ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for Daniel 11

Dan. 11:1 Mention of the first year of Darius the Mede (539 b.c.) is significant since it was the year when the decree was issued that allowed the Jews to return to their homeland.

Dan. 11:2 Three more kings will arise in Persia after Cyrus, and then a fourth, who will be richer and more powerful than the others. This fourth king was Xerxes I (486–464 b.c.), who invaded Greece, only to be defeated at the Battle of Salamis (480).

Dan. 11:3 The prophecy skips over several lesser Persian kings to focus on the mighty king who will bring down the Persian Empire and rule a vast realm. He is Alexander the Great (336–323 b.c.). See note on 7:6.

Dan. 11:4 as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven. See note on 8:8.

Dan. 11:5 Ptolemy I Soter (323–285 b.c., king of the south) was a very capable general under Alexander. He became ruler of Egypt. About the same time, Seleucus I Nicator (king of the north) started out as a lesser general under Alexander and was given Babylon to rule. One of the other generals, Antigonus I Monophthalmus, took over Babylon and caused Seleucus to flee (c. 316 b.c.) to Ptolemy I Soter in Egypt to serve under him. Thus for a short time Seleucus I became one of his princes. Then Antigonus was defeated at Gaza in 312 b.c., and Seleucus returned to Babylon to retake his former authority. He increased significantly in power and took over the areas of Babylon, Syria, and Media, so that he was stronger than Ptolemy I Soter.

Dan. 11:6 the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. There was constant conflict between the Ptolemaic (Egyptian) and Seleucid (Syrian) kingdoms. Around 250 b.c. there was an attempt at peace. Ptolemy II Philadelphus (reigned 285–246; “the king of the south”) sent his daughter Berenice to marry Antiochus II Theos (reigned 261–246; “the king of the north”). Antiochus II then planned to divorce his first wife, Laodice, and disinherit her sons so that he could marry Berenice and have a child who would rule over the Seleucid kingdom. But Laodice had Antiochus II and Berenice poisoned, fulfilling the words she shall not retain the strength of her arm and he and his arm shall not endure.

Dan. 11:7–9 Egypt’s Ptolemy II was succeeded by Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes I (reigned 246–221 b.c.), a branch from her roots. In retaliation for the death of his sister, Ptolemy III invaded the Seleucid kingdom and conquered its capital, Antioch (He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north). He took the Syrian gods and other precious vessels of silver and gold. He even returned to Egypt some of the sacred idols taken by the Persian monarch Cambyses in 524 b.c. when he had sacked the Egyptian temples. Afterward Ptolemy III made a peace treaty with Seleucus II Callinicus (reigned 246–226 b.c.) and he did refrain from attacking them so that he could work on expanding his kingdom in the Aegean area. Verse 9 says that Seleucus II shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but there is no record of such an invasion, and he must have retreated hastily (shall return to his own land).

Dan. 11:10 After Seleucus II Callinicus’s death in 226 b.c., his sons continued fighting with the Ptolemies. Seleucus III was murdered after a short reign, but his brother took the disorganized state and made it a strong nation. In 219–218 b.c. Antiochus III advanced through Phoenicia and Palestine as far as the Ptolemies’ fortress in Raphia.

Dan. 11:11–12 Ptolemy IV Philopator (reigned 221–204 b.c., king of the south) responded quickly to Antiochus III’s advances. Antiochus III was defeated at Raphia. Antiochus III’s losses were very high (Ptolemy IV cast down tens of thousands), yet Ptolemy IV’s victory was short-lived (he shall not prevail).

Dan. 11:13 After about 15 years, Antiochus III (the Great, reigned 223–187 b.c., the king of the north) invaded Phoenicia and Syria with a great army. Ptolemy IV had died (203 b.c.), and Antiochus III intended to use the instability around the young new king, Ptolemy V Epiphanes (reigned 203–180 b.c.), to his advantage. It worked, at least initially, and by 201 b.c. the fortress of Gaza had been recaptured.

Dan. 11:14 There was instability in the beginning of Ptolemy V Epiphanes’s reign (many shall rise against the king of the south). A large number of Jews were tired of the heavy taxation, and thus preferred to be ruled by the Seleucids. Many Jews revolted (the violent among your own people) against Egyptian rule. General Scopas of the Egyptian army, angered at their rebellion, punished the leaders of Jerusalem and Judah.

