Daniel 11:8

"“But out of a shoot from her roots one will stand up in his place, who will come to the army and will enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and will deal against them and will prevail."

Key Reflection

In Daniel 11:8, the prophet foretells a significant event where a leader emerges from the lineage of King Jeconiah (a son of Jehoiakim and grandson of Josiah). This leader will command an army and successfully attack the fortress of the king of the north. For the original audience, this prophecy would have been understood in the context of ongoing conflicts between Israelite kings and their neighbors, particularly those from the northern regions like Syria or Assyria. The imagery of a "shoot" from Jeconiah's family reasserting power resonated with the hope for deliverance and restoration of the Davidic lineage, which was crucial for maintaining national identity and messianic expectations.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods ... -That is, their idols. Jerome (in loc.) says that Ptolemy took with him, on his return, forty thousand talents of silver, a vast number of precious vessels of gold, and images to the number of two thousand four hundred, among which were many of the Egyptian idols, which Cambyses, on his conquering Egypt, had carried into Persia. These Ptolemy restored to the temple to which they belonged, and by this much endeared himself to his people. It was on account of the service which he thus rendered to his country that he was called Euergetes, that is, the Benefactor. - Prideaux, iii. 121.

More from Daniel 11

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