And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflowed from before him, and shall be broken; yes, also the prince of the covenant.
with.
Daniel 11:10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.
Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Isaiah 8:7,8 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: …
also.
Daniel 8:10,11,25 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them…
and destroyed
The term "destroyed" implies total annihilation or defeat. In the context of Daniel 11, this destruction is not just physical but also political and spiritual, as it involves the dismantling of existing powers and structures. This aligns with the historical accounts of Antiochus IV's campaigns, where he not only defeated armies but also sought to impose Hellenistic culture and religion, challenging the Jewish faith and practices.
along with a prince of the covenant
The "prince of the covenant" likely refers to a significant leader or figure within the Jewish community, possibly the high priest. During Antiochus IV's reign, the high priesthood was a position of both religious and political importance. Some scholars suggest this could refer to Onias III, a high priest who was deposed and later murdered, or to another leader who was seen as a guardian of the Jewish covenant with God. This phrase highlights the theme of betrayal and the internal strife within the Jewish community during this tumultuous period. The "covenant" here underscores the sacred agreement between God and Israel, which was under threat from external and internal forces.
• Daniel describes a sudden, overwhelming surge of military power: “Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him” (Daniel 11:22).
• Like water bursting through a dam, these armies move swiftly and irresistibly (cf. Daniel 9:26; Isaiah 8:7–8).
• Historically, this points to Antiochus IV Epiphanes overrunning rivals in the Seleucid realm. Prophetically, it foreshadows the coming antichrist whose forces will “come in like a flood” against God’s people (Revelation 12:15–17).
• The imagery underscores God’s warning: earthly powers rise fast, but only by His allowance (Psalm 75:6–7).
• The text stresses total dominance: opponents are “swept away before him.”
• Antiochus’ cunning enabled him to outmaneuver stronger claimants (Daniel 11:21; 1 Maccabees 1:10–13 offers historical color).
• Scripture often pairs floods with sudden judgment—Noah’s generation (Genesis 7:17), Assyria’s invasion of Judah (Isaiah 28:17)—reminding us God ultimately controls the tide of history.
• For believers, the lesson is clear: apparent invincibility of evil rulers is brief (Psalm 37:35–36).
• The phrase adds finality: not merely pushed back but obliterated (cf. Daniel 8:25, “he will destroy many”).
• Antiochus eliminated rival commanders and regional governors; prophecy pictures total collapse of resistance.
• In the larger biblical drama, every rebellious power meets this end—Pharaoh’s chariots (Exodus 14:27–28), Gog’s hordes (Ezekiel 39:3–6).
• God’s sovereignty ensures that the enemies of His covenant people cannot stand indefinitely (Psalm 46:6–9).
• “Prince of the covenant” likely refers to Onias III, the legitimate high priest murdered in 171 BC. His death signaled Antiochus’ contempt for Israel’s covenant with God (cf. 2 Maccabees 4:34–35 for historical detail).
• The phrase also anticipates the antichrist breaking his future covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:27).
• By linking the priest’s fall to the flood of forces, the Spirit highlights how political aggression and spiritual persecution often travel together (Psalm 83:2–4; Revelation 13:7).
• God’s people may suffer temporarily, yet their covenant remains secure because it rests on His faithfulness (Jeremiah 31:35–37).
Daniel 11:22 pictures an unstoppable military surge, the decisive defeat of all opposition, and the assassination of a covenant leader. Historically fulfilled in Antiochus IV’s ruthless rise, it prefigures the final antichrist whose brief triumph will meet the same divine judgment. The verse reassures us that no flood of evil can outrun God’s sovereign plan or erase His covenant promises.
(22) With the arms.--More correctly, and the arms in a flood; that is, the overwhelming forces of invading armies are swept away by the troops of this terrible king. But besides the enemy, the "prince of the covenant" is to be destroyed also. This expression is most readily explained by observing that it stands in contrast with the hostile armies mentioned in the first clause. It is an expression similar to "men of covenant," "lords of covenant," and means "those who were at peace with him," "prince" being used as a collective noun (see Daniel 11:18). This has been supposed to refer to the murder of Onias III. (2 Maccabees 4:1, &c., 2 Maccabees 4:33, &c.); but there is no reason for supposing that the high priest was ever called by such a title as "prince of the covenant."Verse 22. - And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. The rendering of the LXX. is very wide of this, "And the broken arms he shall break from before him." Although this is much shorter than the Massoretic text, yet the contradictory assertion that arms already broken are broken before him is conclusive against accepting the evidence of the Septuagint absolutely. Theodotion agrees with the Massoretic, not with the English versinns, "And the arms of the overflowing shall be overflowed from before him, and be broken, even the leader of the covenant." The Peshitta is widely different, alike from the Massoretic text and that of the Septuagint, ";And their mighty ones of the city he shall carry away, and they shall be broken from before him, even the leader of the covenant." The Vulgate stands in a closer relation with the above than with the Massoretic text or the Greek versions, "The arms (brachia) of one fighting shall be driven out (expugnabuntur) from his face, and shall be broken besides, and (insuper et) the leader of the covenant." The reference here seems to be to the campaign' - if there was a campaign - by which Epiphanes secured possession of the throne of Syria. The prince of the covenant. Who this can be it is impossible to say. The idea supported by Hitzig, Bevan, Behrmann, that Onias III. is referred to, is founded on the utterly unhistorical narrative in 2 Macc. 4. The view of Moses Stuart is that it is some sovereign who had a league of amity with Epiphanes. The reference thus might be to Eumenes or Attalus, who supported the claims of Anthochs. Negeed bereeth may be explanatory of the prenominal suffix in milpanayo, "before him." As Stuart acutely remarks, had the reference in bereeth been to the Divine covenant with the Jews, we should have had habbeereth.