Daniel 11:18

After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. AFTER THIS SHALL HE TURN HIS FACE UNTO THE ISLES - he "took many" of the isles in the AEgean, in his war with the Romans, and crossed the Hellespont. BUT A PRINCE FOR HIS OWN BEHALF SHALL CAUSE THE REPROACH OFFERED BY HIM TO CEASE. Lucius Scipio Asiaticus, the Roman general, by routing Antiochus at Magnesia (190 BC), caused the reproach which he offered Rome, by inflicting injuries on Rome's allies, to cease. He did it for his own glory. WITHOUT HIS OWN REPROACH - with untarnished reputation....

There is some obscurity in these words, but the history will afterwards determine the angel’s meaning. First, as to the word “islands,” he doubtless means Asia Minor and the maritime coasts; also Greece, Cyprus, and all the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. It was a Jewish custom to call all places beyond the sea “islands,” as they were not very well skilled in navigation. Therefore he says, _He will turn his face to the islands; _that is, he shall turn to the opposite regions of the world. The Mediterranean Sea is known to be between Syria and Asia Minor; Cilicia, too, is between them, which was also under the dominion of Antiochus, although the seed of his power was Syria. Hence he calls Asia Minor, and Greece, and the Mediterranean islands, all “isles,” with respect to Syria and Judea. This occurred when the AEtolians renewed the war after the defeat of Philip. The Romans were the ori...

1-30 The angel shows Daniel the succession of the Persian and Grecian empires. The kings of Egypt and Syria are noticed: Judea was between their dominions, and affected by their contests. From ver. Daniel 11:5, is generally considered to relate to the events which came to pass during the continuance of these governments; and from ver. Daniel 11:21, to relate to Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a cruel and violent persecutor of the Jews. See what decaying, perishing things worldly pomp and possessions are, and the power by which they are gotten. God, in his providence, sets up one, and pulls down another, as he pleases. This world is full of wars and fightings, which come from men's lusts. All changes and revolutions of states and kingdoms, and every event, are plainly and perfectly foreseen by God. No word of God sha...

Verse 18. _SHALL HE TURN HIS FACE UNTO THE ISLES_] Antiochus had fitted out a great fleet of _one hundred_ large ships and _two_ _hundred_ smaller, and with this fleet subdued most of the _maritime_ _places_ on the _coast_ of the Mediterranean, and took many of the isles, _Rhodes, Samos, Euboea, Colophon_, and others. _BUT A PRINCE FOR HIS OWN BEHALF_] Or, a _captain_. The consul _Acilius Glabrio caused the reproach to cease_; beat and routed his army at the straits of Thermopylae, and expelled him from Greece. So he obliged him to pay the tribute which he hoped to impose on others; for he would grant him peace only on condition of paying the expense of the war, _fifteen thousand_ talents; _five_ _hundred_ on the spot, - _two thousand five hundred_ when the peace should be ratified by the senate, - and the remaining _twelve_ _thousand_ in _twelve_ years, each yea

AFTER THIS SHALL HE TURN HIS FACE UNTO THE ISLES - The islands of the Mediterranean, particularly those in the neighborhood of and constituting a part of Greece. This he did in his wars with the Romans, for the Roman power then comprehended that part of the world, and it was the design of Antiochus, as already remarked, to extend the limits of his empire as far as it was at the time of Seleucus Nicator. This occurred after the defeat of Scopas, for, having given his daughter in marriage to Ptolemy, he supposed that he had guarded himself from any interference in his wars with the Romans from the Egyptians, and sent two of his sons with an army by land to Sardis, and he himself with a great fleet sailed at the same time into the AEgean Sea, and took many of the islands in that sea. The war which was waged between Antiochus and the Romans lasted for three years, and ended in the defeat of...

EXPOSITION DANIEL 11:1 THE KINGS OF THE NORTH AND THE KINGS OF THE SOUTH. DANIEL 11:1 ALSO I IN THE FIRST YEAR OF DARIUS THE MEDE, EVEN I, STOOD TO CONFIRM AND TO STRENGTHEN HIM. The versions show signs of great disturbance having happened here. The rendering of the LXX. is, "In the first year of Cyrus the king, he told me to be strong and to play the man." Theodotion's rendering is yet briefer, "And I, in the first year of Cyrus, stood in strength and might." The Peshitta rendering, "In the first year of Darius the Mede (he)

AFTER THIS HE SHALL TURN HIS FACE UNTO THE ISLES, AND SHALL TAKE MANY,.... Finding himself disappointed in his design on the kingdom of Egypt, he turned his face, and steered his course another way, and with a large fleet sailed into the Aegean sea; and, as Jerom relates, took Rhodes, Samos, Colophon, and Phocea, and many other islands; and also several cities of Greece and Asia, which lay on the sea coasts; it being usual with the Jews to call such maritime places islands: BUT A PRINCE FOR HIS OWN BEHALF SHALL CAUSE THE REPROACH OFFERED BY HIM TO CEASE; the reproach that Antiochus cast upon the Romans, by seizing on their provinces, taking their cities, doing injuries to their allies, and treating their ambassadors with contempt: this the Romans wiped off by taking up arms against him, and gaining victories over him both by sea and land. The "prince" here may design the Romans in gener...

ISLES That is, of Greece. PRINCE FOR HIS OWN That is, Historically on of the Scipios: the power of Rome felt in the East for the first time....

CHAPTER 11 THE WARS OF THE PTOLEMIES AND SELEUCIDAE PREDICTED THE COMING EVENTS OF THE END _ 1. The wars of the Ptolemies and Seleucidae (Daniel 11:1)_ 2. The time of the end and the man of sin (Daniel 11:36) Daniel 11:1. Here we have history pre-written and the greater part of this chapter (Daniel 11:2) is fulfilled historically. So accurate are these predictions and their subsequent fulfillment that the enemies of “the Scripture of truth” have declared that it could never have been written by Daniel several hundred years before these persons came into existence and fought their battles. The pagan Porphyry in t

DANIEL 11:18. TURN HIS FACE TO THE ISLES: to the coast-lands of Asia Minor, referring to Antiochus-' expedition into Asia Minor and Greece. A PRINCE: _ i.e._ a commander (_cf. mg._); Lucius Cornelius Scipio, who defeated Antiochus at the battle of Magnesia, is intended....