Ptolemy III had died before Antiochus III The Great‘s military campaign. A new king, Ptolemy IV Philopator, was the one who was defeated.      Verses 11-12. Round two of the Egyptian-Syrian wars between Antiochus III The Great and Ptolemy IV Philopator soon followed. Ptolemy was a man given to comfort and a life of ease. But the defeat angered him and with his sister-wife, Arsinoe, he gathered a large army of 70,000 infantry, 5,000 calvary, and 73 elephants and defeated Antiochus at Raphia in 217 B.C.      The actual Hebrew language, though awkward, gives us a better sense of what was predicted.     And shall become the furious the king of the south and will go out and fight with him, with the king of the north. And he shall raise a host great. And shall be given the host into his hand. (Literal Hebrew)   The phrase “his hand” refers to Ptolemy. Now we can understand that Ptolemy was predicted to be successful against Antiochus. This agrees with history.      Ptolemy was happy with his great victory over Antiochus because he had caused “thousands to fall.” He pushed Antiochus out of Palestine and then made peace. He had the advantage and did not secure his victory but decided to return home to comfort and his life of ease. History says that Ptolemy pursued a life of pleasure. He did “not prevail.”         < Back   Next >
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