Visions and Prophecies of Daniel Expounded, Prophecy 5 · Part 2 · Commentary 1 – Commentary 5
The conqueſt of Judea. Verſ. 14.
ALſo the robbers of thy people] Heb. foreign, Violent, furious and deſperate murtherers. See Iſai. 35.9. Ezek. 18.10.
ſhall be exalted] In confidence of their ſtrength and reſolution. Such were the Jews, eſpecially after the crucifying of the Son of God. See Joſephus.
to establiſh the Viſion] That is, to ſet up the Kingdom of Iſrael, vainly thinking to fulfil thereby the Prophecies of the Old Teſtament, concerning New Jeruſalem, to eſtabliſh the Viſion or Prophecies in all the Prophets, wherein with one conſent they all foretold this great calamity of the Jews.
but they ſhall fall.] Heb. ſtumble, as in a way that ſeemed ſafe, beſides expectation, Iſai. 8.14, 15.
Verſ. 15. So the King of the North ſhall come] Firſt Pompey, then Herod, afterwards Veſpaſian, Titus, laſtly Hadrian.
and ſhall caſt up a mount, and take the moſt fenced city] Jeruſalem and other Cities, by caſting up of Mounts, whereof read Joſephus.
and the arms of the South] That is, the Captains of the Jews, Verſe 31. Iſai. 53.1. and 40.10. and 51.9.
ſhall not ſtand] That is, ſhall be utterly overthrown. See before Verſe 6.
neither his choſen people,] That is, the common Souldiers. The Captains are ſtiled Arms, and the Souldiers choſen men for excellency; and yet they fell before the Romans.
neither ſhall there be any ſtrength to ſtand.] Whereby is ſignified an exertion of all poſſible ſtrength, and therein a ſinking under a ſuperiour power of their enemies? He that hath heard of the Hiſtory, needeth no Commentary on theſe words, they are ſo accurately fulfilled in the events.
Verſe 16. And he that cometh againſt him] Againſt him, that is, the South, the Governours of Judea: And he that cometh, is Veſpaſian Titus.
ſhall do according to his own will] That is, ſave, kill, burn, ſell, enſlave at pleaſure: So did Titus with the Jews, Judea, Jeruſalem: Eleven hundred thouſand periſhed in the City, beſides thoſe without: and ninety ſeven thouſand ſold to perpetual ſlavery: Judea ſold, waſted.
and none ſhall ſtand before, him:] Every word hath weight: And here a new attempt of the Jews is ſignified under Trajan, and Hadrian: When again exerting their utmoſt ſtrength, proportionately they fell before the Romans. The ruine by Titus was accompliſhed Anno 70. That under Trajan and Hadrian, between the yeers one hundred and fourteen, and one hundred thirty and five.
and he ſhall ſtand in the pleaſant land,] The pleaſant Land is Judea, Ezek. 20.6. He, that is the Roman Emperour, as Hadrian, ſhall ſtand in it, with intention of utter Conqueſt, Zach. 14.3, 4.
which by his hand ſhall be conſumed.] So ſignifieth the phraſe, Jere. 5.10, 18. And this is true of the Jews, and of Judea.
Hadrian took by Severus, fifty fortified Caſtles, razed nine hundred and eighty of their beſt Cities, ſlew five hundred and eighty thouſand of the Jews: But of them that periſhed otherwiſe, as by famine, peſtilence, ſword, the number was innumerable, Judea utterly deſolate.
The Conquest of Egypt. Verſe 17.
EGypt in the South after Judea taken, and ſo it followeth.
He ſhall alſo ſet his face to enter into the ſtrength of the whole Kingdom] So foreign, as Verſe 9. and 29. He, that is the Roman Captain, Pompey, and his Succeſſours ſhall ſet his face to enter, that is, by the floud of war, after the Conqueſt of Judea, ſhall approach as ready and about to enter Egypt alſo: Into the ſtrength of his whole Kingdom, that is, Into the ſtrong holds, and fenced Cities, not onelyonly of Judea, but alſo of all the reſidue of the South, even Egypt too.
and men of equity ſhall be with him,] So ſignifieth foreign according to the ſenſe of foreign, Verſe 6. Men of equity, juſt and favourable dealers, not uſing rigour and extremity. Pompey was ſuch a one after the taking of Judea, ſuch were Gabinius and Julius Caeſar.
and he ſhall do] By doing right as Verſe 6. and dealing favourably.
