which Antiochus should obtain power, but also the direction in which afterwards he should extend it: for the little Horn (v. 9.) "Waxed exceeding great toward the South, and toward the East, and toward the pleasant land." On the south he attacked Egypt; and, having conquered a considerable part of the kingdom, would have subjected the whole to his sway, had he not been prevented by the Romans. On the East he waxed great in Syria and Babylonia, and towards Armenia and Persia. By the "pleasant land, is intended Judea ;-a land flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands. Hence says the Psalmist (Psalm, xlviii. 2.) "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion; " And Jeremiah says (iii. 19); "But I said, how shall I put thee among the Children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations. " g And how powerful Antiochus became in Judea, we shall have abundant opportunity of shewing in the progress of this dissertation; We shall have to shew that by him Judea, the pleasant land, was laid waste and desolate, and its inhabitants subjected to the most grievous and cruel tyranny and oppression.

: :

The persecution which Antiochus inflicted upon the Jews is indeed the chief subject of the vision under consideration: For (v. 12, 23) "an host was given him against the daily sacrifice, by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground, and it practised and prospered. When the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences shall stand up." Here we have not only a description of the persecution, but also its cause; or the reason why God permitted it

See Pole's Syn. on Dan. C. viii. v. 9.

clearly assigned: its cause was, the transgressions of the Jews; many of whom had fallen into heathenish customs and practices, and hence incurred the displeasure of the Almighty. For at the time when Antiochus had obtained his kingdom, a great apostacy from their law, under the direction of Jason, took, place among the Jews: "For," says Prideaux, "at this time there were many among the Jews fondly inclined to the ways of the Greeks; whom he, (Jason) gratified by erecting his gymnasium for them to exercise in; and the freedom of the city of Antioch being a privilege of great value, while the SyroMacedonian king flourished there, by his power of granting that freedom, he drew over many more to his bent; so that putting down the governments that were according to law, he brought up new customs against the law, drawing the chief young men of the Jewish nation into his Ephebeum, and there training them up, after the manner of the Greeks; and, in all things else, he made as many of them, as he could, Apostatize, from the religion and usages of their forefathers, and conform themselves to the manners, customs, and rites of the heathen. Whereon the service of the altar became neglected, and the Priests, despising the temple, omitted there the public worship of God, and hastened to partake of the games and divertisements of the gymnasium, and all other the unlawful allowances of that place. And from hence was propagated that iniquity among the Jews, which drew after it, for its punishment, one of the greatest calamities, next the two terrible destructions executed upon their temple and country by Nebuchadnazzar and Titus, that ever befel that nation." Menelaus, who supplanted Jason, "followed him in all his ways of

h

fraud, wickedness, and apostasy; and outdid him in each of them.” i And of this Menelaus, Josephus says, that he, and "the sons of Tobias withdrew to Antioch, declaring themselves, that they would be no longer tied up to their country's laws, and institutions, but go over to the religion of their king, and the Greek way of worship; desiring liberty to erect a kind of Academy or place for public exercises in Jerusalem. Upon the obtaining of this licence, they ordered their bodies so, that even naked,there was no visible difference betwixt them and the Greeks; at the same time, casting off all regard to the Jewish laws and customs, and betaking themselves to the ways and manners of other nations. " k The Author of the first book of the Maccabees, as if writing a commentary on this part of Daniel's vision, thus describes the beginning of Antiochus' reign: and the wickedness, or "transgression" of the Jews. "And there came out of them" (the Successors to Alexander) "a wicked root, Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been an hostage at Rome, and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks. In those days went there out of Israel wicked men, who persuaded many, saying, let us go, and make a covenant with the heathen that are round about us; for since we departed from them, we have had much sorrow. So this device pleased them well. Then certain of the people were so forward herein, that they went to the king, who gave them licence to do after the ordinances of the heathen: Whereupon they built a place of exercise at Jerusalem, according to the customs of the

i Prid. an. 172.

Josephus. L. 12, C. 6. L' Estrange's, Translation.

heathen; and made themselves uncircumcised, and forsook the holy covenant, and joined themselves to the heathen, and were sold to do mischief." Here then we have a clear description of the little horn in this vision; and of the "trangression of the Jews, on account of which they suffered so much from that little horn: for, as Daniel says (v. 9), " out of one of them "-Alexander's successors- came forth a little horn;" so, this author says, "And there came out of them a wicked root, Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes:" And as Daniel says (v. 23), "When the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance shall stand up; so this author informs us, that certain of the Jews forsook the holy covenant; -became as the heathen ;-and were sold to do mischief.

As this transgression of the Jews was exceedingly great, so a terrible punishment awaited them: And that very Antiochus, whom so many strove to please by heathenish customs, became the scourge and destroyer of their nation. The prophet says of him (v. 23), that he should be a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences;" by which he describes his cruelty, and his craft; dispositions of mind, which well fitted him for the work of persecution, and the management of his kingdom. Of his cruelty we shall have to state many instances; and of his craft he gave great proof in his wars and negociations respecting Egypt. For when the Rhodian Ambassadors endeavoured, by various arguments, to withdraw him from his attempts upon Egypt, " Antiochus interrupted them and in few words told them, that there was no need of long orations as to this mat

ter; that the kingdom belonged to Philometor the elder brother, with whom he had some time since made peace, and was now in perfect friendship with him; that if they would recall him from banishment, and again restore him to his crown, the war would be at an end. This he said, not that he intended any such thing, but only out of CRAFT, further to embroil the kingdom for the better obtaining of his own ends upon

it.

The character of Antiochus, and the persecutions which he would inflict upon the Jews are thus delineated (vs. 10-12: 24, 25): "And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea he magnified himself even to the prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised and prospered. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: And he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: He shall also stand up against the prince of princes: But he shall be broken without hand.”

Now Antiochus' persecution of the Jews may be considered as commencing with his deposition of Onias their High Priest; "for he magnified himself to," or rather, "against the prince of the host. He shall also

M Prid. an. 169.