Daniel 11.23-The Prophecy of the Alliance Between Antiochus IV Epiphanes and Ptolemy VI Philometer
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday May 20, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 11:23-The Prophecy of the Alliance Between Antiochus IV Epiphanes and Ptolemy VI Philometer
Lesson # 340
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 11:21.
Daniel 11:21 “Next, in his place, a despicable person will ascend to power even though for his benefit sovereign authority over the kingdom will have never been conferred. Nevertheless, he will appear on the scene during a time of false security when he seizes the kingdom by flatteries. 22 Then, immense armies will be swept away from the presence of his armies so that they will be destroyed along with even the leader over the covenant people. 23 Indeed, when he enters into an alliance to gain an advantage over him, he will practice deception because he will attack in order to gain power with a small force.” (My translation)
Daniel 11:23 “After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people.” (NASB95)
“After an alliance is made with him” is composed of the preposition min (מִן) (min) “after” and its object is the verb ḥā·ḇǎr (חָבַר) (khaw-bar´), “an alliance is made” and then we have the preposition ʾěl (אֶל) (ale), “with” and its object is the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “him.”
The verb ḥā·ḇǎr means “to form an alliance” referring to an agreement between two kings or leaders in order to achieve some mutual objective or endeavor.
The word speaks of a peace treaty being forged between two rulers in order to achieve common objectives.
Here in Daniel 11:23, the verb ḥā·ḇǎr refers to the despicable king of the north and the king of the south “entering into an alliance” in order to achieve mutual objective(s) or endeavor(s).
The preposition min is prefixed to the infinitive construct form of this verb ḥā·ḇǎr and governs it.
Here the preposition min is a temporal marker in the sense that it marks the starting point when the despicable king of the north will practice deception with the king of the south.
The hithpael stem of this verb is a reciprocal hithpael referring to the despicable king and the king ruling the south acting upon one another in the sense that they agreed to enter into an alliance with each other.
The third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) means “him” referring to the king of the south.
It is the object of the preposition ʾěl which means “to gain an advantage over” since it is functioning as a marker of advantage indicating that when the despicable king of the north enters into an alliance “to gain advantage over” the king of the south, he will practice deception.
“He will practice deception” describes the despicable king of the north as being dishonest in his dealings with the king of the south in the sense that he will deliberately mislead him to gain an advantage over him and power.
“And he will go up and gain power with a small force of people” presents the reason for the angel’s previous prediction that when despicable king of the north will enter into an alliance to gain an advantage over the king of the south, he will practice deception.
This despicable king will not enter into an alliance with the king of the south to bring about peace but in order to gain an advantage over him so as to catch him off guard.
“And he will go up” is the verb ʿā·lā(h) (עָלָה) (aw-law´), which means “to attack” since it pertains to causing an offensive military conflict or fight and refers to the despicable king “attacking” the king of the south.
“And gain power” presents the purpose of the despicable king attacking the king of the south after entering into an alliance with him.
He attacked the king of the south “for the purpose of” gaining more power for himself.
“With a small force of people” indicates that the despicable king will attack the king of the south in order to gain power or become more powerful with or by means of a small force.
Daniel 11:23 “Indeed, when he enters into an alliance to gain an advantage over him, he will practice deception because he will attack in order to gain power with a small force.” (My translation)
The angelic statements in Daniel 11:23-24 provide the reader more details concerning the ascension to power of this despicable person which is recorded in Daniel 11:21-22.
In verse 21, the angel predicted that a despicable person will ascend to power in place of his predecessor, the king of the north, even though for his benefit sovereign authority over the kingdom will have never been conferred.
Nevertheless, the angel informs Daniel that this despicable person will appear on the scene during a time of false security when he seizes the kingdom by flatteries.
History reveals that this despicable person was none other than Antiochus IV Epiphanes who assumed power over the Seleucid kingdom even though the throne rightly belonged to the son of Seleucus IV Philopator who was Demetrius Soter.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes seized power for himself and proclaimed himself as king.
He accomplished this by persuading the leaders of the Seleucid kingdom by flattering and making empty promises to them.
He assumed power during a tranquil time in the kingdom when people had a false sense of security.
Then, in verse 22, the angel tells Daniel that immense armies will be swept away from the presence of the armies of this despicable person so that they will be destroyed along with even the leader over the covenant people.
This verse has also been fulfilled in history since history records that the immense armies of the Egyptians and the army of Heliodorus were routed by the armies led by Antiochus IV Epiphanes who was assisted by the armies of his Pergamum allies.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes waged three campaigns against Egypt in 170, 169 and 168 B.C.
The Egyptian forces were attempting to take Coele-Syria right after his ascension to power.
He attacked the Egyptians when he learned that they were about to attack him.
Thus, he invaded Egypt in 170 B.C. and defeated the Egyptians handily.
This battle occurred between Mt. Casius and Pelusium, which was located in an area on the southeast sea coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
It was halfway between Gaza and the Nile Delta.
The death of the leader over the covenant people is a reference to the murder of the Jewish High Priest Onias III whose murder Antiochus IV Epiphanes ordered in 172 B.C.
Now, here in verse 23, the angel predicts that when this despicable king enters into an alliance to gain an advantage over the king of the south, he will practice deception.
This despicable king will not enter into an alliance with the king of the south to bring about peace but in order to gain an advantage over him so as to catch him off guard.
The elect angel of God then presents the reason why this despicable king will practice deception upon entering into an alliance with the king of the south in order to gain an advantage over him.
The angel then tells Daniel that he will accomplish all this with a small force.
This prediction was also fulfilled in history since history records Antiochus IV Epiphanes entering into an alliance with the Ptolemy VI Philometer of Egypt and his brother Ptolemy Physcon who is also known as Ptolemy VIII Euergetes.
These brothers were in fact the nephews of Antiochus IV Epiphanes who entered into an agreement with them in order to deceive them.
He only entered into the treaty in order to gain an advantage over them in the sense of catching them off guard when he eventually attacked them.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes launched an attack against Egypt conquering all but Alexandria and capturing Ptolemy VI Philometer.
History records that Antiochus IV Epiphanes won a significant military victory at Pelusium and captured Memphis along with all of lower and central Egypt with a comparatively small army of men.
Butler writes that Antiochus IV Epiphanes “penetrated into the heart of their country before the Egyptians were fully aware of the fact or had made arrangements to resist. Antiochus cagily made it a point !to establish as friendly a relation with a defeated opponent as possible, Even while the battle raged at Pelusium, Antiochus displayed great kindness toward the Egyptians, everywhere interfering to check the slaughter by his soldiers, and thus won the hearts of his foes, He also pretended to espouse the cause of Ptolemy Philometoi’, his one nephew, against that of Ptolemy Physcon (Euergetes 11) his other nephew-pretending that it was only his nephew’s interests that he had at heart. The nephews themselves finally saw that their uncle was ‘practicing deceit,’ and that he was ‘becoming strong with but a few people by stealth.’”
Antiochus IV Epiphanes only allowed Ptolemy VI to continue to rule over Egypt so as to avoid alarming Rome.
Nonetheless Ptolemy VI only served as a puppet king for this despicable king.
When Antiochus IV Epiphanes withdrew the city of Alexandria chose one of Ptolemy’s brothers to be king, namely Ptolemy VIII Euergetes.
These two brothers agree to rule Egypt jointly rather than fight a civil war.