John Calvin Commentary Daniel 11

Interpreters explain this verse in various ways. Some think the angel fought for the Persian king and support their opinion because he did not begin to defend that monarchy on behalf of the chosen people for the first time now, but had done so from the very start. Others attribute this to Michael, since the angel declares that he brought Michael's assistance.

But that is forced and cold. I do not hesitate to state that the argument is from the greater to the less, and we have an instance of this in a tragedy of Ovid's. "I have been able to preserve you; do you ask whether I can destroy you?" Thus the angel says, "I have established the Persian monarchy; I have not the slightest doubt of my present power to restrain these kings, lest they should pour out their fury upon the people."

The full meaning is this: the king of the Persians is nothing and can do nothing except through me. I was God's servant in transferring the monarchy of the Medes and Chaldeans to the Persians, as well as that of the Babylonians to the Medes. God, he says, entrusted me with that office, and so I placed Darius on the throne.

You now see how completely I have him in my power, and how I can prevent him from injuring my people should he be so inclined. When the angel boasts of his standing forward to help Darius, he claims nothing for himself, but speaks, as it were, in the person of God.

For angels have no power distinct from God's when He uses their agency and assistance. There is no reason to inquire whether the angel should use this boastful language and claim anything for himself. For he does not claim anything as really his own, but he shows himself to have been an agent in the change of dynasty when Babylon was subdued by the Medes, and the empire transferred to Darius.

For although, as we have previously shown, Cyrus obtained the victory, yet he transferred the honors of government to his uncle Cyaxares. The Hebrews are accustomed to consider him as king for the first two years; Cyrus began to reign after this period. And now, when the angel appears to Daniel, the third year had arrived, as we saw at the beginning of the chapter.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, as you daily and intimately condescend to grant us the light of heavenly doctrine, that we may come to your school with true humility and modesty. May our docility be truly apparent; may we receive with reverence whatever proceeds from your lips, and may your majesty be conspicuous among us. May we taste of that goodness which you manifest to us in your word, and be enabled to rejoice in you as our Father. May we never dread your presence, but may we enjoy the sweet testimony of your paternal grace and favor. May your word be more precious to us than gold and worldly treasures, and, meanwhile, may we feed upon its sweetness, until we attain that perfect fullness which is laid up for us in heaven through Christ our Lord. Amen.

We must now understand God’s intention in informing His servant Daniel in this way of future events. He was clearly unwilling to gratify a vain curiosity, and He elaborated on events that needed to be known, thus enabling the Prophet not only to rely privately on God’s grace, through this demonstration of His care for His Church, but also to exhort others to persevere in the faith.

This chapter seems like a historical narrative in the form of an enigmatic description of events that were then future. The angel relates and places before Daniel's eyes occurrences yet to happen. From this, we gather very clearly how God spoke through His prophets; and thus Daniel, in his prophetic character alone, is clear proof to us of God’s particular favor towards the Israelites.

Here the angel discusses not the general state of the world, but first the Persian kingdom, then the monarchy of Alexander, and afterwards the two kingdoms of Syria and Egypt. From this, we clearly perceive how the whole discourse was directed to the faithful.

God did not concern Himself with the welfare of other nations, but wished to benefit His Church, and principally to sustain the faithful under their approaching troubles. It was to assure them that God would never forget His covenant, and that He would so moderate the convulsions then taking place throughout the world as to always be protecting His people by His assistance. But we will have to repeat this again, and even more than once, as we proceed.

First of all, the angel states, Three kings shall yet stand up in Persia. With respect to the clause, Behold! I announce to you the truth, I explained in yesterday’s Lecture how frequently he confirmed his prophecy whenever he dealt with events of the greatest importance, which seemed almost incredible. I shall tell you the real truth; three kings shall stand up. The Jews are not only very ignorant of everything, but very stupid also—then they have no sense of shame, and are endowed with a perverse audacity; for they think there were only three kings of Persia, and they neglect all history, and mix and confuse things that are perfectly clear and completely distinct.

