perses, are called kings of Cittim, 1. Macchab. 8. 5. And the word foreign, a Macedonian, hath some affinitie with Chittim, the first letter beeing added: And further Melancthon sheweth out of Homer how the foreign, the Citians, came with Telephus the king of the Mysians to the battell of Troy, as next adioyning.
But yet though originally Chittim are the Grecians; which name might first be giuen vntounto the Islands of Grecia, as Cyprus, Rhodes, and the sea coasts as of Cilicia, and then generally was taken for other vpla…d countreys of Grecia: this name also was extended to the Italians as hauing their originall from the Greekes: Melancthon sheweth out of Suidas, that Latinui the sonne of Telephus brought the Citians into Italie, and gaue the name to the countrey: but howsoeuer this is, it is certaine, that the Grecians came into Italie and there inhabited, whereupon it might be called magna Graecia, great Greece: and thus much for the word Chittim.
Quest. 37. Of the persecution of the people of God by Antiochus, and the manner thereof.
This is the second persecution raised by Antiochus against the people of God, the first was touched before, v. 28. the occasion of the second is expressed in the former verse, partly because Antiochus beeing disappointed by the Romanes, turneth his rage against the Church of God, and partly beeing thereunto induced by such amongst the Iewes as had forsaken the couenant.
In this second persecution, 1. there are declared the meanes, which Antiochus vsed in oppressing Gods people: which were partly the forces, and captains, and forren helps which he vsed: partly the seditious and factious among the people themselues. 2. the godly are described which shall suffer persecution, to v. 36. 3. then it is shewed, what Antiochus should doe himselfe, thence to v. 40.
Now in v. 3. the forren helpe is described, which Antiochus should vse: namely, his captaines with their forces, which are called armes: and the effects and workes which they shall doe are fowre. 1. They shall pollute the Sanctuarie. 2. then the citie it selfe, called the munition. 3. the daily sacrifice shall be taken away. 4. and the abhomination of desolation set vp.
Quest 38. What is vnderstood by the armes, v. 31.
1. Some of the Hebrewes by the armes doe vnderstand Thus that came of Vespasian, and was as his arme, that destroyed Ierusalem and the Temple. 2. Oecolampadius by the armes interpreteth the captaines of the Romanes, Pompey, Crassus, Sabinus, Cumanus Florus, with others, which diuerse times made hauocke of the citie, spoiled and profaned the Temple: But the coherence of the text will allowe neither of these interpretations: for the storie of Antiochus still is continued: he that set his heart against the holy couenant, v. 28. is the same that fretteth against the holy couenant, beeing repelled by the shippes of Chittim, v. 30. and he that there fretteth, is the same that here polluteth the Sanctuarie. 3. Some by the armes vnderstand the towers and fortresses of the citie, which are as the armes of it, Pintus. But the armes are said to pollute the Sanctuarie: this cannot be properly vnderstood of the towers. 4. Calvin, whom Geneuens. followe, by the armes thinketh to be meant the faction of the wicked Iewes, that held with Antiochus, but they are spoken of in the next verse, which shall wickedly breake the couenant. 5. Therfore by the armes are better vnderstood Antiochus Princes and captaines, whom he sent to spoile Ierusalem, Bulling. Melancth. as Philippus a Phrygian, whom he left at Ierusalem, after the first taking of it, and Andronicus at Garazin, 2. Macchab. 5. 22. to them he ioyned Bacchides, of whom Iosephus maketh mention, lib. 1. de bello Iudaic. c. 1. And he sent also Apollonius two yeares after to Ierusalem, who made great hauocke and spoile of all, as is shewed, 1. Macchab. 1. and 2. Mac. 5. Polanus.