Shifts in power, fleeting moments of glory, and sudden downfalls that bypass the battlefield stand at the heart of this prophetic vision. One primary approach connects these events to the Hasmonean struggle against Greek rule. Mattathias and his sons rise to establish a firm and steady base of power. They successfully drive out the oppressive Greek regime, freeing the people of Israel. Following their victory, they attain a status of royal majesty, celebrated as respected priests, leaders, and heroes [רש"י, מצודת דוד].
Yet, their reign is destined to be short-lived. The collapse of the Hasmonean dynasty does not come from the wrath of a foreign nation or an external enemy in open combat. Instead, it shatters from within. A bitter civil war over the throne erupts between the brothers Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, an internal conflict that ultimately allows the Romans to step in and seize control [רש"י, מצודת דוד].
A contrasting perspective places the prophecy within the context of the Northern Kingdom and the political upheavals of foreign empires, describing a new king who seizes the throne. Some identify this ruler as Seleucus, a king who avoids the battlefield entirely and spends his reign simply traveling from city to city collecting taxes. In this view, any mention of royal majesty is deeply ironic, as his entire legacy amounts to nothing more than acting as a glorified tax collector [מלבי"ם]. Another interpretation suggests the king is the son of Antiochus, a ruler who oppresses Israel and forces the nation to abandon its faith. In this context, the people of Israel themselves are the true embodiment of royal majesty that he attempts to crush [יוסף אבן יחיא]. More broadly, this figure is seen as a ruler who overthrows his predecessor, achieving a brief moment of beauty and royal glory before his rapid decline [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Across all these interpretations of the foreign king, his end arrives swiftly and without a fierce rebellion or frontal combat. He falls far from the battlefield, whether poisoned by a conspiracy among his own servants [מלבי"ם], or swiftly overthrown by a despised rival king who overtakes his forces and claims the kingdom without a genuine war [יוסף אבן יחיא, אבן עזרא].