There were eight kings of Persia of whom no mention is made here. Why, then, does the angel say, three kings should stand up? This was the first year of Darius, as we saw before. Therefore, in their number of kings, Cyrus, the first monarch, is included, along with his son Cambyses.

Once these two kings have been identified, a new question arises; for some add Smerdis to Cambyses, though he was only an impostor. The Magi falsely presented him as the son of Darius, for the purpose of acquiring the sovereignty for themselves. Thus he was acknowledged as king for seven months; but when the deception was discovered, he was slain by seven of the nobles, among whom was Darius the son of Hystaspes. According to the common narrative, Darius was made king by the consent of the others based on the neighing of his horse.

The differing interpretations might discourage us from reading them, so we must gather the truth from the historical outcome. For Smerdis, as I have stated, cannot be counted among the kings of Persia, as he was merely an impostor. I therefore exclude him, following the careful judgment of others who have considered this point attentively.

We must now observe why Daniel mentions four kings, the fourth of whom, he states, should be very rich. Cambyses succeeded Cyrus, who was reigning when the prophecy was uttered. He was always moving to distant places; he scarcely allowed himself rest for a single year; he was exceedingly desirous of glory, insatiable in his ambition, and always stirring up new wars.

Cambyses, Cyrus's son, who had slain his brother, died in Egypt, yet he added that country to the Persian Empire. Darius, the son of Hystaspes, succeeded, and Xerxes followed him. Those who think Darius, the son of Hystaspes, is the fourth king are deceived; without doubt, the Prophet meant Xerxes, who crossed the sea with a mighty army.

He led with him 900,000 men; and, however incredible this may appear, all historians constantly affirm it. He was so puffed up with pride that he said he came to put fetters on the Hellespont, while his army covered all the neighboring country. This is one point: the four kings were Cyrus, Cambyses, Darius the son of Hystaspes, and Xerxes, omitting Smerdis.

We may now inquire why the angel limits the number to four, since the successor of Xerxes was Artaxerxes, or Darius Longimanus (the long-handed), and there were others after him. This difficulty is solved by the following probable explanation: Xerxes destroyed the power of the Persian Empire by his rashness; he escaped with the greatest disgrace and was barely saved by the ignominy of his flight.

He hastily brought away only a few companions with him in a small boat and could not obtain a single transport ship, although the Hellespont had previously been covered with his ships. His whole army was almost cut to pieces, first at Thermopylae, then at Leuctra, and afterwards at other places. From that period, the Persian Empire declined, for when its military glory was annihilated, the people gave themselves over to laziness and idleness, according to the testimony of Xenophon.

Some interpreters explain the phrase three kings stood up as referring to the flourishing period of the Persian monarchy: they take the words “stood up” emphatically, because from that period the nation’s power began to decline. For Xerxes, on his return, was hated by the whole people: first for his folly, then for his putting his brother to death, for his disgraceful conduct towards his sister, and for his other crimes. And as he was so loaded with infamy before his own people, he was slain by Artabanus, who reigned seven months.

Since the power of Persia was then almost entirely destroyed, or at least was beginning to decline, some interpreters state that these three kings “stood up,” and then add Xerxes as the fourth and the most opulent. But suppose we take the words “stood up” relatively, with respect to the Church?

For the angel states that the Persian prince, Cambyses, stood before him in an attitude of hostility and conflict. The angel seems rather to hint at the standing up of four kings of Persia, for the purpose of reminding the Jews of the serious evils and severe troubles they must suffer under their rule.

In this sense, I interpret the verb “to stand,” referring it to the contests by which God harassed the Church until the death of Xerxes. For at that period, when the power of the Persians declined, a longer period of rest and relaxation was granted to the people of God.

This is the reason why the angel omits and passes over in silence all the kings from Artabanus to Darius the son of Arsaces; for Arsaces was the second to last king, and although Ochus reigned before him, we know from secular historians how his descendants were reduced to the lowest rank under the last Darius, whom Alexander conquered, as we will see later.

For this reason, I think this is the genuine meaning of the passage: from Cyrus to Xerxes, kings of Persia would stand up against the Israelites, and during that entire period, the conflicts would be renewed, and the Jews would almost perish through despair under that continual series of evils.

