דניאל, פרק י״א, פסוק י״ח

A massive campaign of overseas conquest ends in a resounding defeat, transforming a king's unchecked pride into his own humiliation. The king of the North, identified as Antiochus, shifts his focus to a new arena, launching a war to conquer and humiliate numerous coastal lands and islands [מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ, יוסף אבן יחיא]. This ambitious expansion includes an invasion of Greek islands allied with the Romans, a bold provocation carried out under the advice of Hannibal [מלבי״ם].

However, this streak of victories is abruptly cut short by a powerful commander who puts an end to the king's insults [מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. Commentators offer different perspectives on the identity of this figure. Some identify him as a foreign military leader, specifically a Roman general who defeats Antiochus in battle and halts his aggression [שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. Others suggest this refers to the Hasmonean leader, a commander of Israel who secures victory over Antiochus relying entirely on God's help [יוסף אבן יחיא]. A third approach views the commander as a direct manifestation of divine intervention. In this view, God Himself acts as the Commander of the world, stepping in to silence the king's blasphemies against Heaven and Israel [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. This divine retribution takes the form of a severe, incurable disease that strikes the king while he is on his way to lay siege to Jerusalem. His flesh rots, and he suffers an agonizing death before he can even reach Antioch [רש״י].

The ultimate downfall of the king is defined by a strict standard of measure for measure. He is forced to absorb the exact same disgrace he hurled at others, nothing more and nothing less [אבן עזרא, שטיינזלץ]. Historically, this precise balance is seen in the behavior of the Romans after their victory over Antiochus. Rather than boasting or completely destroying his kingdom, they simply enforce their original pre-war demands, forcing him to withdraw from certain territories and pay heavy reparations. Through this measured response, they merely return his own disgrace upon him [מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, another perspective suggests that the humiliation the king experiences in this world serves solely as the penalty for his arrogant blasphemies. The punishment for his many other crimes is reserved for him after his death [מצודת דוד].