Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Daniel 11:17
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, etc.] Antiochus, having conquered Coelesyria, Phoenicia, and Judea, should set his face towards the land of Egypt, having a greedy desire after it, and bend his mind and forces that way; form a design of invading it, and for that purpose determine to bring all the forces he could master together throughout his dominions. So Justinf531 says, that upon the death of Ptolemy Philopator, Antiochus king of Syria determined to seize on Egypt. The Vulgate Latin version is, “that he might come to lay hold on his whole kingdom”; to seize the whole kingdom of the king of Egypt: and upright ones with him: meaning, as many think, the Jews, so called to distinguish them from the Heathens, and even from those Jews who had took on the side of Ptolemy, and had changed their religion; but these persevered in it, which Antiochus approved of; and had now a great opinion of them, and had bestowed many favours upon them, as before observed; wherefore he might take some of them, and they might choose to go with him on this expedition, and especially to assist in his intended agreement with the king of Egypt, and the marriage of his daughter to him; in bringing about which they were to have a concern, as being reckoned men of probity and uprightness: or rather the sense is, according to the Vulgate Latin version, and he shall do right things; in show and appearance: or “he shall make agreement”, or peace, as Aben Ezra; enter into covenants of alliance and marriage, upon seeming just conditions, with a great show of sincerity and uprightness: thus shall he do; in the following manner: or, “and he shall do”f532; that is, succeed in his proposals: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her; this was the stratagem he used; finding he could not obtain the kingdom of Egypt by force of arms, for fear of the Romans, who were the guardians of the king of Egypt, he proposed to give his daughter Cleopatra to him in marriage, a beautiful virgin; and therefore called the “daughter of women”; or rather because she was as yet under the care of the women she was first committed to, as Gussetiusf533 observes; and so he did marry her, and gave for her dowry Coelesyria, Samaria, Judea, and Phoeniciaf534: this was done at Raphiaf535, a fortified city of Egypt, where the famous battle had been fought between him and Ptolemy Philopator; (see <271110>Daniel 11:10) and if the former clause is rendered, as I think it may, “he shall also set his face to enter into the fortress of the whole kingdom”; this is the place intended, where he was desirous of going to meet the king of Egypt, and execute this scheme of his; which, though done under a plausible pretence of peace, and of putting ahead to their quarrels, was with a view to get his kingdom into his hands; “corrupting” his daughter to betray the counsels of her husband; or to put him to death by poison, or otherwise, that he might seize the kingdom on her behalf; or it may be rendered, to “corrupt” or “destroy it”f536, the kingdom; he married his daughter to the king of Egypt with this view, to obtain the kingdom from him: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him; being married, she forgot her own people, and her father’s house, and cleaved to her husband; took his part, and not her father’s, yea, took part with her husband against her father; for ambassadors were sent out of Egypt by both her husband and herself, congratul…
This public page shows a contextual excerpt from the locally available source text.
How to use this source
This excerpt is attributed to its named commentary. It is included as a historical study resource and should be evaluated in light of Scripture and other relevant evidence.