Dan. 11:15–16 Antiochus III the Great (the king of the north) fought against General Scopas and the forces of the south at the battle of Panium, a well-fortified city, in 198 b.c. The Egyptian forces were soundly defeated and they fled to Sidon, where General Scopas finally surrendered. Antiochus took control of Phoenicia and Palestine, which remained under Syrian control until Pompey’s invasion in 63 b.c. established Roman rule.

Dan. 11:17–19 After General Scopas’s surrender, Egypt was forced into an alliance with the Syrians. Antiochus III the Great even gave his daughter, Cleopatra (not the famous one from a later period), to Ptolemy V in marriage. Antiochus III hoped that her offspring would rule over Egypt to give him further power, but Cleopatra supported Ptolemy V Epiphanes instead of her father (it shall not stand or be to his advantage). Verses 18–19 record Antiochus III’s initial successes in the region of the coastlands (a reference to Asia Minor and possibly also mainland Greece). Ultimately he was defeated by Roman and Greek troops. The Romans forced him to sign a treaty at Apanea in 188 b.c. and surrender territory, much of his military force, and 20 hostages (one was his son Antiochus IV Epiphanes). He was also forced to pay a large tribute to Rome. He returned home and was killed by an angry mob (he shall stumble and fall) while he was trying to steal from a temple of Zeus in Elymais to pay for the heavy tribute to Rome.

Dan. 11:20 Seleucus IV Philopater (reigned 187–175 b.c.) succeeded his father, Antiochus III the Great. Seleucus IV sent a “tax collector,” Heliodorus, to collect the money to pay Rome their yearly tribute of 1,000 talents. He even tried to steal from the temple in Jerusalem, but decided against it after being terrified by a dream. Seleucus IV was not killed in anger, or in battle, but was poisoned by Heliodorus.

Dan. 11:21–23 In his place shall arise a contemptible person. Antiochus IV Epiphanes (reigned 175–164 b.c.) is the “little horn” of ch. 8. He took the name Antiochus “Epiphanes,” but others called him “Epimanes” (“madman”). Seleucus IV Philopater’s son, Demetrius I Soter, was the rightful heir to the throne. He was imprisoned in Rome, so Antiochus IV Epiphanes took the throne, even though royal majesty had not been given to him. He paid off important people for supporting him (obtain the kingdom by flatteries). Ptolemy VI Philometer (reigned 181–145 b.c.) of Egypt came against Antiochus IV but was defeated and held as a hostage. Later Ptolemy VI (the prince of the covenant) made an alliance with Antiochus IV to regain his throne because his brother (Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II Physcon) had taken it while he was imprisoned in Syria. This worked, and he received his throne back. Later he broke this covenant and joined with his brother Ptolemy VIII to force Antiochus IV out of Pelusium, one of Egypt’s fortress cities.

Dan. 11:24 Without warning, Antiochus IV Epiphanes retaliated and stole from some of the richest parts of Egypt’s territory. He appeared to divide the goods among his soldiers, but his grand plans against Egypt’s strongholds lasted only for a time.

Dan. 11:25–27 These verses appear to refer to the events of Antiochus IV Epiphanes’s first battle with Egypt and explain in more detail why Ptolemy VI Philometer was defeated. Ptolemy VI’s own trusted counselors (those who eat his food) encouraged him to go against Antiochus IV (his uncle), and he was defeated. Then the two kings, Antiochus IV and Ptolemy VI (now the former’s prisoner), made a covenant to regain control of Egypt from Ptolemy VI’s brother, Ptolemy VIII. Neither king intended to keep the covenant (they shall speak lies to each other). Their alliance had initial success capturing Memphis, but it failed to capture all of Egypt. Ptolemy VIII continued to rule in Alexandria. Later the two brothers, Ptolemy VI and Ptolemy VIII, joined forces and ruled together over all of Egypt.

