“He shall stir up
His power,
His determination,
Against the king of the south,
With a great army.
The king of the south
Shall wage war
With a much greater,
Stronger army.
But he shall not stand.
Plots shall be devised
Against him,
By those who eat
Of the royal rations.
They shall break him.
His army shall be swept away.
Many shall fall slain.
The two kings,
Their minds bent
On evil,
Shall sit
At one table.
They shall exchange lies.
But it shall not succeed.
There remains an end
At the time appointed.
He shall return
To his land
With great wealth.
But his heart shall be set
Against the holy covenant.
He shall work his will.
He shall return
To his own land.
King Antiochus IV determined to fight against the king of the south, in Egypt with a great army around 169 BCE. However, the king of the south, King Ptolemy VI (186-145 BCE), had a better stronger army. Nevertheless, King Antiochus IV prevailed, because there was some failure among the troops of King Ptolemy VI, as plots were devised by those who ate his royal rations. Many were killed. They seem to have come to some sort of agreement, but each was too devious to make it work. King Antiochus IV returned with great wealth. He apparently stopped off in Jerusalem and sacked it in 169 BCE, since his heart was against the holy covenant. There he worked his will before he returned to his own land.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 