Daniel 11:28

28 And he shall turn again into his land with many riches, and his heart shall be against the holy testament, and he shall do, and shall turn again into his land. (And he shall return to his own land with many riches, and his heart shall be against the Holy Covenant, yea, he shall do as he pleaseth, and then shall return to his own land.)

Daniel 11:28 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 11:28

Then shall he return into his land with great riches
That is, Antiochus, with the spoils of Egypt, and the gifts and presents he had received there; so the author of the first book of Maccabees says,

``20 And after that Antiochus had smitten Egypt, he returned again in the hundred forty and third year, and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with a great multitude, 21 And entered proudly into the sanctuary, and took away the golden altar, and the candlestick of light, and all the vessels thereof,'' (1 Maccabees 1)
that is, of the era of the Selucidae, and the fifth or sixth year of his reign: and his heart shall be against the holy covenant;
not the covenant he had made with Ptolemy, which was a fraudulent one; but the covenant between God and the Jews; whereby they became a distinct and peculiar people, having a religion, laws, and ordinances, different from all others; for which reason they were hated by other nations, and particularly by Antiochus; and his heart was the more enraged against them at this time, for the following reason; a false rumour being spread in Judea that Antiochus was dead, Jason took the opportunity to recover the office of high priest from his brother Menelaus; and, with a thousand men, took the city of Jerusalem, drove his brother into the castle, and slew many he took for his enemies. Antiochus, hearing of this, concluded the whole nation of the Jews had revolted from him; and therefore took Judea in his way from Egypt, in order to suppress this rebellion; in the Apocrypha:
``5 Now when there was gone forth a false rumour, as though Antiochus had been dead, Jason took at the least a thousand men, and suddenly made an assault upon the city; and they that were upon the walls being put back, and the city at length taken, Menelaus fled into the castle: 6 But Jason slew his own citizens without mercy, not considering that to get the day of them of his own nation would be a most unhappy day for him; but thinking they had been his enemies, and not his countrymen, whom he conquered. 11 Now when this that was done came to the king's ear, he thought that Judea had revolted: whereupon removing out of Egypt in a furious mind, he took the city by force of arms,'' (2 Maccabees 5)
and he shall do exploits;
in Jerusalem, very wicked ones indeed! he ordered his soldiers to slay all they met, without mercy, old and young, women and children, virgins and young men; and in three days' time eighty thousand were slain, forty thousand bound, and no less sold: he went into the temple, and took all the vessels in it, and all the gold and silver, and hidden treasures of it, to the value of a thousand and eight hundred talents, in the Apocrypha:
``12 And commanded his men of war not to spare such as they met, and to slay such as went up upon the houses. 13 Thus there was killing of young and old, making away of men, women, and children, slaying of virgins and infants. 14 And there were destroyed within the space of three whole days fourscore thousand, whereof forty thousand were slain in the conflict; and no fewer sold than slain. 15 Yet was he not content with this, but presumed to go into the most holy temple of all the world; Menelaus, that traitor to the laws, and to his own country, being his guide: 16 And taking the holy vessels with polluted hands, and with profane hands pulling down the things that were dedicated by other kings to the augmentation and glory and honour of the place, he gave them away. 21 So when Antiochus had carried out of the temple a thousand and eight hundred talents, he departed in all haste unto Antiochia, weening in his pride to make the land navigable, and the sea passable by foot: such was the haughtiness of his mind.'' (2 Maccabees 5)
``23 He took also the silver and the gold, and the precious vessels: also he took the hidden treasures which he found. 24 And when he had taken all away, he went into his own land, having made a great massacre, and spoken very proudly. 25 Therefore there was a great mourning in Israel, in every place where they were;'' (1 Maccabees 1)
and return to his own land;
having done these exploits, he made what haste he could to Antioch, with the spoils of Egypt, and the plunder of the temple at Jerusalem, in the Apocrypha: ``And when he had taken all away, he went into his own land, having made a great massacre, and spoken very proudly.'' (1 Maccabees 1:24) ``So when Antiochus had carried out of the temple a thousand and eight hundred talents, he departed in all haste unto Antiochia, weening in his pride to make the land navigable, and the sea passable by foot: such was the haughtiness of his mind.'' (2 Maccabees 5:21)

Daniel 11:28 In-Context

26 And they that eat bread with him shall all-break him; and his host shall be oppressed, and full many men of his shall be slain, and fall down. (Yea, they who eat bread with him shall destroy him; and his army shall be destroyed, and a great many men of his shall be killed, and shall fall down.)
27 And the heart of (the) two kings shall be, that they do evil, and at one board they shall speak leasing, and they shall not profit (and at one table, they shall speak lies to each other, but no one shall profit from it); for yet the end shall be into another time.
28 And he shall turn again into his land with many riches, and his heart shall be against the holy testament, and he shall do, and shall turn again into his land. (And he shall return to his own land with many riches, and his heart shall be against the Holy Covenant, yea, he shall do as he pleaseth, and then shall return to his own land.)
29 In time ordained he shall turn again (And at the time ordained he shall return), and shall come (back) to the south, and the last shall not be like the former.
30 And ships with three orders of oars, and Romans, shall come [up]on him, and he shall be smitten. And he shall turn again, and shall have indignation against the testament of the saintuary, and he shall do. And he shall turn again, and he shall think against them that forsook the testament of the saintuary. (And Romans in ships with three orders of oars shall come against him, and he shall be struck. And so he shall turn back, and shall have indignation against the Holy Covenant, yea, so shall he do. And he shall turn back, and he shall plot with those who have deserted the Holy Covenant.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.