Dan. 11:28 Antiochus IV Epiphanes returned to his land after raiding Egypt in 169 b.c. On his way home he stopped in Palestine and found a rebellion going on. He dealt viciously with the Jews (his heart shall be set against the holy covenant), destroying eighty thousand men, women, and children and looting the temple. The Jews were furious at the brutality of this ruler and began a full-fledged revolt.

Dan. 11:29–30 In 168 b.c. (that is, the time appointed by God) Antiochus IV Epiphanes invaded Egypt again. This time he met with a humiliating defeat. The Romans had joined forces with the Ptolemies, and Antiochus IV was no match for the Roman army. In 167 b.c. he turned his anger toward Palestine (and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant) and sent his chief tax collector, Apollonius, to Jerusalem. Initially Apollonius appeared to come in peace, but on the Sabbath he began killing people and looting the city. He also rewarded those Jews who supported the Hellenistic policies.

Dan. 11:31–32 Later in 167 b.c., Syrian forces came back to stop the Jewish religious practices. They entered the temple. They stopped the regular burnt offering, and on the fifteenth day of Chislev (December), 167 b.c., they set up an altar or idol devoted to Zeus (Jupiter) in the temple (the abomination that makes desolate; compare 9:27; 12:11). They then offered up sacrifices (likely swine) on the altar. This act is commonly called the “abomination of desolation,” which comes from the translation of the Greek phrase. This is the background for Jesus’ prediction of “the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel” (Matt. 24:15–16). Antiochus IV’s flattery enticed some of the Jews to turn against the covenant. But some faithful Jews (those who know their God) chose to stand strong and die rather than go against God’s laws, and many did die.

Dan. 11:33–35 the wise among the people shall make many understand. This likely refers to those who truly fear God and who will encourage others to fight and even die rather than offer unclean sacrifices to God. In this time of persecution, the nation will receive a little help, which probably refers to the small forces that initially rebelled against the Syrians in Modein, 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Jerusalem. They were led by Mattathias, a priest, and later by his third son Judas Maccabeus. The rest of v. 34 probably has in view the many who would join themselves to the Maccabean rebellion out of necessity to save their lives, though it may more specifically refer to those who joined with the Maccabeans and killed those who were sympathetic to the Seleucids. Some of the wise shall stumble likely describes true believers who will die in this persecution. Through this persecution they will be refined, purified, and made white.

Dan. 11:36 Toward the end of the prophecy, the focus of the vision seems to shift. It now addresses a situation that is greater than the persecution under Antiochus IV. The remainder of the chapter is often thought to deal with the “Antichrist,” which many believe is the figure described in 2 Thess. 2:3–4; Rev. 13:5–8. Though Antiochus IV was powerful, he was able to do as he wills only up to a point, since the Romans were much more powerful than he.

Dan. 11:37–38 Antiochus IV viewed himself as a god, as his nickname “Epiphanes” (“[god] manifest”) made clear. But it is doubtful that he fulfilled the prophecy that he shall magnify himself above all. He abandoned the gods of his fathers, including Apollo, and showed no regard for the one beloved by women, probably the god Adonis or Dionysius. Instead, he worshiped Zeus, a god who embodied military strength. All these were Greek gods, so there is some question as to whether Antiochus IV abandoned “the gods of his fathers.” Instead, the person being described will worship the god of fortresses and will spend lavishly to support this strength.

Dan. 11:39 The passage probably speaks of a future king, one who will truly “do as he wills,” will deal with the strongest fortresses, and will make his followers rulers over many. Many interpreters see here another prediction of the Antichrist, whom they connect to the “little horn” of ch. 7 and the ruler of 9:26 who is to come.

Dan. 11:40–41 At the time of the end there will be a major battle where armies will come from the north and the south to attack this powerful ruler in the land of Israel (the glorious land). Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites will escape from him, possibly because of their connection with Israel or because they are out of his way.

Dan. 11:44–45 One striking difference between Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Antichrist lies in the events surrounding the king’s death. Antiochus IV died during a relatively minor campaign against Persia in 164 b.c., not between the sea and Jerusalem after a grand and successful assault on Egypt. When compared to the precision of fulfillment of the early verses of ch. 11, these later verses may be looking for a greater fulfillment that is yet to come at the time of the end. the glorious holy mountain. This is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.