Albert Barnes Commentary Daniel 11:22

"And the overwhelming forces shall be overwhelmed from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant." — Daniel 11:22 (ASV)

And with the arms of a flood—The reference here is to some mighty invasion of some country by Antiochus, which would sweep everything before him. There seems to be some confusion of metaphor in the phrase “the arms of a flood.” The idea in the mind of the writer appears to have been this: he saw an invasion of some country by hosts of men under the command of Antiochus.

It was not unnatural to compare this with an “inundation of waters” spreading over a land . Nor was it altogether unnatural to speak of an inundation as having “arms” extending far and near, sweeping everything to itself or carrying it away. Thus we speak of an arm of the sea, an arm of a river, etc. In this manner, the inundation—the invasion—seemed to spread itself out like waters, sweeping all away.

Shall they be overflown, from before him—The prophet does not specify “who” would thus be overthrown. Some have supposed that the reference is to the Hebrews, but the more correct interpretation is the one that refers it to Egypt (See the notes at Daniel 11:25).

As a matter of fact, the forces of Heliodorus, the forces of the Hebrews, and the forces of the Egyptians were alike broken and scattered before him. The eye of the prophet, however, seems rather here to be on the invasion of Egypt, which was one of the earliest and most prominent acts of Antiochus, and into the history of which the prophet goes into the most detail.

Yea, also the prince of the covenant—He also shall be broken and overcome. There has been some diversity of opinion as to who is meant by “the prince of the covenant” here. Many suppose that it is the high priest of the Jews, as being the chief prince or ruler under the “covenant” which God made with them, or among the “covenant” people.

But this appellation is not elsewhere given to the Jewish high priest, nor is it one that could properly be applied to him. The reference is rather to the king of Egypt, with whom a covenant or compact had been made by Antiochus the Great, and who was supposed to be united, therefore, to the Syrians by a solemn treaty. See Lengerke, in loc. So Elliott, “Rev.” iv. 133.