Daniel 11:24

He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time. HE SHALL ENTER PEACEABLY EVEN UPON THE FATTEST PLACES OF THE PROVINCE. "Peaceably" [ bªshalwaah (H7962)] - literally, unexpectedly, securely, safely; under the guise of friendship he seized Ptolemy Philometor. AND HE SHALL DO THAT WHICH HIS FATHERS HAVE NOT DONE - his predecessors, kings of Syria, had always coveted Egypt, but in vain: he alone made himself master of it. He shall scatte...

The history is here continued: The angel shews how Antiochus in a short time and with a small band should acquire many cities, _as he should come in peace upon the fatness of the province, _implying his oppressing them while sleeping in security. He shews also how he should become conqueror, not by any hostile invasion of Egypt, but by cunning and stealth he should deprive King Ptolemy of his cities when he least expected it. There should be no appearance of war; hence he says, _he shall come in peace upon the fatness of the land _The word “fatness” is used metaphorically for “richness.” When the Egyptians supposed all danger to be far removed, and were persuaded of the friendship of Antiochus towards them, and relied on him as an ally should any adversity arise, they indulged themselves in luxuries till Antiochus came suddenly and subdued them. He next adds, _He shall despise the spoil,...

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 24. _HE SHALL ENTER PEACEABLY EVEN UPON THE FATTEST PLACES_] The very richest provinces - Coelesyria and Palestine. _HE SHALL DO_ THAT _WHICH HIS FATHERS HAVE NOT DONE, NOR HIS_ _FATHERS' FATHERS_] He became profuse in his liberalities, and _scattered among them the prey_ of his enemies, _the spoil_ of temples, and _the riches_ of his friends, as well as his own revenues. He spent much in public shows, and bestowed largesses among the people. We are told in _1Macc 3:30_, that "in the liberal giving of gifts he abounded above all the kings that went before him." These are nearly the words of the prophet; and perhaps without any design to copy them on the part of the apocryphal writer. He would sometimes go into the streets, and throw about a handful of money, crying out, "Let him take it, to whom Fortune sends it." _HE SHALL FORECAST HIS DEVICES_] As

HE SHALL ENTER PEACEABLY EVEN UPON THE FATTEST PLACES OF THE PROVINCE - The margin is, “or, into the peaceable and fat.” The version in the text, however, is the more correct, and the sense is, that he would do this “unexpectedly” (Lengerke, uvermuthet); he would make gradual and artful approaches until he had seized upon the best portions of the land. Compare Genesis 27:28, Genesis 27:39. The history is, that he went there with different professions than those of conquest, and one after another he took possession of the principal towns of Egypt. In his first invasion of that country, Diodorus Siculus and Josephus both say that Antiochus “availed himself of a mean artifice,” without specifying what it was. Jahn says that probably it was that he pretended to come as the friend

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)

HE SHALL ENTER PEACEABLY EVEN UPON THE FATTEST PLACES OF THE PROVINCE,.... Or, "into tranquillity, and the fattest places of the province" s; that is, into such places as were in great tranquillity, and men thought themselves safe and secure, and had no suspicion of his designs upon them, and which abounded in wealth and riches: these were either the principal cities in the kingdom of Syria, which he visited in order to establish himself in their good opinion of him; or the chief places of the province of Phoenicia, where he endeavoured to make himself acceptable by his munificence; or it may be the best parts of the kingdom of Egypt are meant, the richest of them, such as Memphis, and the places about it; where, as Sutorius in Jerome says, he went; and which places being fat, producing a large increase, and abounding in wealth, invited him thither; and which wealth he took, and scattere...

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 11:24. THE FATTEST PLACES: the meaning is obscure. The phrase is generally taken to refer to fertile districts of Palestine or Egypt, but some scholars emend the text and render, assail the mightiest men of the province....

FORECAST HIS DEVICES. devise plots....