Daniel 11: Rashi's Interpretation

Jess Muñoz · is under review Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 8

I have uncovered some interesting Rabbinical writings concerning Daniel chapter 11 which are very similar to William Miller, Uriah Smith, and Stephen Haskell's writings on the matter. I would like to share the famous Jewish Commentator Rashi's interpretation of verses 17-23.
"And he will set his face to come upon the strength of his entire kingdom, and the upright will be with him, and he will succeed. Now the daughter of the women he will give him to destroy her, but it will not stand, and she will not be for him."
And he will set his face i.e., the king of the north, to come into the strength of the entire kingdom of the king of the south.
and the upright will be with him and Israel will be with the king of the south. Also with them will the king of the north battle in those days.
and he will succeed lit. 'and he will do'.
Now the daughter of the women he will give him to destroy her- This is the nation of Israel, [referred to in Song of Songs 1:8 as] “the fairest of women.” The king of the north will command the general of his army to destroy her. I say that he is Antiochus, the king of Greece, who issued decrees against Israel, and he commanded his general, Phillip, to kill whoever identified himself as a Jew, as is written in the book of Josiphon (ch. 18).
and she will not be for him- the daughter of the women, for Mattathias the son of Johanan will rise and break off his [Antiochus’s] yoke from Israel.
"And he will set his face to the isles, and will seize many, and the prince will terminate his blasphemy to Him, and because of his blasphemy He will recompense him." His reproach and his blasphemy, with which he blasphemed the Holy One, blessed be He, and Israel, as is written in the book of Josiphon (ch. 20), and He punished him, for He smote him with evil boils while he was in transit, for he went to besiege Jerusalem, and his flesh became putrid, his limbs fell off and he ordered his slaves to bring him back to Antioch, but he did not manage to get there before he died of evil illnesses. [Notice here that Rashi interprets these verses not of Antiochus III- as do the Preterists- nor Gnaeus Pompey- as Wm. Miller- nor Julius Caesar as Uriah Smith; but of Antiochus IV.]
"And one who removes the oppressor will stand on his base, the glory of the kingdom, but in a few days it will be broken, but not with anger and not with war."
And one who removes the oppressor will stand on his base- and Mattathias the son of Johanan, who removed the oppressor from Israel, and who is the glory of the kingdom of Israel, will strengthen himself on his base on Mt. Modin, for he will be a prince and a mighty man, he and all his descendants after him, viz. the Hasmoneans.
in a few days it will be broken- In a few days, their kingdom will be broken.
but not with anger- of another nation.
and not with war- but from themselves and with themselves, that Hyrcanus and Aristobulus will be jealous over the throne. [Note: in most Bibles this verse relates to tax collectors, saying that the succesor would send out tax collectors; but the Hebrew for "send out" can also mean "remove"]
"And a vile person will stand on his base" the Kingdom of Rome will strengthen itself on its stand.
"And from the alliance with him he will work deceitfully" And from
the alliance that Rome will make with Israel, he will work deceitfully, for he will not reveal his evil plan. [William Miller and Uriah Smith see it exactly the same way as Rashi does!]