Libya and Ethiopia, mixed with the northern invaders, are tribes from the extreme south, to show that this is a general combination of the foes of God's people.

Persia - That a part of this country was tributary to Antiochus, see 1 Maccabees 3:31.

Ethiopia, and Libya - That these were auxiliaries of Antiochus is evident from Daniel 11:43 : "The Libyans and Ethiopians shall be at his steps."

Persia, Ethiopia, and Lybia with them,.... These are the confederates or auxiliaries of the Turks, which shall join with them in this expedition. Persia is a neighbouring kingdom to the Turks, and may fall into their hands before this comes to pass; and is in a fair way for it at this time, through the internal divisions in it; however, it will be confederate with them. Ethiopia or Cush does not design the country of the Abyssines in the dominions of the Great Mogul, but Arabia Chusea, which lay between Judea and Egypt, and is now in the hands of the Turks; and Lybia or Phut is the name of one of the sons of Ham, Genesis 10:6 who, according to Josephus (g), founded Lybia; and from him the inhabitants of it were called Phuteans (as they are here by the Targum); and he observes that there is a river of his name in Mauritania. Lybia is a country in Africa, to the west of Egypt and subject to the Turks:

all of them with shield and helmet; the Lybians are described by Jeremiah, Jeremiah 46:9, as

those that handle the shield; and the Egyptians, to whom the Lybians were near neighbours, and whom they might imitate in their warlike arms, as in other things, wore shields down to the feet, as Xenophon (h) relates.

(g) Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 2.((h) Cyropaedia, l. 6. c. 14. & l. 7. c. 11.

{c} Persia, Cush, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:

(c) The Persians, Ethiopians and men of Africa.

Libya: or, Phut

5. Persia . Libya-expressly specified by Appian as supplying the ranks of Antiochus' army.

38:1-13 These events will be in the latter days. It is supposed these enemies will come together to invade the land of Judea, and God will defeat them. God not only sees who are now the enemies of his church, but he foresees who will be so, and lets them know by his word that he is against them; though they join together, the wicked shall not be unpunished.