Daniel 11

Daniel 11:1

Zidon - A city, north - west from Canaan, a king’s seat of old, and from which Tyre descended. I will be glorified - When my judgments make my justice, power and truth appear, both you, and others shall confess my glory. Sanctified - Owned as holy, reverenced as just, obeyed as sovereign.

Daniel 11:2

And blood - Bloody war by an enemy, that shall bring the war to the gates, nay into the streets of Zidon. Judged - Be punished in the midst of the city. The sword - By the sword of her enemies.

Daniel 11:3

A pricking briar - By these two metaphors the prophet points out the troublesome neighbours of the Jews, such as Moab, Ammon, Edom, Tyre, and Zidon. This never had a full accomplishment yet. But it will, for the scripture cannot be broken.

Daniel 11:4

Sanctified - I was dishonoured by the Jews in the sight of the heathen, and I will be honoured by the Jews in their sight.

Daniel 11:7

The tenth year - Of Jeconiah’s captivity.

Daniel 11:9

The great dragon - The crocodile; our prophet, as well as Isaiah, compares the Egyptian king to that devouring serpent, or dragon. That lieth - Not only at rest, but waiting for prey. My river - My kingdom, power, riches, and forces, all the strength and glory of Egypt.

Daniel 11:10

Put hooks - The Allegory is continued. The fish - The people of Egypt. To stick - To adhere to their king.

Daniel 11:11

Leave thee - When thus brought out, I will leave thee. The wilderness - The deserts of Libya and Syene. All the fish - The whole army of the Egyptians. The open fields - There was this king and his army ruined. Gathered - These were not buried, but left in the wilderness, a prey to wild beasts, and birds.

Daniel 11:13

Rent - Didst them much mischief instead of benefiting them, as thou hast promised, Jeremiah 37:7.

Daniel 11:16

Syene - Boundary between Ethiopia and Egypt; that is, all Egypt from north - east to south - west.

Daniel 11:17

Forty years - These forty years began about the thirtieth year of Jeconiah’s captivity, and end with the seventieth year of the captivity, which was the first of Cyrus.

Daniel 11:20

Pathros - The southern part of Egypt, in which was the famous city Thebae, known for its hundred gates. Their habitation - The ancient habitation of their fathers. A base - A low, tributary, dependent kingdom.

Daniel 11:21

No more rule - Though in the times of the Ptolemeys, it was considerable, yet then, even then it did not rule the nations about her.

Daniel 11:22

Which - Which sinful reliance on the arm of flesh provoked God to call to mind their other iniquities. When - When they forgot God, and respected Egypt. They - The house of Israel.

Daniel 11:23

In the seven and twentieth year - Of Jeconiah’s captivity, the year after the conquest of Tyre.

Daniel 11:24

Caused - The army, and commanders were weary of the siege, but the immovable resolution of the king kept them on. A great service - It was service to the justice of God. It was great service both for hardness of work, heaviness of burdens, and length of the siege, thirteen years together. Made bald - Through age, or sicknesses, or continued wearing of helmets. Peeled - Galled with carrying burdens. No wages - For though Tyre was very rich, when first besieged, much wealth was carried away during the siege, much spent and wasted in the siege, and what was left, preserved by articles of surrender.

Daniel 11:25

Her multitude - Common people, who shall be made captives, and servants or slaves. Her prey - What she had before taken from others. The wages - God will be behind - hand with none, who do any service for him; one way or other he will recompence them. None shall kindle a fire at his altar for nought.

Daniel 11:26

They - The Babylonians. For me - God’s work was doing by them, tho’ they thought nothing less.

Daniel 11:27

The horn - Jehoiakim, who was then advanced by Evil - Merodach. The opening of the mouth - Thou shalt have liberty, to open thy mouth in comforting the good among them, and to give praise to God.

Daniel 11:29

The horn - Jehoiakim, who was then advanced by Evil - Merodach. The opening of the mouth - Thou shalt have liberty, to open thy mouth in comforting the good among them, and to give praise to God.

Daniel 11:30

Ye - Inhabitants of Egypt.

Daniel 11:31

A cloudy day - So times of trouble are called. Of the heathen - The time when God will reckon with the Heathens.

Daniel 11:32

Ethiopia - The neighbour and ally to Egypt. Take away - Into miserable captivity. Her foundations - Their government, laws, and strong holds.

Daniel 11:33

Lydia - Not the Asiatic, but the Africans placed between some part of Cyrene and Egypt. The mingled people - The hired soldiers from all parts, a confused mixture of nations. And Chub - The inhabitants of the inmost Libya; perhaps they may be the Nubians at this day. The men - All the allies of Egypt. With them - With the Egyptians.

Daniel 11:34

Upheld - Those that favour and help her. The pride - The glory of all her strength.

Daniel 11:35

They - All those before mentioned.

Daniel 11:36

Destroyed - The fire that consumes nations is of God’s kindling: and when he sets fire to a kingdom, all they that go about to quench the fire, shall be consumed by it.

Daniel 11:37

Messengers - Such as having escaped the sword, shall tell the news. From me - By my permission and providence. In ship’s - Messengers by ships might carry the news to both the Ethiopian, Asian, and African, by the Red - sea. As in the day - During the mighty havock made by the Chaldeans. It - A like storm.

Daniel 11:39

His people - His own subjects, not hired soldiers.

Daniel 11:40

The rivers dry - Probably the Chaldeans diverted them, and so their fortified towns wanted one great defence. Sell - Give it up entirely.

Daniel 11:41

Noph - Memphis, now Grand Cairo, the chief city of the country. A prince - Either an Egyptian born, or independent, and over all Egypt. A fear - Consternation and cowardice.

Daniel 11:42

In Zoan - Zoan shall be burnt down to ashes. In No - A great and populous city situate on one of the mouths of the Nile.

Daniel 11:43

Sin - Pelusium, which was the key of Egypt, and therefore always well fortified, and strongly garrisoned.

Daniel 11:44

Shall be rent - Her walls, and towers, and fortresses broken through by the violence of engines, and by the assaults of the soldiers.

Daniel 11:45

Young men - ‘Tis probable these might be a body of valiant youths, collected out of these ten cities. Aven - Bethshemesh, or Heliopolis, an idolatrous city, in which was a stately temple of the sun: an hundred and fifty furlongs, that is six miles and three quarters in compass. Phibeseth - Bubastus, sometimes called Hoephestus, not far from Aven.