Albert Barnes Commentary Daniel 8:25

"And through his policy he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and in [their] security shall he destroy many: he shall also stand up against the prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." — Daniel 8:25 (ASV)

And through his policy - The word rendered “policy” here (שׂכל s'êkel) means, properly, intelligence, understanding, wisdom; and then, in a bad sense, craft, cunning. So it is rendered here by Gesenius, and the meaning is that he would owe his success in a great measure to craft and subtlety.

He shall cause craft to prosper in his hand - He will owe his success in a great measure to a crafty policy, to intrigue, and to cunning. This was true of Antiochus in an eminent sense. See his history in Prideaux, mentioned above, and the books of Maccabees. Compare the notes at (Daniel 11:21). The same character is given of him by Polybius, “Relig.” lib. xxi. c. 5, tom. iv. p. 501, ed. Schweighauser; Appian, “de reb. Syr.” xlv. t. 1, p. 604, ed. Schweigh. (Compare to 2 Maccabees 5:24-26). He came to the kingdom by deceit (Prideaux, iii. 212), and a great part of his success was owing to craft and policy.

And he shall magnify himself in his heart - He will be lifted up with pride, or esteem himself of great consequence.

And by peace shall destroy many - Margin, “prosperity.” The Hebrew word (שׁלוה shal^evâh) means, properly, tranquility, security, ease, carelessness. Here the phrase seems to mean “in the midst of security” (Gesenius, Lexicon); that is, while they were at ease and regarded themselves as in a state of safety, he would come suddenly and unexpectedly upon them and destroy them. He would make sudden war on them, invading their territories, so that they would have no opportunity to make preparation to meet him.

Compare (Daniel 11:21, 24). It seems to mean that he would endeavor to produce the impression that he was coming in peace; that he pretended friendship and designed to keep those whom he meant to invade and destroy in a state of false security, so that he might descend upon them unawares. This was his policy rather than to declare war openly and so give his enemies fair warning of what he intended to do.

This description agrees in every way with the character of Antiochus, a leading part of whose policy always was to preserve the appearance of friendship, that he might accomplish his purpose while his enemies were off their guard.

He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes - See notes on (Daniel 8:11). Against God, the ruler over the kings of the earth.

But he shall be broken without hand - That is, without the hand of man, or by no visible cause. He will be overcome by Divine, invisible power.

According to the author of the first book of Maccabees , he died of grief and remorse in Babylon. He was on an expedition to Persia and there laid siege to Elymais. He was defeated and fled to Babylon. There, learning that his forces in Palestine had been repulsed, and overcome with grief and remorse, he sickened and died. According to the account in the second book of Maccabees (2 Maccabees 9), his death was most distressing and horrible. (Compare Prideaux, iii. 272-275). All the statements given of his death by the authors of the books of Maccabees, Josephus, Polybius, Q. Curtius, and Arrian (see the quotations in Prideaux) agree in representing it as attended with every circumstance of horror that can well be supposed to accompany a departure from this world, and as having every mark of the just judgment of God.

The Divine prediction in Daniel was fully accomplished: that his death would be without hand, in the sense that it would not be by human instrumentality, but by a direct Divine infliction. When Antiochus died, the opposition to the Jews ceased, and their land again had peace and rest.