What does Daniel 11:24 mean?
This part of Daniel's prophecy (Daniel 10:1) involves a figure history now identifies as Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Daniel 11:21–23). This infamous figure gained his throne by illegitimate means and quickly became a hated enemy of Israel. Part of Antiochus's political strategy involved bribes and corruption of key figures. Some of the money for this grift came from taxes, some from looting conquered territories.Because this segment is both prophetic and written in ancient Hebrew, commentators differ on precisely what is being predicted. Some link this verse to Antiochus IV Epiphanes's subjugation of Egypt. The Nile delta area was fertile and wealthy, and prior wars between Ptolemaic Egypt and the Seleucid Empire had not reached so far south. Under this interpretation, some believe the reference to "plunder, spoil, and goods" should imply being collected from a wide region, rather than being distributed.
Other interpreters see Antiochus's general pattern of political maneuvering, surprising early success, and eventual end. Antiochus's persecution of the Jewish people sparked a major revolt, much of which is recorded in non-biblical texts such as Maccabees.