Daniel 11:42

He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(42) He shall stretch forth.—He seizes various countries through which he passes, and among them Egypt is especially selected for mention, representing, as it does, the most powerful of them. The king has at last attained his object. He has frequently been partially successful in his attempts (see Daniel 11:12-13; Daniel 11:15; Daniel 11:29), but now Egypt is completely overthrown.

Benson Commentary

Daniel 11:42-43. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries — Namely, upon the countries near to Egypt, as well as upon Egypt itself. Some think that the occasion of Antiochus’s coming into Egypt this third time was a quarrel between Ptolemy Philometor and his brother Physcon, who set up against him; and that Antiochus sided with Physcon, and assisted him to expel Ptolemy. He shall have power over the treasures, &c., of Egypt — In intestine broils, those who are called in to the assistance of either party, generally make their market of it, and pay themselves with the riches of the country. This, from the character of Antiochus, we may well suppose he would do; and if Physcon stood in need of his assistance, he could not gainsay him. Polybius giving an account of the wealth of Antiochus in gold, silver, and precious stones, adds, “Part of this he took from Egypt, breaking the covenant which he had made with Ptolemy Philometor.” This testimony seems strongly to confirm, that what is said here is spoken of Antiochus: for the historian relates exactly the same thing that Daniel here foretels. And the Lybians and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps — Or, follow him; that is, as captives, being overcome in war; for that seems to be the meaning of the expression, be at his steps. It is very probable that Antiochus, from Egypt, made an incursion against those people, and gained some victories over them.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:31-45 The remainder of this prophecy is very difficult, and commentators differ much respecting it. From Antiochus the account seems to pass to antichrist. Reference seems to be made to the Roman empire, the fourth monarchy, in its pagan, early Christian, and papal states. The end of the Lord's anger against his people approaches, as well as the end of his patience towards his enemies. If we would escape the ruin of the infidel, the idolater, the superstitious and cruel persecutor, as well as that of the profane, let us make the oracles of God our standard of truth and of duty, the foundation of our hope, and the light of our paths through this dark world, to the glorious inheritance above.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries - Margin, send forth. Significant of war and conquest. The idea is, that he would be an invader of foreign lands - a characteristic which it is not necessary to show pertained to Antiochus.

And the land of Egypt shall not escape - Moab and Edom, and the land of Ammon would escape, but Egypt would not. We have seen in the exposition of this chapter (see the notes at Daniel 11:25-28) that he, in fact, subdued Memphis and the best portions of Egypt, and even obtained possession of the person of the king.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

42, 43. Egypt … Libyans … Ethiopians—The latter two, being the allies of the first, served under Antiochus when he conquered Egypt. Antitypically, Egypt, though it held out long under the Mamelukes, in A.D. 1517 fell under the Turks. Algiers, Tunis, and other parts of Africa, are still under them.

at his steps—following him (Ex 11:8, Margin; Jud 4:10).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Though Egypt (and the adjacent countries) long stood out under the Mamelukes, yet was forced to submit to the Ottoman, anno 1517.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries,.... Before mentioned, and take possession of them and rule over them, as the Turk does to this day:

and the land of Egypt shall not escape; the hands of the Turk by whom it was taken from the Mamalucs; and is now a province of the Turkish empire, and governed by a Turkish basha, with twenty four princes under him (a). This was not true of Antiochus, who, after he had been checked by the Romans, never entered into Egypt, and much less became master of it, as the Turk now is.

(a) Ibid. (See Dr. Newton's Dissertations on the Prophecies) p. 394.

Geneva Study Bible

He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

42. stretch forth his hand] viz. to seize them: see Exodus 22:8 (‘put orth his hand upon’), where the verb in the Heb. is the same.

shall not escape] i.e. shall have none to escape; lit. shall not become an escaping body (Genesis 32:8 [9 Heb.]).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 42. - He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. The Septuagint rendering is, "And he shall send forth his hand upon the countries, and in the land of Egypt there shall not be a saviour in it." The first part of this verse is marked with an asterisk. Evidently the text before the translators had לָה פְלֵטָה (lah pelaytah), "to her deliverance," and "deliverance" in the abstract became "deliverer" in the concrete. Theodotion renders in a different sense, "And he shall stretch his hand upon the land, and the land of Egypt shall not be for salvation." The idea here is that for the land of Palestine, Egypt shall not be a deliverer. This, probably, is the true reading. The Peshitta agrees with the Massoretic pretty closely, "He shall stretch his hand over the countries, and the land of Egypt shall escape from his hands." The Vulgate has nothing to justify remark. Probably this verse, in the way it is rendered by Theodotion, is a portion of the lost vision of Daniel. The vagueness of "countries" stands in contrast to the definiteness of Edom, Moab, and Ammon, and is thus suspicious. Help was always expected from Egypt in the time when Assyria and Babylonia successively claimed the subjection of the Holy Land. Daniel 11:42

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The stretching forth of his hand upon the countries is a sign expressive of his seizing them, taking possession of them, for which he falls upon them. בּארצות are not other countries besides those which, according to Daniel 11:40, he overflowed (Klief.), but the same. Of these lands Egypt is specially noticed in Daniel 11:42 as the most powerful, which had hitherto successfully withstood the assaults of the king of the north, but which in the time of the end shall also be overthrown. Egypt, as the chief power of the south, represents the mightiest kingdoms of the earth. לפּליטה תּהיה לא (and there shall not be for an escape), expressive of complete overthrow, cf. Joel 2:3; Jeremiah 50:29.