Some say four kings would stand forth until all the Jews were led out; and we know this was never completed, for only a small portion returned. As to my own opinion, I am unwilling to argue with others, yet I do not hesitate to assert the angel’s intention to exhort all the pious to endurance, for he announced the standing up of these four kings, who would bring various tribulations upon them.

As to the fourth king, the statement of this passage suits Xerxes exactly. The fourth, he says, shall be enriched with wealth; for the noun has a similar meaning to the verb, as they both spring from the same root. Indeed, Darius the son of Hystaspes determined to wage war with Greece; he made the attempt but without success, especially at the Battle of Marathon.

He was cut off by sudden death when his treasures were prepared and many forces were collected. He thus left the materials of war for his son. Xerxes, in the prime of his life, saw every preparation for war made ready for him; he eagerly seized the opportunity and paid no attention to sound advice.

For, as we have already stated, he destroyed himself and the whole monarchy, not by a single slaughter only, but by four. And this power of raising an army of 900,000 men was no ordinary occurrence. If he had only carried with him across the sea 100,000 men, this would have been a large force.

But his ability to feed such large forces while he passed through so many provinces, and then to transport them across the sea, exceeds what we can ordinarily believe. We are not surprised, then, at the angel’s predicting the extreme wealth of this king.

He adds, In his fortitude and in his riches he shall stir them all up against the realm of the Greeks. This was not accomplished by Darius the son of Hystaspes. According to my previous statement, he attacked certain Grecian cities, but without causing confusion throughout the whole East, as Xerxes his successor did.

As for the phrase, the kingdom of Javan, I willingly agree with the opinion of those who think the word is equivalent to the Greek word Ionia. For Javan went out in that direction and lived there with his descendants in the Grecian territory, from where almost the whole of Greece obtained its present name.

The whole Grecian nation is often called “Chittim,” and some see good reason for them being termed “Machetae,” from Chittim the son of Javan; thus, by the addition of a letter, we arrive at the Macedonians. For the conjecture is probable that this people were first called Maketae, and afterwards Macedonians.

Without doubt, in this passage and in many others, Javan stands for the whole of Greece, since Ionia was the part of the country most celebrated in Judea and throughout the East generally. Xerxes then stirred up against the realm of Javan—meaning Greece—all the people of the East, for it is very well known how his empire spread far and wide in every direction.

It follows:—

This refers to Alexander of Macedon. I have already briefly stated the reason why the angel passed over all the Persian kings from Artabanus to the last Darius: they did not engage in any conflicts with the Jews until Xerxes. But when Alexander invaded Asia, he struck the Jews with terror, as well as all other nations.

He came like lightning, and it is by no means surprising that the Jews should be frightened at his arrival, because, as we previously expressed it, he flew with amazing swiftness. Alexander then rose up, not only because of the riches and might of his warlike preparations, but he also necessarily inspired the Jews with trepidation when they perceived their inability to resist him. Thus, he was deservedly hostile to them, because, from the very beginning, they had despised his empire.

Josephus also informs us how Alexander was moved at the sight of the high priest, and how he determined to mitigate his rage against the Jews. For when Alexander was at home, before crossing into Asia, the vision of the high priest appeared to him, because God had sent his angel in that disguise.

Alexander supposed it to be some deity. However, when the high priest met him in procession, the vision returned to his recollection, and he was struck as if he had seen God appearing to him from heaven.

Whatever the purpose of this occurrence, Alexander clearly came into Judea with the intention of utterly destroying the whole nation. This is the reason why the angel carefully predicts this change.

A brave king, therefore, shall stand up, and rule with extensive dominion, and do according to his pleasure; that is, he shall succeed as if he had all the events of the war under his own control and according to his own pleasure, as the event itself most fully proved.

It follows: —

This language is concise, but there is no ambiguity in its meaning. First of all, the angel says that after that brave king had risen to power, his empire would be broken in pieces. For when Alexander had reached his peak, he suddenly fell sick and died shortly afterward in Babylon.

Ambassadors had assembled around him from every direction. He was quite intoxicated by prosperity and very probably poisoned himself. Historians, however, have viewed him as a remarkable example of singular valor. Consequently, they have claimed—or at least supposed—that he was deceitfully poisoned by Cassander.

