Theodoret of Cyrus — Commentary on Scripture

Daniel 10:13 · 2 passages

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

MOSES TEACHES US THESE THINGS MORE DISTINCTLY: “For when the Most High allotted the nations, as he scattered the sons of Adam, he appointed the boundaries of the nations according to the numbers of the angels.” And in the holy Gospels our Lord says to the apostles, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, because their angels daily see the face of my Father in heaven.” … We learn then from these passages that each of the angels is entrusted with our care, to guard and protect us and to ward off the wicked demon’s plots, but the archangels are entrusted with authority over the nations.… And blessed Daniel agrees with them, for he also speaks of the prince of the kingdom of the Persians [and] … the prince of the Greeks, and [he] calls the prince of Israel Michael.Why then [does] the prince of the Persian kingdom seem to oppose the advocate of God’s people? After all, it is clear to everyone that the nature of the angels is better than the passions by which we are gripped, and their nature is full of holiness. The fact that they unquestionably obey the wishes of God can be…

MOSES TEACHES US THESE THINGS MORE DISTINCTLY: “For when the Most High allotted the nations, as he scattered the sons of Adam, he appointed the boundaries of the nations according to the numbers of the angels.” And in the holy Gospels our Lord says to the apostles, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, because their angels daily see the face of my Father in heaven.” … We learn then from these passages that each of the angels is entrusted with our care, to guard and protect us and to ward off the wicked demon’s plots, but the archangels are entrusted with authority over the nations.… And blessed Daniel agrees with them, for he also speaks of the prince of the kingdom of the Persians [and] … the prince of the Greeks, and [he] calls the prince of Israel Michael.Why then [does] the prince of the Persian kingdom seem to oppose the advocate of God’s people? After all, it is clear to everyone that the nature of the angels is better than the passions by which we are gripped, and their nature is full of holiness. The fact that they unquestionably obey the wishes of God can be learned throughout Scripture. How then does the prince of the kingdom of the Persians seem to oppose the care of the Israelites?… For the prince of the Persians and the prince of Greeks, that is, those who have been entrusted with the protection and care of these nations, inasmuch as they are fondly disposed toward those in their care and see the transgression of Israel, were displeased to see the Israelites enjoying more consideration. They did not know the mystery that had been hidden in God, who made all things. After the incarnation of our Savior, as Paul says, “The manifold wisdom of God was made known to the rulers and authorities through the church.” Therefore, since they did not know this mystery and they saw God’s great providence for Israel, those who had been entrusted with the care for the other nations were displeased to see that after the law, the prophets and such teaching and care, the Israelites behaved worse and were inflamed by more evil than the nations who were shepherded by them.

This means “I spent all these days persuading him how the Israelites were justifiably worthy of this attention. And Michael, one of the chief princes, joined in advocating with me.”

Daniel 10:17

For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.

Let no one think that the one who appeared to Daniel was the Lord because Daniel addressed him as “lord.” For Daniel at the end of the vision said, “He stretched out his hand to the heaven and swore by the living God,” confessing candidly thereby his servitude to the Lord. Daniel called him “lord” not as if he were God, but rather paying him the customary honor. For when we too converse with humans of more honorable rank, we typically use this salutation, just as also blessed Abraham did when he saw the angels appearing as men and conversed with them as with men: “I ask you, my lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.” And blessed Rebecca spoke to the servant of blessed Abraham, “Drink, my lord, and I will give water to your camels.” Accordingly, also this word lord does not altogether indicate God. And we will learn this more clearly from the end, as long as we hold to this train of argument.

Daniel 10:18

Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,

He meant, “Do not be in distress at all; for I did not come to harm you but to make known to you what you desired to know. Cast off your fear, be brave, and be strong.” And the deed followed word.

Daniel 10:21

But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

He says in effect, “Why then do I speak of one or two, the prince of the Persians or that of the Greeks? For none of the heavenly powers wishes your people to obtain anything good, manifestly because of their great lawlessness. Only Michael so desires, who was entrusted with the care of your people.” He used the expression “to wage war” instead of “to argue and persuade,” since he wished to show the just irritation of his opponent at the people and his own good will on their behalf. It is likely that the angel who is doing the debating is the holy Gabriel, for this angel had already interpreted the other dreams for him.

Daniel 11:1

Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

[The divine angel says,] As soon as Cyrus came to the throne and the end of captivity had been reached, I took my place until I had secured release and liberation for the people.

Daniel 11:4 · 2 passages

And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

He does not spend much time on the ruler of Asia Minor or Macedonia, especially since no grief befell the Jews through them. He mentions only the two through whom the Jews would be tested with grievous misfortunes. These are the king of Egypt and the one entrusted with the rule of the nations that lay to the east. The latter held palaces in both Antioch and Babylon.

When, as we have already mentioned, Alexander joined together the whole known world, so to speak, into his kingdom and then suffered the fate common to all humankind, the kingdom was divided into four parts.

