Daniel 11:1-9
The first verse is properly connected with the last verse of the 10th chapter; it throws interesting light on the behavior of Darius the Mede in chapter 6, explaining that king’s regard for Daniel, and his deep concern over the prophet’s being committed to the den of lions. Darius was now dead, and Cyrus reigned alone over the Mede-Persian empire.
The four kings of verse 2 are named in Scripture; Ezra 4:5-7 gives Ahasuerus (Camhyses), Artaxerxes (Pseudo-Smeis) and Darius (Davius Hystaspes); the book of Esther deals with another called Ahasuerus (Xerxes), the fourth king after Cyrus. “Ahasuerus” is believed to have been a title, like “Pharaoh” in. Egypt. There were nine kings of Persia after Xerxes, but the object in the Scriptures is never the mere recording of history; the four named had each a part in connection with God’s earthly people, and that is why they are mentioned. Nor was it the course of the later kings, but that of Xerxes in conquering Greece, that prompted the revengeful invasion of Persia’s dominions by Alexander the Great 143 years after Xerxes’ death.
Alexander, the “mighty king” of verse 3, the “he goat” of chapter 8:5-8, and the “great horn” of verse 21 in that chapter, was 20 years of age when he began his career of rapid conquest. By the time he was 26 he had overthrown the rule of Persia and established the Grecian empire. He and his soldiers penetrated as far as the eastern tributary of the river Indus. The city of Alexandria, in Egypt, where the Septuagint (LXX) translation of the Old Testament into Greek was made after Alexander’s death, was founded by him.
As the prophecies in chapter 8 and verse 5 of chapter 11 foretold, Alexander’s death at the age of 32 left the empire without a head; out of the rival schemes for power on the part of his principal men a breaking-up occurred, four presently dividing the bulk of the empire among themselves. With but two of these is Scripture concerned, because the others did not interfere with the Jews or their land in any way general Selencus became the first king of the north (Syria), and Ptolemy, another of his generals, was the first king of the south (Egypt). Seleucus was more powerful than Ptolemy (verse 5 has been rendered “ ... .but another shall be stronger than he and have dominion.”)
Verse 6: In fulfilment of this passage, Ptolemy II gave his daughter Berenice in marriage to Antiochus II, the third “king of the north”. The two countries had been at war and this was a condition of peace, but the former wife, of Antiochus killed him and brought about the, death of Berenice and her son. The second Ptolemy was now dead, the third, Berenice’s brother (verse 7: “out of a branch of her roots”), avenged his sister’s death by attacking Syria and carrying off into Egypt their gods, their princes and their precious vessels. The third Ptolemy outlived the third and fourth kings of the north (verse 8); but war continued between the two countries for the northern king invaded the realm of the king of the south, and returned to his own land (verse 9, N.T.).
Why is any account of these kings given in the Word of God? Because Israel, and Israel’s land—God’s land—were concerned. In these contests between the kings of the north and the south; that land was ravaged and the Jews suffered severely. What we have been reading in verses 2 to 9 covers a period of three hundred years, from. B.C. 529 to B.C. 222.
Men without faith have ever scoffed at the Word of God; they deny its inspiration, and because of its accurate foretelling of events which have since become history, they assert that the chapter before us and other passages were written after the events transpired, “Daniel the prophet” is quite sufficiently accredited by the Lord, as in Matthew 24:15.
ML 08/09/1936