But we all know how intemperately and immoderately he indulged in drinking. He almost buried himself in wine, was seized with disease while drinking, and succumbed to it because no remedy was found for him. This, then, was Alexander’s poison. However we understand it, he fell suddenly, almost as soon as he began to establish his power.

After conquering nearly the whole East, he came to Babylon. He was uncertain in his plans for the deployment of his forces after he had secured peace for the whole East.

He was then anxious to transfer his armies to either Europe or Africa. The angel says, After he had stood up, meaning, after he had acquired the monarchy of the whole East, his kingdom should be broken up. He uses this simile because Alexander's entire power was not so much extinguished as broken into separate parts.

We know how the twelve chiefs who were his generals drew the spoils to themselves. Each one took a portion of his kingdom and divided it among themselves, as we have previously stated, just as if it were torn from their master’s body. They all consented to raise his brother Aridaeus to the dignity of king, and they called him Philip, so that while Alexander's sons were young, the memory of their father might commend them to the world. But eventually, four kingdoms emerged from Alexander’s monarchy. It is unnecessary here to refer to what we may read at our leisure in the writings of historians.

The Prophet only touches briefly on those points that relate to the instruction of the Church. He does not relate in order or in detail the events narrated in history; he only says, His empire shall be broken, and shall be divided... towards the four winds of heaven. The angel omits that division which assigned the treasure to one and gave the office of counselor to Philip. Perdiccas was the guardian of Alexander's son, and he, with others, obtained a portion of his dominions.

Seleucus obtained Syria, and his son Antiochus succeeded him. Antigonus became prefect of Asia Minor. Cassander, the father of Antipater, seized the kingdom of Macedon for himself. Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, who had been a common soldier, possessed Egypt. These are the four kingdoms of which the angel now speaks.

For Egypt was situated to the south of Judea, and Syria to the north, as we will later have occasion to observe. Macedonia came afterward, and then Asia Minor, both east and west.

But the angel does not enter into any complicated details; instead, he briefly enumerates whatever was necessary for the common instruction of the elect people. The common consensus of all writers has handed down these facts: four kingdoms were eventually constituted out of many portions, after the chiefs had so mutually slain one another that only four survived—namely, Ptolemy, Seleucus, Antigonus, and Cassander.

Afterward, the kingdom of Antiochus was extended when Antigonus was conquered, for Antiochus added Asia Minor to the kingdom of Syria. But Antiochus's rule lasted only for a time, and therefore the angel truly and properly states this empire to have been divided into four parts.

He next adds, And not to his posterity. No one could have guessed what the angel predicted so many years before Alexander’s birth, for he was not born until a hundred years after this period. Those who know the boldness of his warlike schemes, the rapidity of his movements, and the success of his measures would never have been persuaded of this result: the complete destruction of all his posterity and the utter extinction of his lineage.

Had Alexander lived quietly at home, he might have married and become the father of children who would have been his undisputed successors. He died young, soon after reaching the age of thirty; still, he might have married and had heirs to his throne. He had a brother, Aridaeus, and other relatives, among whom was his uncle Pyrrhus, king of Epirus. Thus, a royal offspring might have been preserved, and a successor prepared for him.

After he had subdued both upper and lower Asia, he became master of Syria, Egypt, and Judea, and extended his power to the Persians, while his fame spread over Africa and Europe.

Since no one dared to raise a finger against him—as he possessed a most magnificent army, all his generals were bound to him by very significant benefits, and so many of his prefects were enriched by his extreme liberality—who would have thought that all his posterity and relatives would be thus blotted out?

He left two sons, but they were slain, as was his brother Aridaeus, while his wives and his mother (aged eighty years) shared the same fate. Nor did Cassander spare her, for she intrigued against him. Eventually, as if God would punish the many slaughters committed by Alexander, He wished his whole posterity to be extinguished.

And yet, as I have stated, no foreign enemy was the agent in inflicting such heavy punishments. He had subjugated the whole East, and his bearing was such that it seemed as if the entire monarchy of that part of the world had descended to him from his ancestors by hereditary right.

