Daniel 11:22

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Daniel 11:22 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the overwhelming forces shall be overwhelmed from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the overwhelming forces shall be overwhelmed from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
Daniel 11:22 — American Standard Version

Context — Daniel 11

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
22And the overwhelming forces shall be overwhelmed from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken, etc.] That is, by the help of the forces of Eumenes and Attalus, which were like an inundation of water, the party that were on the side of Heliodorus the usurper were bore down, crushed, and destroyed; and thereby Antiochus had a peaceable settlement in the kingdom: or, “the arms of a flood shall be overflowed from before him, and be broken”f546; either the arms of Heliodorus, the forces he had got together; or the armies of the Egyptians, which, like an overflowing flood, had used to run over Judea, Coelesyria, Phoenicia, and other places, and carry all before them, now should be overflowed, and bore…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“shall they be overflown . . . before him--Antiochus Epiphanes shall invade Egypt with overwhelming forces. prince of the covenant--Ptolemy Philometer, the son of Cleopatra, Antiochus' sister, who was joined in covenant with him. Ptolemy's guardians, while he was a boy, sought to recover from Epiphanes CÅ“lo-Syria and Palestine, which had been promised by Antiochus the Great as Cleopatra's dowry in marrying Ptolemy Epiphanes. Hence arose the war. Philometer's generals were vanquished, and Pelusium, the key of Egypt, taken by Antiochus, 171 B.C.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“And with the arms of a flood - The refercnce here is to some mighty invasion of some country by Antiochus, which would sweep everything before him. There seems to be some confusion of metaphor in the phrase, “the arms of a flood.” The idea in the mind of the writer appears to have been this: He saw an invasion of some country by hosts of men under the command of Antiochus. This it was not unnatural to compare with an “inundation of waters” spreading over a land. See Isaiah 8:8. Nor was it altogether unnatural to speak of an inundation as having “arms” extending far and near; sweeping everything to itself, or carrying it away. Thus we speak of an arm of the sea, an arm of a river, etc. In…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Overflown - The Egyptian force near Pelusium, where they fell by the power of Antiochus, with a great slaughter, near the river Nile. The prince - The high - priest with his place and honour, for he put out Onias, and set up in his stead, Jason his brother. Daniel 11:23”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“11:22 The covenant prince was Onias III, the high priest (cp. study notes on 9:25-26). He was removed by Antiochus IV in 175 BC and replaced by his brother Jason (2 Maccabees 4:7-10). In 171 BC, Onias was murdered by Menelaus, who then became high priest (171–162 BC). Menelaus supported Antiochus IV’s program of hellenization (see study note on 9:27).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“with: Dan 11:10, Dan 9:26; Isa 8:7, Isa 8:8; Amo 8:8, Amo 9:5; Nah 1:8; Rev 12:15, Rev 12:16 also: Dan 8:10, Dan 8:11, Dan 8:25 Daniel 11:23”
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Sources and verification