Daniel 11:5

And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

He is talking about Ptolemy Philopator, who was not satisfied with the kingdom of Egypt but who added also Phoenicia, Samaria and Judea. When he says, “one of his princes will grow strong,” he is talking about Scopas, whom also Josephus the Hebrew historian mentions. Scopas was an outstanding general and placed under Ptolemy’s power many of the nations that were outside of the kingdom of Ptolemy. He speaks of this one enigmatically: “And he will rule with much power beyond his authority,” that is, he will rule over many nations beyond the realm that had been allotted to him.

Daniel 11:6 · 2 passages

And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.

But the marriage will not suffice to bring about an alliance. She will be returned to the one who had given her through those who brought her, along with the things that had been presented by her (for he says, “the one supporting her during those times”). Wealth was what had accomplished the strong and desired marriage.

After Ptolemy Philpator died, his son Ptolemy (surnamed Epiphanes) reigned. That is what he means, “After his years, they will make an alliance.” And he explains how they will make an alliance. By the king of the north he means Antiochus—not Antiochus Epiphanes but Antiochus the Great, who was the father of Antiochus Epiphanes. It was Antiochus the Great who was the contemporary with those Ptolemies.

Daniel 11:13

For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.

He will lead again an army greater than the earlier one and will set out against Egypt, and he will do this near the end of his own reign. That is what is meant by the sentence “at the end of the seasons he will make his entrance with great power and with much wealth.” This doubling is a Hebraism; he wished to say that he would make a great entrance. This is the idiom of both the Hebrews and the Arameans, for they are accustomed to say, “entering he entered” and “departing he departed” and “eating he eats,” and so forth. The translators were rather accurate and followed Hebrew usage.

Daniel 11:20-21 · 2 passages

Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.

He was in fact not glorious, seeming instead to be an insignificant figure, because he was kept under guard in Rome. “And he will return, and he will gain mastery over a kingdom by his cunning.” But, nonetheless, especially since he had been brought down to nothing, he will come with great advantage and a very large army, and he will overpower the kingdom with deceit as its helper, and he will use gross deceit all the more. The blessed Daniel saw this fact also in the second vision, and he heard holy Gabriel saying, “Guile is in his hand, and he will become arrogant in his heart. He will destroy many, and he will prevail as many are destroyed.” Thus, he says here words to the same effect: “He will gain mastery over a kingdom by his cunning.”

He is talking about Antiochus Epiphanes, who on his return from Rome succeeded his brother Seleucus. Seleucus (called Philopator) succeeded Antiochus the Great, since he was his son. When Seleucus died, Antiochus Epiphanes received the throne. He says about the latter, “From his root kingship will sprout, and he will put aside his readiness.” That is to say, he will imitate his father’s power and will be adequate to lay hold of the kingdom readied by his father.

Daniel 11:22

And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.

Here again he hinted at the empire of the Egyptians, that though they too were very powerful, destroying their adversaries like an inundation, and rendering them totally undone, they themselves would be subject to an inundation from him and would be crushed—and not they alone but “the prince of the covenant as well.”

Daniel 11:23

And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

Here he foretells the revolt against Onias the high priest by Joshua, also called Jason, and by Onias, son of Menelaus. The former, Jason, had recourse to Antiochus and threw his own brother out from the high priesthood. Menelaus, who was commissioned to bring tributes and gold to Antiochus, appointed himself high priest and drove out Jason.

Daniel 11:24

He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.

Although all his fathers and forefathers had honored the Jewish nation, he does everything to the contrary. He steals, plunders and enslaves—and bestows all these things on his troops. “And he shall make plans against Egypt, and yet only until a certain time.” That is to say, he will not rule for long.

Daniel 11:25

And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.

The first book of the Maccabees relates this assault on Egypt: “Antiochus came to Egypt with a mighty host and with chariots, elephants, horses and a great expedition and battled against Ptolemy, king of Egypt. Ptolemy fled, and many of his soldiers were wounded and fell. Antiochus captured the fortresses of Egypt and plundered Egypt.”

Daniel 11:27

And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

As the historian Josephus teaches us, the Romans learned about this army of his and commanded him to depart from Egypt. Then he made a peace treaty and shared a table with Ptolemy. The angel who addressed Daniel explained the festering wound underlying the friendship when he said, “Their hearts will turn to evil, and they will speak lies at the same table and will not set it right.” That is, the peace will not be secured: “Because the end will be at the appointed time.” That is, once this time has passed, they will engage again and march out in battle array.

Daniel 11:28

Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.

But nonetheless he will then return to his own kingdom with much wealth and great abundance. “And his heart will be against the holy covenant.” At last, he will have one endeavor, namely, to destroy the law given by God to the Jews. Because he desires this, he puts his plans into effect. “And he will act and return to his land.” The book of the Maccabees and the history of Josephus explain this.