John Calvin Commentary Daniel 11:18

"After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; yea, moreover, he shall cause his reproach to turn upon him." — Daniel 11:18 (ASV)

There is some obscurity in these words, but history will later determine the angel’s meaning. First, concerning the word “islands,” he undoubtedly means Asia Minor and the coastal regions, as well as Greece, Cyprus, and all the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. It was a Jewish custom to call all places beyond the sea “islands,” since they were not very skilled in navigation.

Therefore he says, He will turn his face to the islands; that is, he will turn to the opposite regions of the world. The Mediterranean Sea is known to be between Syria and Asia Minor; Cilicia, too, is between them, which was also under the dominion of Antiochus, although the source of his power was Syria.

Hence he calls Asia Minor, Greece, and the Mediterranean islands, all “islands,” with respect to Syria and Judea. This occurred when the Aetolians renewed the war after the defeat of Philip. The Romans were the originators of this war in Greece, and they had the honorable pretext of liberating the whole of Greece after Philip of Macedon had seized many skillfully fortified cities.

But the Aetolians were proud and puffed up with the desire for superiority, as the event ultimately proved. They boasted that they were the liberators of Greece; they used the help of the Romans but professed to be the principal leaders in the war. When they saw Chalcis and other cities held by the Romans, the spirit of envy took possession of them.

Titus Flaminius withdrew his garrisons from their cities, yet the Aetolians were not satisfied, for they desired sole pre-eminence and the entire departure of the Romans. To this end, they sent their ambassadors to Nabis the tyrant of the Lacedaemonians, to King Philip, and also to Antiochus.

Thoas was the principal author of this contention, for after stirring up the neighboring nations, he himself set out to Antiochus. When the Aetolians were puffed up by the large promises which he brought back, they expected to produce peace throughout Greece without the slightest trouble. Meanwhile, Antiochus only advanced as far as Asia Minor with only a small force.

He led Hannibal with him, whose fame alone inspired dread in the Romans; and if he had taken Hannibal's advice, he would certainly have had no difficulty in expelling the Romans. But the flatterers of his court did not allow Hannibal’s advice to prevail with this foolish king. Then Villius also cunningly made Antiochus suspicious of Hannibal's advice, for Villius had been sent as an ambassador into Asia Minor, had ingratiated himself with Antiochus, had gained his friendship, and was so engaged in daily conversation with him that Antiochus suspected Hannibal's loyalty to his interests.

Thus, he carried on that war entirely without method, plan, or perseverance. When he arrived at Chalcis, he was smitten with passion for a young woman there and celebrated a foolish marriage with her, as if he were completely at peace. Consequently, he had a citizen of Chalcis for his father-in-law, while he was a mighty monarch, unequaled by anyone throughout the world.

Although he conducted himself so inconsiderately, yet his great fame, rather than his own efforts, enabled him at first to take many cities, not only in Asia Minor and on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, but also in Greece itself. He recovered Chalcis and other cities that had been seized by the Romans. The angel relates this as if the event had already occurred, and yet we are aware that all these things were still in the future.

He will turn his face to the islands, and will take many, and a general shall cause him to cease, and shall turn his reproach against himself. Antiochus often fought against the Romans, and always without success, although he sometimes thought himself superior. But from the time when Attilius, the commander of the fleet, intercepted his supplies and thus stopped his progress, Marcus Acilius the consul began to gain mastery by land, and Antiochus's power became gradually more and more enfeebled. When conquered in a naval engagement by Livius the praetor, he suffered a severe loss. Then, when it was too late, he acknowledged his error in not obeying the counsel of Hannibal, but he had lost the opportunity of renewing the war.

Therefore, the angel here says, A leader should make his reproach return upon himself. This signifies how Antiochus would be puffed up with foolish pride, and how his insane boastings would rebound upon his own head, as he had spewed them forth with open mouth against the Romans. When he speaks here of his disgrace, I interpret it actively, as making his reproach remain; for the word חרפת cherepheth, means reproach, but there are two ways of interpreting it: actively and passively.

But as I have already said, the angel is more likely speaking of Antiochus's foolish boasting, for he had despised the Romans with contempt and insults. We know how foolishly he insulted them through his ambassadors in all the assemblies of Greece. A leader, then, either Acilius or Lucius Scipio (who drove him beyond Mount Taurus), made his disgrace rest upon himself, and he shall not turn away his own disgrace. That is, Antiochus spewed forth his reproaches against the Romans with swollen cheeks, but with complete futility.

All these disgraceful speeches came to nothing and did not injure the Romans in the least. But that leader, either Lucius Scipio or Acilius, according to my statement, returned upon Antiochus himself these reproaches by which he hoped to lay the Romans prostrate, but they turned out nothing but wind. The angel therefore derides the pride of Antiochus by saying, A leader should come who should throw back these reproaches upon himself, and prevent them from returning upon either that leader or the Romans. He takes the head as representing the whole body.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, since it pleases you to exercise our confidence by not allowing us any fixed or stable rest on earth, that we may learn to rest in you while the world rolls over and over even a hundred times. May we never doubt either our protection under your hand or the perpetual outcome of all things for our good. Although we are not beyond the reach of darts, yet may we know the impossibility of our suffering under any deadly wound when you put forth your hand to shield us. May we have full confidence in you and never cease to march under your standard with constant and invincible courage, until at length you will gather us into that happy rest which is laid up for us in heaven, by Christ our Lord. — Amen.