Estudo de Daniel 11:23 – Comentado e Explicado

A despeito do pacto firmado com ele, agirá com perfídia: atacará e triunfará com poucos homens.
Daniel 11:23

Comentário de Albert Barnes

And after the league made with him – A treaty of peace and concord. The great subject of contention between the kings of Syria and Egypt was the possession of Coelo-Syria and Palestine. This they often endeavored to settle by conquest as each of them claimed that in the original partition of the empire of Alexander this portion of the empire fell to himself; and often they endeavored to settle it by treaty. Consequently this region was constantly passing from one to the other, and was also the seat of frequent wars. The “league” here referred to seems to have been that respecting this country – file successive promises which had been made to the king of Egypt that Coelo-Syria and Palestine should be made over to him. These provinces had been secured to Ptolemy Lagus by the treaty made 301 bc, and they had been again pledged by Antiochus the Great, in dowry, when his daughter Cleopatra should be made queen of Egypt. – Jahn, “Heb. Commonwealth,” p. 260. Antiochus Epiphanes, however, was by no means disposed to confirm this grant, and hence, the wars in which he was involved with the Egyptians.

He shall work deceitfully – In reference to the covenant or treaty above referred to. He shall endeavor to evade its claims; he shall refuse to comply with its conditions; he shall not deliver up the provinces according to the terms of the compact. The history accords exactly with this, for he did not intend to comply with the terms of the treaty, but sought every means to evade it, and finally waged a succession of bloody wars with Egypt. In reference to the terms of this treaty, and to secure their respective interests, both parties sent ambassadors to Rome to urge their claims before the Roman Senate. – Polybius, “Legat.” Sections 78,82; Jerome, “Com. in loc . ” As soon as Ptolemy Philometor had reached his fourteenth year, he was solemnly invested with the government; and ambassadors from all surrounding countries came to congatulate him on His accession to the throne. “On this occasion Antiochus sent to Egypt Apollonius, the son of Mnestheus, apparently to congratulate the king on his coronation, but with the real intention of sounding the purposes of the Egyptian court. When Apollonius, on has return, informed Antiochus that he was viewed as an enemy by the Egyptians, he immediately sailed to Joppa to survey his frontiers toward Egypt, and to put them in a state of defense.” – Jahn, “Heb. Commonwealth” p. 260; 2 Maccabees 4:21 .

The purpose of Antiochus was undoubtedly not to surrender Coelo-Syria and Palestine according to the treaties which had been made; and yet he designed to secure them if possible without an open rupture, and hence, his arts of diplomacy, or his efforts to evade compliance with the terms of the compact. Even when he had invaded Egypt, and had obtained possession of the king, Ptolemy Philometor, he still “pretended that he had come to Egypt solely for the good of king Ptolemy, to set the affairs of his kingdom in order for him; and Ptolemy found it expedient to act as though he really thought him his friend. But he must have seen,” says Jahn, “that Antiochus, with all his professions of friendship, was not unmindful of spoil, for he plundered Egypt in every quarter.” – “Heb. Commonwealth,” p. 263

For he shall come up – Come upon Egypt. The result would be war. Rather than surrender the provinces according to the treaty, he would ultimately invade Egypt, and carry war into its borders.

And shall become strong with a small people – The meaning of this seems to be, that at first his own forces would be small; that he would go up in such a way as not to excite suspicion, but that, either by an increase of his forces there, by uniting himself to confederates, by alluring the people by the promise of rewards, or by gradually taking one town after another and adding them to his dominions, he would become strong. Jahn (Heb. Commonwealth, p. 263) says, “with a small body of troops he made himself master of Memphis, and of all Egypt as far as Alexandria, almost without striking a blow.” Compare Diod. Sic. xxvi. 75,77; Jos. “Ant.” xii. 5,2. The fact in the case was, that Antiochus pretended in his invasion of Egypt to be the friend of the Egyptian king, and that he came to aid him, and to settle him finaly on the throne. By degrees, however, he became possessed of one town after another, and subdued one place after another, until he finally became possessed of the king himself, and had him entirely in his powcr.

Comentário de Adam Clarke

Ele deve subir – De Roma, onde havia sido refém pelo pagamento do imposto imposto a seu pai.

Tornará-se forte com um povo pequeno – No início, ele tinha poucos para defender sua causa quando chegou a Antioquia, tendo o povo sido grandemente dividido pelos muitos requerentes da coroa; mas sendo apoiado por Eumenes e Attalus, seu pequeno povo aumentou e ele se tornou forte.

Comentário de E.W. Bullinger

a liga: ie a aliança que acabamos de mencionar ( Daniel 11:22 ).

com um povo pequeno . Por isso, ele é chamado “o chifre pequeno” .

Comentário de John Calvin

O anjo indica alguma interrupção das guerras, porque Antíoco ficaria contente por um tempo com a Síria e não tentaria o Egito. Foi um ótimo ponto para repelir as tentativas de todos aqueles que desejavam recuperar os direitos de seu sobrinho. Não há dúvida de que o país inteiro estava empobrecido e exausto com o custo contínuo dessas guerras; pois sempre que surgia uma nova comoção, era necessário obter novas taxas dessas províncias, e isso ocasionava grandes despesas. Não é de surpreender, portanto, que Antíoco, que era astuto, negociasse uma paz temporária com seu sobrinho Ptolomeu Philometor, rei do Egito. Sua irmã Cleópatra ainda sobreviveu, e essa foi uma desculpa honrosa. O anjo, então, declara primeiro a proposta de uma trégua que leva à paz estabelecida entre os dois soberanos. Ele acrescenta, no entanto, a conduta perversa de Antíoco em suas amizades. Durante ou após esses acordos, ele deve lidar traiçoeiramente com ele. Embora, portanto, ele fingisse ser amigo e aliado de seu sobrinho, ainda assim ele se comportou enganosamente em relação a ele. E ele ascenderá e prevalecerá por um pequeno grupo; ou seja, ele deve atacar o garoto de repente. Pois quando Ptolomeu antecipou uma amizade duradoura com seu tio, Antíoco aproveitou a oportunidade para atacar fraudulentamente algumas cidades com uma pequena força: assim, enganou seu inimigo, que pensava que tudo seria tranquilo com ele; e assim, quando Ptolomeu não tinha medo de seu tio, de repente perdeu algumas de suas cidades. O anjo quer dizer isso; ele se levantará por engano e prevalecerá sem grandes forças, porque não haverá suspeita de guerra. Já é fácil oprimir um inimigo em um estado de tranquilidade e na ausência de todo medo. Depois é adicionado, –

Comentário de John Wesley

E depois que a liga for feita com ele, trabalhará enganosamente; porque subirá e se fortalecerá com um povo pequeno.

Depois da liga – Pois ele fez uma liga com o Egito, e veio com alguns, (mas homens escolhidos) e aceitou os passes e pôs tudo em sujeição a ele.