ed as a continuation of the vifion of the he goat, chap. viii. 8. it is propofed to fufpend an explanation of the vifion of the weeks, and continue the prophetic feries from the eighth to this eleventh chapter. As the kings of the north, or Syria, and the fouth, or Egypt, are the immediate subjects of this prophecy, the angel only makes thofe general remarks on the preceding events which were neceffary, as a regular introduction. This prophet had this vifion in the third year of Cyrus. Now fays the angel, There fhall ftand up three kings in Perfia. Thefe were Cambyfes the fon of Cyrus, called Ahafuerus Ezra iv. 6. Smerdis the magian, the ufurper, called Artaxerxes, Ezra iv. 7. and Darius, who decreed fo favourably for the Jews, Ezra vi. and the fourth, Xerxes the fon of Darius, fhall be far richer than they all; and by his frength, through his riches, he fall flir up all, his fubjects and allies, against the realm of Grecia. Having introduced the war between the Perfians and the Greeks, the angel paffes from the authors, the Perfians, to the confequences of it, by which the empire of the Perfians was deftroyed, and the kingdom of the Greeks erected. And a mighty king, Alexander the great, ball Stand up, and rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he fhall ftand up his kingdom fhall be extended and eftablished, it fall foon be broken, or diffolved by his death, and fhall be divided toward the four winds of heaven, or into four kingdoms, and not to his pofterity but to his generals, nor according to bis dominion which he ruled, not fo extenfive nor fo powerful; for his kingdom fhall be plucked up even for others befides those, for ftrangers rather than for his feed. This preparation for the immediate fubject of the prophecy being thus made, the angel proceeds to defcribe the conflicts which should fubfift between the two capital fucceffors of Alexander, called the kings of the north and fouth, or Syria and Egypt, as Syria lay north and Egypt fouth of Paleftine or Judea. The other two kingdoms, that of Caffander in Greece, and that of Lyfimachus in Thrace, are paffed in filence, as they were remote from Judea and difconnected with the Jews for whofe fake these prophecies were immediately given. Befides, the kingdom of Caffander was foon conquered by Lyfimachus, and annexed to Thrace, and Lyfimachus was fubdued by Seleucus, and his kingdom annexed to Syria; and fo the kingdoms of Syria and Egypt abforbed, and virtually comprised the whole em pire of Alexander. Of the prophecy of thefe kingdoms permit a paraphrafe, comprifing the principal events contained in it, by way of explanation. V. 5. And the king of the fouth, Ptolemy king of Egypt, one of Alexander's fucceffors, poffeffing Egypt, Palestine and Cole-Syria, &c. fhall be ftrong, and one other of his, Alexander's, princes or fucceffors, Seleucus, called Nicator, the conqueror, fhall be strong above him, Ptolemy; his dominion, comprifing Greece, Thrace, the Afian provinces, Syria, Babylon and the provinces in the caft, fhall be a great dominion. To Seleucus fucceeded his fon Antiochus Soter, and to him Antiochus Theos, as to Ptolemy fucceeded his fon, Ptolemy Philadelphus. Between these kings there were fevere contefts; but weary of their disputes, V. 8. And ball carry captives into Egypt, their gods or idols and their princes, and among them thofe idols that Cambyfes had taken and carried away, for which the Egyptians fhall call him Euergetes, the benefactor, and their precious veffels of filver and of gold, and he shall continue more years, fhall live four or five years longer, than the kings of the north. V. 9. So the king of the fouth, having enriched himfelf with the fpoils of Syria, fhall return and come into his kingdom and return to his own land. V. 10. But his fons, the fons of the king of the north, Seleucus called Ceraunus, and Antiochus called the great, ball be flirred up and fhall affemble a multitude of great forces, and one, Antiochus, for Seleucus fhall be taken off, fhall certainly come and overflow and pass through, recovering the cities and provinces which had been wrefted from Seleucus king of Syria, and they confulted terms of peace and came to an agreement on the condition, that Antiochus Theos should put away his wife, Laodice, and her fons, and