דניאל, פרק י״א, פסוק מ״ד

The balance of global power shifts abruptly when sudden, threatening news shatters a ruler's peace. This ruler, identified as the King of the North [אבן עזרא], is struck with deep anxiety upon hearing reports of an impending war [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The exact source of this looming threat from the east and the north is understood in various ways. Some identify these approaching forces as Babylon and Persia, connecting them to the small horn mentioned in earlier prophecies [אבן עזרא]. Others view the eastern threat specifically as the Kingdom of Ishmael [מצודת דוד]. Another perspective suggests that the forces gathering from the east are from the land of Togarmah, while those from the north are from Greece, both having rebelled against the king's rule [יוסף אבן יחיא].

Regardless of their exact origin, these armies are driven by a shared desire for vengeance, rallying their soldiers to avenge their fallen brothers who were killed in previous conflicts [מלבי״ם]. Consumed by panic and intense rage [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ], the king responds by launching a brutal and unrestrained military campaign. His singular goal is to completely destroy these rebelling nations and slaughter their people in massive numbers, acting with the same ruthless cruelty he previously unleashed in the Negev region [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, יוסף אבן יחיא, ביאור שטיינזלץ].