דניאל, פרק י״א, פסוק י״ז

A dramatic fusion of military force and diplomatic deception takes center stage as an ambitious king mobilizes the full weight of his empire for a decisive campaign. With immense strength [מצודת ציון], he sets his sights on conquest, though the exact target of his aggression is viewed through two distinct historical lenses.

One approach identifies this ruler as the King of the North, who directs his vast military power southward toward the kingdom of Egypt [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם, שטיינזלץ]. Fearing a direct military clash, he relies on political cunning, feigning a desire for peace and negotiating treaties to achieve his goals without open warfare. Conversely, another perspective identifies the ruler as Antiochus, the Greek king, who turns his destructive focus toward the Land of Israel [רש״י, מצודת דוד, יוסף אבן יחיא]. In this scenario, the king either arrives to wage war and humiliate the Israelites directly [רש״י, יוסף אבן יחיא], or he secures his grip on the region by collaborating with wicked factions within the nation itself [מצודת דוד]. In both interpretations, the king successfully executes his initial plans, whether by signing deceptive agreements or cementing his rule through brutal force.

The core of this political and military maneuvering revolves around a destructive plot involving women. Those who view the events through a national lens understand this metaphorically as a reference to the nation of Israel. Antiochus hands the Israelites over to his military commander, Philip, to enforce brutal decrees aimed at destroying their faith and identity [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Taking a more literal and cruel approach, [יוסף אבן יחיא] explains that this involved a devastating decree where every Jewish bride was forcibly handed over to the military commander before her wedding. On the other hand, the political interpretation views this plot as a literal diplomatic marriage. The King of the North marries his daughter to the King of Egypt with a dark, hidden motive: he expects her to act as a spy and destroy her new husband's kingdom from the inside [מלבי״ם, שטיינזלץ]. Another view suggests the woman in question is the Queen of Sheba, presented to the king specifically to cause his downfall [אבן עזרא].

Ultimately, regardless of the method, the king's grand scheme completely collapses. According to the national perspective, the oppressive decrees of Antiochus cannot endure. The Israelites do not remain enslaved, as Mattathias the Hasmonean eventually rises to break the Greek yoke [רש״י, מצודת דוד], and the wicked king's empire crumbles under the weight of his own sins [יוסף אבן יחיא]. From the political standpoint, the deceptive marriage plot also ends in failure. The daughter chooses loyalty to her new husband over her father's treacherous conspiracy. Because she refuses to cooperate, the king's strategy falls apart, and he permanently loses control over her [מלבי״ם, שטיינזלץ, אבן עזרא].