marry Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus. So v. 6. In the end of the years they fall join themselves together for Berenice, the king's daughter of the fouth, of Ptolemy, fball come to the king of the north, to Antiochus Theos, to make an agreement, or fulfil the conditions of peace; but fee, Berenice, fhall not retain the power of the arm, her interest in the affections of her hufband, for Antiochus fhall reject her, and receive Laodice his other wife to his bed; but he shall not ftand nor his arm, fhall lose his authority, for Laodice, fearful that he will reject her and her fon, and return again to Berenice, fhall caule him to be put to death by poifon; but fhe, Berenice, fhall be given up, be murdered, and they that brought her, to Syria, her E-after the truce which shall be made gyptian attendants, and he that be- fhall expire, then he fhall return to gat her, or perhaps rather, was profecute the war, and be ftirred begotten of her, her fon, who fhall up even to the fortress, or city of be murdered in like manner; and defence belonging to Ptolemy. be that ftrengthened her in thofe times, V. 11. And the king of the fouth, they who would have fecured her Ptolemy Philopator, the fon of from the malice of Laodice, or Euergetes, fhall be moved with her father who had fe tenderly choler and fall come forth and fight conveyed the beft means for her with him even the king of the north, health and comfort: V. 7. But and he, the king of the north, Anout of a branch of her root fall tiochus, fhall fet forth a great mulftand up one in his eftate, Ptolemy titude; but the multitude shall be called Euergetes, proceeding from given into his hand, and Ptolemy the fame parents, the fon of her fhall obtain a complete victory father, who fucceeded him in his over Antiochus. V. 12. And kingdom, refenting the injuries when he, Ptolemy, hath taken away offered to his fifter, fball come with the multitude, his heart fhall be lifted an army to avenge her infults, and up, in pride and vanity, and vifitShall enter into the fortrefs or fenced ing the northern provinces, he cities of the king of the north, gov- fhall come to Jerufalem, offer facerned by Laodice and her fon, Se-rifices, and attempt to enter into leucus Collinicus, and shall deal the holy of holies, from which bcagainst them and shall prevail, re- ing reftrained by the priests, he ducing them to his obedience. fhall be bitterly incensed against the Jews, and on his return to mafcus, and Paleftine, or Judea, Egypt fhall commence a cruel per- from Ptolemy, ball fet his face to fecution against them, and hall enter Egypt, with the ftrength of caft down many ten thousands, but his whole kingdom, and upright ones he fhall not be frengthened by the with him, the Jews; thus fball he victory for the lofs of fo many do deliberating with himself, as he valuable fubje&s. V. 13. For will meditate a war with the Rothe king of the north, Antiochus, mans, he will prefer ftratagem to fball return again to recover his force, and propofe to fet things loft provinces, and fhall fet forth a right, to fettle differences and ad. multitude greater than the former, juft difputes, and to establish friendand fball certainly come after certain fhip and peace, and he shall give years with a great army and much him, Ptolemy, the daughter of woriches. V. 14. And in thofe days men, his beautiful daughter Cleothere fball many ftand up against the patra, corrupting her, defigning to king of the fouth, Ptolemy Epiph- perfuade her to betray the intereft anes, an infant king, the fon of of her husband; but she shall not Philopator. His officers of ftate ftand on his fide, neither be for him, fhall be treacherous and plot his fhall efpoufe the interest of her ruin, others fhall combine with husband, Ptolemy, rather than Antiochus for his deftruction, also that of her father, Antiochus. the robbers, the feditious ones, of V. 18. After this he, Antiochus, thy people fhall exalt themfelves, and fhall turn his face to the ifles, and unwittingly contribute to eftablifh fhall take many of them, with the the vifion. V. 15. So the king of maritime cities on the coafts of the north, Antiochus, fhall come Afia and Greece, and so infult and caft up a mount and take the most and provoke the Romans; but a fenced cities in