As the world contained no enemy for him, his foes sprang from his own household. They slew his mother, his wives, his children, and all his relatives, and utterly rooted out all his lineage.

We observe, then, with what clearness and certainty the angel predicts events entirely concealed from that age and for a hundred years afterward—events such as would never be credited by mankind.

There seems a great contrast in the language: his kingdom shall be broken, it shall be divided towards the four winds of heaven, and not to his posterity. That is, although the four kingdoms would spring up in the four quarters of the world, yet none of Alexander’s posterity would remain in a single place or obtain even the smallest portion of his dominions.

This was a remarkable proof of God’s wrath against the cruelty of Alexander. He was not savage by nature, but ambition seized him, made him bloodthirsty, and made him unwilling to desire any end to his warfare. God, therefore, avenged that grasping disposition of Alexander’s by allowing his entire lineage to perish thus with disgrace and horrible cruelty. Because of this, that pride of his—which wished him to be thought a son of Jupiter and which condemned to death all his friends and followers who would not prostrate themselves before him as a god—that pride, I say, could never secure a single descendant to reign in his place or even to hold a single satrapy. Not to his posterity, says the angel, and not according to his dominion.

He passes to the four kings of whom he had spoken: It shall not break forth, he says, namely, from the four kings. He had already stated their foreign extraction, not in any way derived from the family of that king, for none of the four would equal his power, because his kingdom would be finished.

Here the angel seems to omit intervening events and speaks of an ultimate destruction. We know how the later king Perseus was conquered by the Romans, and how the kingdom of Antiochus was partly destroyed by war and partly oppressed by fraud. And the angel seems to note this.

We may interpret it more accurately by considering the cessation of Alexander’s empire with reference to his own lineage, as if the angel had stated that none of his successors would acquire power equal to his own.

And why was this so? Not one of them could accomplish it. Alexander acquired so mighty a name that all people willingly submitted to his sway, and no single successor could sustain the burden of the whole empire. Therefore, his kingdom, as far as it related to himself and his posterity, was divided, and no one succeeded to his power and his opulence. And it shall be given to others. The angel here explains his meaning. The destruction of the kingdom should not be explained merely in terms of its individual parts, for each successor seized his own portion for himself, and his successors were all strangers. And to others besides those; meaning, his kingdom will be seized by officers who are not of his posterity. That is, strangers will rush into Alexander’s place, and no successor will arise from his own kindred.

Here the angel begins to speak about the kings of Egypt and Syria. He does not mention the king of Syria yet, but will do so in the next verse; however, he begins with the king of Egypt, the neighboring monarchy to that of Israel. He says, the king of the south, meaning, the king of Egypt, would be brave.

He next adds, and one of his princes. Many take this in one context, but I think the angel transfers his discourse to Antiochus the son of Seleucus. And one of his princes, he says, meaning, one of Alexander’s princes, will strengthen himself against him. For the letter ו, vau, is taken in the sense of opposing and implies an opposition between Ptolemy the son of Lagus and Antiochus king of Syria. Hence the king of the south shall grow strong—another of Alexander’s chiefs will grow strong against him and will have dominion.

We know how much larger and wealthier the kingdom of Syria was than that of Egypt, especially when Asia Minor was added to it. Without doubt, the angel was aware of the future superiority of Antiochus to Ptolemy when these two kings are compared with each other. But the rest tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, since you not only deigned to unfold future events to your servant Daniel and to the pious who waited for the advent of your only-begotten Son, so that they might be prepared for all sufferings and might perceive the Church to repose under your care and protection, but also wished these prophecies to profit us today and to confirm us in the same doctrine: Grant that we may learn how to cast all our cares and anxieties on your paternal providence. May we never doubt your oversight of the cares of your Church in these days, and your protection against the fury of the ungodly who try all means of destroying it. May we repose in peace under that guardianship which you have promised us, and struggle on under the standard of the cross; and possess our souls in patience, until at last you will appear as our Redeemer with outstretched hand, at the manifestation of your Son, when he returns to judge the world.—Amen.