The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 344

Phyecon. The king, Pt-O!emy, Wl\8 young; conveyed practically I\ 11risoncr with his hie gc>nerale, however, took up the ohRllenge, uncle's e.rmy, whilo Epiphe.nee carried on nnd eet on the field I\ le.rge e.rmy; but th" hie invasion of l~gypt. 'l'hoy rlinod nt ona Rrmy we.a defoe.ted, e.nd Antioohue ad- table, and probably deceived ench tho vanced M fe.r e.e Memphis. Ptolemy we.e other. Tho purpose of Ptolemy we.s to get ta.ken prisoner by hie uncle, e.nd Ph.yecon hie usurping brother Physcon dethroned ; hie brother aeoended the throne. The the object of Anti\JChus was to possess defeat of Philometor we.e supposed to be Egypt for himself. Rashi sees in this le.rgely due to treachery. e. reference to the quarrels e.nd reconcilin• Ver. 26.-Yea, they that teed of the tions whioh diversified the conftiot be• portion of hi■ meat shall de■troy him, and tween John. Hyrce.nue II. and hie brother hill e.rmy ahe.ll ovarflow: and many shall Aristobnlus. Jephct-ibn-Ali me.kes the two fflll down 1lain. The Septuagint rendering kings mee.n Are.hie. and Rome, sinoo, ncoord• here is different, "And hie ce.res she.11 ing to him, these e.re respectively the kings con@ume him and turn him awe.y, and he of the south e.nd of the north. Yet the end 11hall p8S8 by (and shall hiss, 1<a'l'atTup,,i); ,hall be at tlie time appointed. The pro- and me.ny she.II fe.11 do\lfll wounded." Paulus gress of A.ntioehus we.e interrupted by the Tellensis renders 1<a'l'a1Tup,., by .£>0~ Romans. Ver. 28.-Then shall he return in.to his (nigroop11), "she.11 overflow," as if he he.d land with peat riohea; and his heart shall read 1<a'l'apnlu.-ra1, or perhaps 1<a'l'ruropii, be a.gain.at the holy covenant; and he shall though it does not exactly represent the do exploits, and return to his own land. Hebrew. Theodotion is liker the Masso- The Greek versions and the Vnlge.te e.re retic, "And they ee.t his provisions, and in close agreement with the Me.ssoretio she.11 break him to pieces ; and he she.11 text. The Peshitte. differs only by omitting overflow powers, &nd me.ny shall fall the le.et clause, which certainly seems e. wounded." :The acoount of the invasion redu.ndance. On his return from his of Egypt by Epiphe.nes occurs in 1 Me.cc. Egyptian oampe.ign, Epiphe.nes, we lee.m i. 18. The Septuagint translator ap- from 1 Me.co. i. 20 - 23, plundered the pears to have read, instead of \:.:i-ne •~:i~, temple of all its treasures. On the some• what suspicioue authority of 2 Me.cc. iv. ;~hlo~ ( ~-<orli,l ay path-bago ), 1•tt:i.11-;i ,',:;ii$) • ( some he.ve reforred to the report spree.d dag'otha'l!), There would seen:i also to he.ve that A.ntioehus we.a dee.d, e.nd that, ta.king been some confusion between ',,;:i (hee'[), adve.nte.ge of this, Ja.son seized the city " strength," and -f,;, (Jaa~ ), "to go." The e.nd drove Menele.us into the cite.de! ; and the.t, hearing of this uproe.r, A.ntiochus, Peshitte. renderillg is, "They that ee.t his imagilling the.t Judma. had revolted, retired meat shall destroy him, e.nd his army she.11 from Egypt, and wreaked vengeance on be dispersed, and me.ny shall fall wounded." Jeruse.lem, taking it by e.sse.ult. The The Vnlgate is closely related to this. This slaughter inflicted is confirmed by other refers to the treachery which was alleged to authorities; but the resistance implied in have been at work and to he.ve ea.used the the assertion that he took the city by force overthrow of Philometor in his contest with of arms (BopudAro.,.ov) is contradicted by his uncle. The version of the Septuagillt Josephus e.nd I Me.cce.bees. is more picturesque, and more in e.ccorde.nce Ver. 29.-At the time appointed he shall with facts. Cares might well devour return., and come toward the south; but it Ptolemy Philometor - treachery in his shall not be e.s the former, or as the latter. army and his brother occupying his throne. The LXX. does not di1fer from this me.teri• Certainly he was defeated, turned aside, ally, se.ve the.t it has Egypt, as usue.l, for e.nd we.a compelled to accompany the victor south, and asserts the.t the king of the north e.s a prisoner, while Egypt was we.sted entered Egypt. Theodotion is e.lso in (1<aTauupii). practical agreement with the Me.ssoretio Ver. 27.-.6.nd both these killgs' hea.rta text. The Peshitta. is much shorter, and shall be to do mischief, e.n.d they ail.all spee.k di1fers very much from the e.bove, as well e.s lies at one table ; but it shall n.ot prosper : from all the other versions, "And he she.11 for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. do in the former and in the latter." There The Septuagint Version is," And two kings seems to have been something omitted, shall dine alone at the se.me time, e.nd eat The Vulge.te gives a different rendering of at one table, and they shall speak lies, and the last clause, "The last she.11 not bo like they ah.all not prosper." The translator the former." The reference is to the second has ree.d c,:i~ instead of c:i:i~. Theodotion expedition of Antiochus into Egypt. His is clc.ser to the Massoretic, agreeing in this two nephews, whose quarrels e.nd rivalries with the Peshitte. e.nd Vulgate. The pro- ho he.d hoped to utilize for his own pur• bo.ble reference is to Ptolemy Philometor, poses, were now to e.ppee.rance reconciled ;  UIJ, XI. 1-45,) THE BOOK OI!' DANIEL. 317