5 And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.
NB: The king of the north and the king of the south are many times referred to in the remaining portion of this chapter. It therefore becomes essential to the understanding of the prophecy clearly to identify these powers. When Alexander’s empire was divided, the different portions lay toward the four winds of heaven, west, north, east, and south; these divisions of course to be reckoned from the standpoint of Palestine, the native land of the prophet. That division of the empire lying west of Palestine would thus constitute the kingdom of the west; that lying north, the kingdom of the north; that lying east, the kingdom of the east; and that lying south the kingdom of the south. The divisions of Alexander’s kingdom with respect to Palestine were situated as follows: Cassander had Greece and the adjacent countries, which lay to the west; Lysimachus had Thrace, which then included Asia Minor, and the countries lying on the Hellespont and Bosphorus, which lay to the north of Palestine; Seleucus had Syria and Babylon, which lay principally to the east; and Ptolemy had Egypt and the neighbouring countries, which lay to the south. Daniel and Revelation p. 126
NB: Whatever power at any time should occupy the territory which at first constituted the kingdom of the north, that power, so long as it occupied that stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.
NB: There were frequent wars between the kings of Egypt and Syria. Especially was this the case with Ptolemy Philadelphus, the second king of Egypt, and Antiochus Theos, third king of Syria. They at length agreed to make peace upon condition that Antiochus Theos should put away his former wife, Laodice, and her two sons, and should marry Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus. Ptolemy accordingly brought his daughter to Antiochus, bestowing with her an immense dowry. Daniel and Revelation p. 1286
VERSE 6A
* And in the end of years they shall join themselves together (after a certain time period with Ptolemy Philadelphus & Antiochus Theos struggling with one other, they formed a peace treaty/agreement in 252BC)
VERSE 6B
* ‘But she (Bernnice) shall not retain the power of the arm’ (this is referring to her power with Antiochus Theos KON). Here the Scripture was fulfilled because shortly after Antiochus brought back his former wife Laodice and her children then say the prophecy, “Neither shall he (Antiochus Theos) stand, nor his arm”. Once Laodice, was restored to favour and power, feared lest Antiochus Theos should again disgrace her, and recall Bernice, therefore, she killed him.
* “But she (Bernice) shall be given up”. Laodice not content with poisoning her husband caused Bernice to be murdered. “And they that brought her” – her Egyptian women and attendance were slain with her. “And he that begat her” margin “whom she brought forth” – this is referring to her son, who was murdered at the same time by Laodice’s order.
* “And he that strengthened her in these times”, this refers to Bernice’s husband Antiochus. Laodice secures the throne for her eldest son, Seleucus Callinicus. He is now the KON.
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