Da 11:2-20

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Kings from the north and the south (Dan 11:2-20)

The messenger went on to describe to Daniel the conflicts involving Persia and Greece as they would affect the Jews. This account runs on unbroken through Chapters 11 and 12. The comments on these chapters below are designed to outline the history of the period and to show how events followed the pattern of the predictions given to Daniel.

After the death of Cyrus, the states in the region of Greece steadily grew in power. (Although there was no ‘official’ Greek nation at that time, these notes will use the name Greece to refer to the region in general. The most important of the Greek states was Macedonia in the north, which later became the centre of the Greek Empire.)

Earlier Persian kings had some outstanding successes against these Greek states, but the Greeks eventually re-established their independence and began to expand their power. Probably the most notable victory came in 333 BC, when the armies of Alexander the Great took control of the eastern Mediterranean region. The Greek conquest then spread rapidly through western Asia and northern Africa.

Then, within only a few years of establishing his power, Alexander unexpectedly died, and his vast empire was divided among four of his generals (Dan 11:2-4; cf. Dan 7:6; 8:8).

In the eastern areas of this divided empire there were two main sectors, Egyptian to the south and Syrian to the north. When the Syrian sector became dominant (under the leadership of a man who had previously served under the Egyptian leader), the struggle between the two sectors increased.

Israel, caught between the two power centres, suffered much because of these conflicts (Dan 11:5).

Later an alliance was established between the south and the north when the Egyptian king gave his daughter in marriage to the Syrian king. But the marriage broke up and eventually the Syrian king was murdered (Dan 11:6).

The woman’s brother then invaded and plundered Syria. This was about 246 BC (Dan 11:7-8). During the next fifty years Syria and Egypt invaded each other on several occasions, both sides tasting victory and defeat (Dan 11:9-13).

A decisive battle as far as the people of Israel were concerned was fought in 198 BC. Some of the Jews joined with the Syrians against Egypt, thinking they were fulfilling a prophetic vision that would bring benefits to themselves. In the end they only brought themselves greater trouble, because Syria not only conquered Egypt but also took firm control of Palestine (Dan 11:14-16).

The Syrian king tried to gain full control of the Egyptian throne by giving his daughter in marriage to the king of Egypt, but the scheme did not bring him the success he hoped for (Dan 11:17).

He then attacked Greece, but was defeated and forced to flee back to Syria, where he died (Dan 11:18-19).

The new king, in order to obtain money to pay the victorious enemy, was attempting to plunder the Jewish temple treasures when he was suddenly murdered (Dan 11:20).