Daniel 11

Daniel 11:1-45 . This chapter is an enlargement of the eighth: THE OVERTHROW OF PERSIA BY GRECIA: THE FOUR DIVISIONS OF ALEXANDER'S KINGDOM: CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE KINGS OF THE SOUTH AND OF THE NORTH, THE PTOLEMIES AND SELEUCIDÆ: ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES.

1. I--the angel ( Daniel 10:18 ).
first year of Darius--Cyaxares II; the year of the conquest of Babylon ( Daniel 5:31 ). Cyrus, who wielded the real power, though in name subordinate to Darius, in that year promulgated the edict for the restoration of the Jews, which Daniel was at the time praying for ( Daniel 9:1 Daniel 9:2 Daniel 9:21 Daniel 9:23 ).
stood--implying promptness in helping ( Psalms 94:16 ).
strengthen him--namely, Michael; even as Michael ( Daniel 10:21 , "strengtheneth himself with me") helped the angel, both joining their powers in behalf of Israel [ROSENMULLER]. Or, Darius, the angel "confirming him" in his purpose of kindness to Israel.

2. three kings in Persia--Cambyses, Pseudo-Smerdis, and Darius Hystaspes. (Ahasuerus, Artaxerxes, and Darius, in Ezra 4:6 Ezra 4:7 Ezra 4:24 ). The Ahasuerus of Esther Xerxes, both in Greek history and in Scripture, appearing proud, self-willed, careless of contravening Persian customs, amorous, facile, and changeable ( Daniel 11:2 ).
fourth . . . riches . . . against . . . Grecia--Xerxes, whose riches were proverbial. Persia reached its climax and showed its greatest power in his invasion of Greece, 480 B.C. After his overthrow at Salamis, Persia is viewed as politically dead, though it had an existence. Therefore, Daniel 11:3 , without noticing Xerxes' successors, proceeds at once to Alexander, under whom, first, the third world kingdom, Grecia, reached its culmination, and assumed an importance as to the people of God.
stir up all--Four years were spent in gathering his army out of all parts of his vast empire, amounting to two millions six hundred and forty-one thousand men. [PRIDEAUX, Connexion, 1.4, 1.410].

3. mighty king . . . do according to his will--answering to the he-goat's "notable horn" ( Daniel 8:6 Daniel 8:7 Daniel 8:21 ). Alexander invaded Persia 334 B.C., to avenge the wrongs of Greece on Persia for Xerxes' past invasion (as Alexander said in a letter to Darius Codomanus, ARRIAN, Alexander. 2.14.7).

4. kingdom . . . divided toward . . . four winds--the fourfold division of Alexander's kingdom at his death ( Daniel 8:8 Daniel 8:22 ), after the battle of Ipsus, 301 B.C.
nor according to his dominion--None of his successors had so wide a dominion as Alexander himself.
others besides those--besides Alexander's sons, Hercules by Barsine, Darius daughter, and Alexander by Roxana, who were both slain [MAURER]. Rather, besides the four successors to the four chief divisions of the empire, there will be other lesser chiefs who shall appropriate smaller fragments of the Macedonian empire [JEROME].

5. Here the prophet leaves Asia and Greece and takes up Egypt and Syria, these being in continual conflict under Alexander's successors, entailing misery on Judea, which lay between the two. 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 Daniel 8:22 Daniel 8:23 .
king of . . . south--literally, "of midday": Egypt ( Daniel 11:8 Daniel 11:42 ), PTOLEMY Soter, son of Lagus. He took the title "king," whereas Lagus was but "governor."
one of his princes--Seleucus, at first a satrap of PTOLEMY Lagus, but from 3 12 B.C. king of the largest empire after that of Alexander (Syria, Babylon, Media, &c.), and called therefore Nicator, that is, "conqueror." Connect the words thus, "And one of his (PTOLEMY'S) princes, even he (Seleucus) shall be strong above him" (above PTOLEMY, his former master).