Cole-Syria and prince, or Roman general, Acilius Palestine, and the arms of the fouth at Thermopyle, or rather Scipio Shall not withfland, or prevent him, at Mount Sipylus, for his own benor his chofen people, his ableft gen-half fhall caufe the reproach offered erals and braveit troops, neither by him, Antiochus, to cease; withfhall there be any ftrength to without his own reproach, not to his fland or refift Antiochus. V. 16. difgrace but honor, he ball caufe But he that cometh against him, An- the reproach offered by him to turn tiochus, fall do according to his upon him, Antiochus. V. 19. Then will, reducing the provinces of he shall return to the fort of his own Ptolemy, and none fball fand before land, to Antioch the metropolis him; and he fhall ftand in the glo- of his kingdom, and be compelled rious land, Judea, which by his to make peace with the Romans, hand, the foraging of his army, upon the hard conditions of payfhall be confumed: or perhaps rath- ing 3000 talents when the treaty er, fhall be perfected, as to ingra- fhould be ratified by the fenate, tiate himself with the Jews and and 1000 annually for the next fecure their friendship, he fhall twelve years to come, to provide provide for the repair of their city, for the payment he fhall go into Jerufalem, and the temple, and the caft to collect his tribute and tolerate them in their religious rifle the rich temple of the Elycuftoms. V.17. He, Antiochus, means, and the inhabitants, pronot content with having wreftet voked by this facrilegious attempt, Cole-Syria, or the region of Da- fhall attack, defeat and flay him of the province, poffeffing the rich kingdom and provinces of Syria, and he shall do that which his fath ers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers, for he shall featter among the people in wild profufion, the prey of his enemies, and the fpoil of temples, and the riches of his and his army: fo be fball fumble and fall and not be found. V. 20. Then fhall fiand up in his eftate, his -fon Seleucus Philopator, a raifer of taxes, the glory, the wealth and Atrength of the kingdom, who fhall fend his treasurer Heliodorus to plunder the temple in Jerufalem, to pay the tribute due to the Ro-friends; yea, and he shall forecast mans; but within a few days or devices, against the frong holds, and years he fall fall neither in anger make preparation to invade Egypt, nor in battle, neither in fedition at even for a time. V. 25. And he home nor in war abroad, but by fhall ftir up his power and his courthe treachery of his own fervants. age against the king of the fouth, ·V. 21. And in his eftate fball stand Ptolemy Philometor, the fon and up a vile perfon, his brother Anti- fucceffor of Ptolemy Epiphanes, ochus called Epiphanes, to whom with a great army, and the king of they fhall not give the honor of the the fouth fhall be flirred up to battle kingdom, not being the next heir with a very great and mighty army, to the crown, and the murderer but he shall not fland, for they shall of his brother, the facrilegious forecaft devices against him. V. 26. Heliodorus, defigning to poffefs it Tea, they that feed of the portion of himself; but he fhall come in peacea- his meat fhall deftroy him, his offibly and fhall obtain the kingdom by cers of ftate fhall be treacherous, flatteries; flattering the king of his governors revolt, and his fub-. Pergamus, that he will be his jects become feditious and make faithful friend and ally; flattering his brother king.-Amid these the Syrians by his liberality and fcenes Philometor fhall come into fair promifes; and the Romans the power of Antiochus. V. 27. by paying them the arrears of the And both these kings' hearts fhall be tribute, making them prefents, to do mifchief, each plotting the and affuring them that he will be ruin of the other, and they fhall a faithful friend and confederate. Speak lies at one table, Antiochus, V. 22. And with the arms of a pretending that he had done all flood fall they, his competitors for this out of affection to his nephew, the crown, be overflown before him, and Philometor accufing his minand all their defigns fruftrated, ifters, and acknowledging his obyea, even the prince of the covenant, ligations to his uncle for his good. Onias the high prieft, who fhall nefs in the care which he