A little horn; the little horn was Antiochus Epiphanes, he arose out of the Seleucidae of Syria; called a little horn,
1. Because he was much less than Alexander, called a notable horn; Daniel 8:5.
2. Little, because he was the youngest of his brethren.
3. He was held a prisoner and pledge at Rome, whence he escaped.
4. Little, because he had nothing at first of greatness and heroic nobleness in him, also of low fortune. Toward the south, i.e. Egypt, where he besieged and took many places from Philometer, till the Romans stopped him. Toward the east, i.e. in Syria, Babylon, Armenia. Toward the pleasant land; Judea, so called because of the temple and people of God in it, and the fruitfulness of it, Ezekiel 20:6, the glory of all lands. So Daniel 9:15 Psalms 48:2,3, Jeremiah 3:19 Daniel 11:16,41,45.