Daniel 11:25 Commentary and Bible Study

We continue to track the fulfilment of this prophecy through the events of history. Previously Antiochus had come with ‘a small people’ and with dissimulation, but now he no longer hid his intention and he had mustered a large army that was clearly set on this second invasion (1 Maccabees 1:16-19; 2 Maccabees 5:1). On the throne in Egypt was the young Ptolemy VI Philometer, who was the nephew of Antiochus through the arranged marriage with his sister, Cleopatra, and Ptolemy V Epiphanes. Egypt had been defeated once already through the subtlety of Antiochus, now by force. Ptolemy also prepared a large army and the two met ‘between Mount Casius and Pelusium, where they came to a battle, and Antiochus got the victory’ (Gill). ‘But he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.’ Egypt fell, not because of an insufficient army but through treachery, says Gill, as verse 26 describes in detail. ‘Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.’ His lords had been bought off by Antiochus and betrayed him. These were his own courtiers, those that fed off his table and belonged to his household, who either gave him bad counsel or deserted him. As a result Antiochus’ army overflowed like a flood, and many in Egypt lost their lives. ‘He came with great forces to Pelusium, and circumvented Ptolemy Philometer by treachery, and seized upon Egypt. He then came to the places about Memphis; and when he had taken them, he made haste to Alexandria, in hopes of taking it by siege’ (Josephus).‘And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.’ Gill tells us that Antiochus and Ptolemy met together in Memphis for entertainment and discussions. Both of them had a secret agenda. Antiochus effectively held Ptolemy Philometer as prisoner, but pretended to be helping him against a rival king of Egypt who had been set up by the Alexandrians – his brother, Ptolemy VII Euergetes II. Ptolemy VI Philometer was also scheming, never intending to honour any agreement between himself and Antiochus. But the peace between them did not last, and the angel says that this had to come to pass, for although the proposed peace between them tended to bring about another end, God’s will remained unchanged and they could not overturn it – only his purposes can stand, and at times he does what goes completely against man’s expectations.‘Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.’ This is Antiochus on his way back from Egypt. He had not conquered it (he was compelled by the Romans to leave), and so Syria in the north is still his own land, not Egypt. But to get home he must pass through Palestine which has again come under his control. He is flushed with success and with riches from his campaign in Egypt. You would think from a human point of view, he had bigger things to do, but he gets involved in Palestine. This is recorded in the apocryphal 1 Maccabees 1:20-28 and 2 Maccabees 5. Calvin says, ‘He would willingly have stripped the whole temple, but God then restrained him, while he had gathered for himself great wealth.’ This was not the time that he desecrated the temple, but he partially destroyed it and Jerusalem. His heart was against the holy covenant. This was not just motivated by desire for gain, but the angel reveals there will be enmity against God in his heart. Jason, the high priest, had previously been deposed by Antiochus and replaced with Menelaus. Following a false rumour in Jerusalem that Antiochus had died in Egypt, Jason had moved to take back the office of high priest from Menelaus. Antiochus thought there was a general rebellion in progress and suppressed it with violence as well as robbing the temple.