John Calvin Commentary Daniel 11:12

"And the multitude shall be lifted up, and his heart shall be exalted; and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail." — Daniel 11:12 (ASV)

The angel here marks the close of the war. Had Ptolemy’s valor supported his good fortune, he might easily have seized upon the whole kingdom of Syria, as secular historians report. But he was so given up to his own lusts, that he willingly entered into a treaty with his enemy.

On his return to his kingdom he killed his wife Eurydice, and was guilty of other atrocities; he allowed a wicked woman, the sister of Agathocles, a victim of his passions, to rule over his kingdom, and lastly, he became a very vile example of a very cruel and degraded man.

Therefore, the angel says at the beginning, his army should raise him aloft; his heart should be elevated, as a result of his prosperity. He not only caused terror to Antiochus but also throughout all the neighboring regions. When he might have seized for himself the whole power of the East, he then faltered in his course.

He did indeed subdue a hostile army, and in this exploit he was significantly assisted by his sister Arsinoe, as historians relate; yet after great slaughters, he did not retain his position. And what was the obstacle? His idleness and drunkenness, and his caring for nothing but banquets and debaucheries, and the most obscene pleasures. This caused his fall, after he had been raised even to the clouds by his victories.