Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

Now then, I will tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others.

“(Ahasuerus, Artaxerxes, and Darius, in Ezr 4:6, 7, 24). The Ahasuerus of Esther (see on Da 9:1) is identified with Xerxes, both in Greek history and in Scripture, appearing proud, self-willed, careless of contravening Persian customs, amorous, facile, and changeable (Da 11:2). fourth . .”

The king of the South will grow strong, but one of his commanders will grow even stronger and will rule his own kingdom with great authority.

“Holy Scripture handles external history only so far as it is connected with God's people, Israel [JEROME]. TREGELLES puts a chasm between the fourth and fifth verses, making the transition to the final Antichrist here, answering to the chasm (in his view) at Da 8:22…”

But his sons will stir up strife and assemble a great army, which will advance forcefully, sweeping through like a flood, and will again carry the battle as far as…

“Antiochus penetrated to Dura (near Cæsarea), where he gave Ptolemy a four months' truce. return--renew the war at the expiration of the truce (so Da 11:13).”

The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand.

“GROTIUS translates, "shall be perfected by him," that is, shall flourish under him. English Version gives a good sense; namely, that Judea was much "consumed" or "desolated" by being the arena of conflict between the combatants, Syria and Egypt.”

In a time of peace, he will invade the richest provinces and do what his fathers and forefathers never did.

“Retaining to himself Pelusium, he retired to Judea, where, in revenge for the joy shown by the Jews at the report of his death, which led them to a revolt, he subdued Jerusalem by storm or stratagem.”

And with a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South, who will mobilize a very large and powerful army but…

“This is the first of Antiochus' three (Da 11:29) open invasions of Egypt. against the king of the south--against Ptolemy Philometer. Subsequently, Ptolemy Physcon (the Gross), or Euergetes II, was made king by the Egyptians, as Ptolemy Philometer was in Antiochus' hands.”

Those who eat from his provisions will seek to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain.

“The phrase is used of overflowing numbers, usually in a victorious sense, but here in the sense of defeat, the very numbers which ordinarily ensure victory, hastening the defeat through mismanagement. many shall fall down slain--(1 Maccabees 1:18, "many fell wounded to death").”

The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant; so he will do damage and return…

“(1 Maccabees 1:19, 20, &c.). against the holy covenant--On his way back to Syria, he attacked Jerusalem, the metropolis of Jehovah's covenant-people, slew eighty thousand, took forty thousand prisoners, and sold forty thousand as slaves (2 Maccabees 5:5-14).”

At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time will not be like the first.

“Or, making this the third expedition, the sense is "not as the first or as the second" expeditions [PISCATOR]. Rather "not as the former, so shall be this latter" expedition [GROTIUS].”

Ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and rage against the holy covenant and do damage.

“Apollonius slew multitudes, dismantled and pillaged the city. They then, from a fortress which they built commanding the temple, fell on and slew the worshippers; so that the temple service was discontinued.”

Some of the wise will fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed…

“Image from wheat cleared of its chaff by the wind. make . . . white--image from cloth (Re 7:9). to . . . time of . . . end--God will not suffer His people to be persecuted without limitation (1Co 10:13).”

And in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches.

“Translate, "He shall honor the god of fortresses on his basis," that is, the base of the statue. NEWTON translates, "And the god 'Mahuzzim' (guardians, that is, saints adored as 'protectors' in the Greek and Roman churches) shall he honor."”

He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing the land…

“Antiochus succeeded against Jerusalem, Sidon, Pelusium, Memphis. cause them--Antiochus "caused" his followers and the apostates "to rule over many" Jews, having "divided their land" (Judea), "for gain" (that is, as a reward for their compliance).”

At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen…

“The Saracen Arabs "of the south" "pushed at" the Greek emperor Heraclius, and deprived him of Egypt and Syria. But the Turks of "the north" not merely pushed at, but destroyed the Greek empire; therefore more is said of them than of the Saracens.”

“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up.

“An archangel, not the Lord Jesus; for he is distinguished from "the Lord" in Jude 9. there shall be--rather, "it shall be."”

And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.

“2 Maccabees 7:9, 14, 23, shows the fruit of this prophecy in animating the Maccabean mother and her sons to brave death, while confessing the resurrection in words like those here.”

Then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.

“Answering to "they that understand" (Da 11:33, 35), the same Hebrew, Maskilim; Israelites who, though in Jerusalem when wickedness is coming to a head, are found intelligent witnesses against it.”

And the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by…

“606, the very year that Phocas made the grant to the bishop of Rome, whence he assumed the title, The Universal Pastor; Antichrist thus setting both his feet on Christendom together, the one in the East, and the other in the West.”

I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?”

“1Pe 1:10-12 refers mainly to Daniel: for it is he who foretells "the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow"; it is he who prophesies "not unto himself, but unto us"; it is he who "searched what, or what manner of time the…”

Many will be purified, made spotless, and refined, but the wicked will continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand.

“The fulfilment of God's decree is not a mere arithmetical problem which the profane may understand by arithmetical calculations, but a holy enigma to stimulate to a faithful observance of God's ways, and to a diligent study of the history of God's people [AUBERLEN].”

But as for you, go on your way until the end. You will rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

“He "received not the promise," but had to wait until the Christian elect saints should be brought in, at the first resurrection, that he and the older Old Testament saints "without us should not be made perfect" (Heb 11:40).”