KING OF THE SOUTH, KING OF THE NORTH
DANIEL 11: 5 - 13
DANIEL 11: 5 - 13
map courtesy of www.timemaps.com
Daniel 11: 2) "Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 3) Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. 4) After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.
Daniel 11: 5 "The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. 6) After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be betrayed, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her.
Daniel 11: 2) "Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 3) Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. 4) After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.
Daniel 11: 5 "The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. 6) After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be betrayed, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her.
7) One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. 8) He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone. 9) Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. 10) His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress.
11) "Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. 12) When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. 13) For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.
11) "Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. 12) When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. 13) For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.
H.A. IRONSIDE'S COMMENTARY
There is quite an interval between verses four and five, which is passed over in silence in order to connect the invasion of Alexander with the effort of Xerxes to conquer Greece. Alexander's kingdom was parceled out after the Battle of Ipsus. From verse 5 - 35, we have the wars of the Seleucidae (kingdom of the North - that we will refer to as "North") and the Ptolemies (kingdom of the South - that we will refer to as "South"):
First of all, South (Ptolemy Lagus) was stronger than North (Seleucas Nicator) from the beginning, but after the original South died, the roles were reversed. (Ptolemy Soter succeeded him.) So now, North > South. North annexed Babylon, Media, and the surrounding nations. He threw off his allegiance to Egypt and ruled independently.
In verse 6, we read that they shall join themselves together. So, a peace treaty was arranged and the daughter of the South, Berenice was given to the grandson of the North, Antiochus. North divorced his wife at the time (Laodice) and married Berenice. I have to tell you, man, do not mess with a wife. "Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned." We will hear from Laodice again!
Laodice managed to stir up her friends against the king; and as a result, Berenice and all her attendants were put to death. North (Antiochus) reinstated his divorced queen, who shortly thereafter poisoned him and had her son Seleucas Callinicus (also labeled North) was crowned in his stead.
Then here comes the dead second wife's brother, Ptolemy Euergetes (South). He stormed across the land of Palestine spreading desolation everywhere, actuated by the desire to avenge the murder of his sister and to wipe out the dishonor inflicted on Egypt. He was successful, utterly defeating Callinicus (North) and reaping immense spoil. But he received word of a sedition back in Egypt, so he hastened back there, carrying with him an immense number of captives, their "gods", their princes, and their precious vessels of silver and gold. Every Southern boy will tell you, "don't mess with my family!" North died shortly afterwards of a fall from a horse. South did not return to Syria (kingdom of the North).
Verse 10 finds the sons of North (Callinicus), Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus the Great. These guys assembled a great force to inflict retribution upon the Egyptians. Ceraunus died in less than two year, leaving Antiochus to wage war. And he did. Antiochus led an army of 75,000 against the reigning house of the North, but the King of the South (Ptolemy Philopator) won due to recruiting Egyptians for the first time in his army. He reconquered all that had been wrested from him, returning to Egypt crowned in military glory.
South gave himself up to out-and-out wickedness and licentiousness, and upon a revolt soon after occurring in Syria, concluded an ignoble peace with Antiochus (North), because he was too depraved and indolent to follow up on his victories. Upon his death, Egypt sank lower than it had been in years.
We will leave history here for now and pick it up in our next post.
You are encouraged to leave a comment with your thoughts and also to share on your social media.
You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaslife.blogspot.com and http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com.
First of all, South (Ptolemy Lagus) was stronger than North (Seleucas Nicator) from the beginning, but after the original South died, the roles were reversed. (Ptolemy Soter succeeded him.) So now, North > South. North annexed Babylon, Media, and the surrounding nations. He threw off his allegiance to Egypt and ruled independently.
In verse 6, we read that they shall join themselves together. So, a peace treaty was arranged and the daughter of the South, Berenice was given to the grandson of the North, Antiochus. North divorced his wife at the time (Laodice) and married Berenice. I have to tell you, man, do not mess with a wife. "Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned." We will hear from Laodice again!
Laodice managed to stir up her friends against the king; and as a result, Berenice and all her attendants were put to death. North (Antiochus) reinstated his divorced queen, who shortly thereafter poisoned him and had her son Seleucas Callinicus (also labeled North) was crowned in his stead.
Then here comes the dead second wife's brother, Ptolemy Euergetes (South). He stormed across the land of Palestine spreading desolation everywhere, actuated by the desire to avenge the murder of his sister and to wipe out the dishonor inflicted on Egypt. He was successful, utterly defeating Callinicus (North) and reaping immense spoil. But he received word of a sedition back in Egypt, so he hastened back there, carrying with him an immense number of captives, their "gods", their princes, and their precious vessels of silver and gold. Every Southern boy will tell you, "don't mess with my family!" North died shortly afterwards of a fall from a horse. South did not return to Syria (kingdom of the North).
Verse 10 finds the sons of North (Callinicus), Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus the Great. These guys assembled a great force to inflict retribution upon the Egyptians. Ceraunus died in less than two year, leaving Antiochus to wage war. And he did. Antiochus led an army of 75,000 against the reigning house of the North, but the King of the South (Ptolemy Philopator) won due to recruiting Egyptians for the first time in his army. He reconquered all that had been wrested from him, returning to Egypt crowned in military glory.
South gave himself up to out-and-out wickedness and licentiousness, and upon a revolt soon after occurring in Syria, concluded an ignoble peace with Antiochus (North), because he was too depraved and indolent to follow up on his victories. Upon his death, Egypt sank lower than it had been in years.
We will leave history here for now and pick it up in our next post.
You are encouraged to leave a comment with your thoughts and also to share on your social media.
You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaslife.blogspot.com and http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com.
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