and he ſhall give him] That is, to the King of the South, or houſe of the Lagidae, as Verſe 6.
the daughter of women,] That is, Cleopatra, the laſt of the houſe of the King of the South in Egypt, called the daughter of women becauſe incomparable among women; for excellency of behaviour, geſture, beauty, wit, ſpeech, eloquence, Plut. Anton. This woman, Julius Caeſar of the Romans gave unto the King of the South or houſe of the Lagidae, to raign, or to be Hereditary Succeſſour in the Egyptian Kingdom, according to equity and favourable moderation. But the iſſue and event was not ſucceſſeful: For this indulgence turned in the end, and by Gods intention and direction, to the ruine of her, and of her Kingdom, and of the whole houſe of the Lagidae. And therefore it followeth
to the destroying of her] That is, in the event, and by Gods direction. Or the Hebrew word may ſignifie to the corrupting of her. For Iulius Caeſar corrupted Gleopatra, and being taken with her love, indulged liberty to the Egyptians, and the Kingdom to Cleopatra. Salian. An. M. 4007. N. 25, 26, 27, 28.
and ſhe ſhall not ſtand] Being vanquiſhed by Auguſtus Caeſar.
neither ſhall ſhe be unto him] For ſhe ſtood not, nor her poſterity, to hold up and to continue the ſucceſſion of the King of the South, or of the Lagidae: But they and their Kingdom utterly periſhed in her.
The Conquest of the West.
VErſ. 18. So much of the Conqueſt of the Eaſt and South, by Pompey and his followers.
He] That is, the Roman ſtate in Iulius Caeſar.
ſhall turn his face] Elegantly expreſſed. Becauſe proceeding from Eaſt to Weſt, we turn the face.
to the Iſles] That is, to the Countries on the Weſtern Ocean, France, Germany, Spain, Britany: For theſe are the Iſles of Cittim, Iere. 2.10. and the Iſles of the Sea, Iſai. 24.14. the Iſles, the multitude of the Sea, Iſai. 60.5, 9. whoſe King is called a Dragon in the Sea, Iſai. 17.1. and the Weſtern part of the Roman Empire, with the Countrie; adjoyning, are called the Iſles afar of, Iſai. 44.4. and 49.1.
and ſhall take many.] As the Countries before mentioned, Towns and Cities, with their people innumerable therein.
The fall of the Heathen ſtate of the Roman Empire. Verſe 18.
SO far of the Conqueſts, whereby the Roman Empire came to its height and fulneſſe. Now followeth the fall thereof. And firſt of the Heathen ſtate of it: Then of the Empire univerſally.
but a Prince] That is, Constantine the Great, about three hundred yeers after Chriſt.
ſhall cauſe his reproach] That is, whereby the Heathen Emperours of Rome did reproach Chriſt and his Church for three hundred yeers, even to extreme cruelty and perſecution. So is foreign uſed Zeph. 2.8. Hoſ. 12.14. Pſal. 89, 50, 51, 52. Ezek. 36.3, 4, 5, 6, 7. ſignifying actively, and with concurrence of cruel perſecution.
to ceaſe from him] That is, ſhall cauſe it to ceaſe from the Roman Heathen Emperour; ſo that he ſhall perſecute the Church no more by reproachful inſultations conjoyned with mercileſſe deſtructions.
beſides his reproach which he ſhall render unto him again] See Annot. Piſcat. That is, Constantine ſhall not onelyonly cauſe the reproach, whereby the Heathen Emperour reproached Chriſt, to ceaſe from him, but alſo ſhall recompence his reproach, by an utter overthrow. See Hoſ. 12.14. Nah. 1.9.
The univerſal fall of the Roman Empire. Verſe 19.
ANd he ſhall turn his face to the forts of his own land] That is, to the defence of his own Land, the Roman Empire, againſt hoſtile invaſion. For after the exaltation of Chriſtians, by the overthrow of Heathens, through eaſe and proſperity, they ſoon degenerated into errour and ſuperſtition: Whereupon enemies oppugning the Empire upon all ſides, the Chriſtian Emperour was wholly buſied in defence of the Roman Kingdom, eſpecially from after the yeer 365. and 395.
but he ſhall ſtumble and fall, and ſhall not be found.] For being oppugned by innumerable enemies, called the Northern Barbarians, he ſtumbled firſt from after the yeer 337. to 410. then he fell from 410. to 576. and then and afterward was found no more, the Barbariaus having then riſen as a flood over all the Weſtern Empire.