Albert Barnes Commentary Daniel 11:10

"And his sons shall war, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall come on, and overflow, and pass through; and they shall return and war, even to his fortress." — Daniel 11:10 (ASV)

But his sons shall be stirred up — Margin, “or, war.” The Hebrew word (יתגרוּ yı̂th^eggârû — from גרה gârâh) means to be rough; then, in Piel, to excite, stir up; and then, in Hithpael, to excite oneself, to be stirred up to anger, to make war upon.

Here it means, according to Gesenius (Lexicon), that they would be excited or angry. The reference here, according to Lengerke, Maurer, Gill, and others, is to Seleucus Callinicus, the son of the king of the North (the father of the “sons” mentioned in the verse). He was killed, according to Justin (Book 27, Chapter 3), by a fall from his horse. The war with Egypt was continued by his two sons, Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus the Great, until the death of the former, when it was prosecuted by Antiochus alone (see Prideaux, volume 3, page 136).

Seleucus Ceraunus succeeded his father—assuming the name of Ceraunus, or the Thunderer; but, dying soon, he left the crown to his brother, Antiochus the Great, then only fifteen years of age, by whom the war with Egypt was successfully prosecuted.

And shall assemble a multitude of great forces — Against Egypt. In such a war they would naturally summon to their aid all the forces which they could command.

And one shall certainly come — There is a change here in the Hebrew from the plural to the singular number, as is indicated in our translation by the insertion of the word “one.” The fact was that the war was prosecuted by Antiochus the Great alone.

Seleucus died in the third year of his reign, in Phrygia; being slain, according to one report (Jerome), through the treachery of Nicanor and Apaturius, or, according to another, was poisoned (see Prideaux, volume 3, page 137). Antiochus succeeded to the empire and prosecuted the war. This was done for the purpose of recovering Syria from the dominion of Ptolemy of Egypt and was conducted with various degrees of success until the whole was brought under the control of Antiochus (see Prideaux, “Connections,” volume 3, page 138 and following).

And overflow — Like a torrent.

And pass through — Through the land—not the land of Egypt, but every part of Syria.

Then shall he return — Margin, “be stirred up again.” The margin is the more correct rendering, as the Hebrew word is the same as what is used in the first part of the verse. The idea would seem to be that he would be aroused or stirred up after a defeat and, on the second expedition, enter into the strongholds or fortresses of the land.

This was literally true. Ptolemy marched into Syria with an army of seventy thousand foot, five thousand horse, and seventy-three elephants, and was met by Antiochus with an army of sixty-two thousand foot, six thousand horse, and one hundred and two elephants.

In a great battle, Antiochus was defeated and returned to Antioch (Prideaux, Connections, volume 3, pages 151-153); but the following year he again rallied his forces, invaded Syria, took Gaza and the other strongholds, and subdued the whole country of Syria (including Palestine) to himself (Prideaux, “Connections,” volume 3, pages 176-177).

Even to his fortress — The singular for the plural; perhaps using the word “fortress” with special prominence, denoting his “strongest” fortress, and therefore including all the others.