had tabe difplaced in favor of Jafon, ken of him, but it all not profper, who will offer 360 talents for the the devices of neither fhall fucceed, office. V. 23. And after the for yet the end of thefe ftruggles league made with him, Jafon, heall be at the time appointed. V.28. fball work deceitfully and give the Then he, Antiochus Epiphanes, office of high priest to Menelaus,fball return into his land with great who will give more money for it, riches, having plundered Egypt of and he fhall become flrong, be eftab. its treasures, and a report having lifhed in the kingdom, with a fmall been propagated in Judea that he people, from fmall beginnings and was dead, and the Jews rejoicing feeble profpects. V. 24. He shall for the event, bis heart fhall be enter peaceably upon the fatteft places against the holy covenant, exceedVOL. IV. No. 8. ingly incenfed against the Jews, | heathen rites inftituted, and the tem t ple confecrated to Jupiter Olympius the great god of the Greeks: and he shall return and have intelligence with them that forfake the holy covenant, proceeding in all this by the advice of the wicked Men. elaus and other apoftate Jews, to fubvert the worship of the Jews and introduce the worship of the heathen. As previous to this the Romans had conquered Greece and Macedon, and now began to control the affairs of Afia and Egypt, and all the fucceeding operations in them were but the dying pangs of diffolving empire; efpecially, as the fpirit of prophecy concludes its predictions refpecting the empire of Alexander with Antiochus Epiphanes, let this explanation be concluded with a very general defcription of the kingdom of the Greeks. The Macedonians and Grecians were the descendants of Javan, the, fon of Japheth, by whom the ifles of the Gentiles were divided in their lands, Gen. x, 5. From families, probably, they grew into tribes, called nations, with a chief, called a king, at their head. In their more im he fhall take Jerufalem in his way, fubdue the city by force, kill 4000 Jews, fell as many more for Alaves, pollute the altar with fwine's fiefh, profane the holy of holies, plunder the temple of i8oo talents, reftore Menelaus to his office, of which he fhall be divefted by his brother Jafon, appoint a barbarian governor of the city, and he fell do, or having done thefe exploits, he fhall return to his own land. V. 29. At the time appointed, when thefe conflicts fhall terminate, v. 27. be, Antiochus, Shall return and come again toward the fouth, but it, this expedition, Shall not be as the former or as the | latter. V. 30. For the Ships of Chittim tranfporting the Roman ambaffador, of whom the king of Egypt had prayed relief, Shall come against him, and the ambaffador, fufpending friendly falutations, fhall give him the decree of the fenate, requiring him to depart from the friends of the Romans. Terrified at fuch a peremptory demand, he fhall reply, he will obey the Roman fenate : therefore Jball he, Antiochus, be grieved, and return to Syria; and have indignation against the holy covenant, vent-proved and civilized condition, ing all the chagrin and grief of his difappointed hopes of conquering and poffeffing Egypt upon the Jews: fo fhall be do, he fhall detach his general Apollonius with an army againft Jerufalem, who fhall flay many of the Jews, plunder and fet fire to the city, build a ftrong caftle which fhall interrupt, harrafs and kill the worthip- | pers in the temple, and fhed inno-philofophers, poets and heroes, cent blood; fo God's worfhip for their arts and their arms. fhall be neglected and the temple knowledge of their war with the deferted he fhall morcover pub- Trojans and the destruction of lifh an edit, requiring his fubjects Troy, in the time of the Judges on pain of death to conform to in the religion of the heathen; fo the worship of God fhall be abrogated, : | when the fpirit of liberty began to refpire, they affumed the title of ftates, and had their congrefs of deputies to confult the liberty and general interefts of Greece.— They planted many colonies in diftant parts. At an early period in the hiftory of nations, they became famous for their improvement in fcience, for their orators, A Ifrael, perhaps of Jephthah, fome fay in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah,by the poetic |