9 So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.
9 Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country.
9 Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land.
9 and invade the country of the king of the south, but unsuccessfully. He will have to retreat.
9 Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land.
9 "Later the king of the north will invade the realm of the king of the south but will soon return to his own land.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Daniel 11:9
Commentary on Daniel 11:1-30
(Read Daniel 11:1-30)
The angel shows Daniel the succession of the Persian and Grecian empires. The kings of Egypt and Syria are noticed: Judea was between their dominions, and affected by their contests. From verse 21, to relate to Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a cruel and violent persecutor of the Jews. See what decaying, perishing things worldly pomp and possessions are, and the power by which they are gotten. God, in his providence, sets up one, and pulls down another, as he pleases. This world is full of wars and fightings, which come from men's lusts. All changes and revolutions of states and kingdoms, and every event, are plainly and perfectly foreseen by God. No word of God shall fall to the ground; but what he has designed, what he has declared, shall infallibly come to pass. While the potsherds of the earth strive with each other, they prevail and are prevailed against, deceive and are deceived; but those who know God will trust in him, and he will enable them to stand their ground, bear their cross, and maintain their conflict.