Daniel 11:42,43 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

He shall stretch forth his hand also— The proper application of this passage is to the Ottoman emperor. This stretching forth his hand implies, that his dominion should be of large extent; and he has stretched forth his hand upon many, not only Asian and European, but likewise African countries. Egypt, in particular, fell under his yoke; and the conquest of that and the neighbouring countries follows next in order after the conquest of Judaea. Selim, having routed and slain Gauri, sultan of Egypt, became master of all Syria and Judaea. He then marched into Egypt against Tumanbai, the new sultan, whom he took prisoner, and ordered to be hanged; thus putting an end to the government of the Mamelucs, and establishing that of the Turks in Egypt. The prophet says particularly, that he should have power over the treasures, &c. of Egypt. And history informs us, that when Cairo was taken, "the Turks rifled the houses, and suffered nothing to be kept from them; and that Selim caused 500 of the best families of the Egyptians to be transported to Constantinople, as likewise a great number of the Mamelucs, besides the sultan's treasure, and other vast riches." And since that time it is impossible to say what treasures have been drained from this rich and fertile, but oppressed and wretched country. The prophesy says farther, that some other of the African nations should submit to the conqueror; the Lybians and the Ethiopians should be at his steps: and we read in history, that, after the conquest of Egypt, "the terror of Selim's many victories spreading wide, the kings of Africa, bordering upon Cyrenaica, sent their ambassadors with proffers to become his tributaries; and that other more remote nations also were easily induced to join in amity with the Turks." One thing more is observable, with regard to this prophetic history of Egypt,—that the particular prophesy coincides exactly with the general one, as it did before in the instance of Arabia. In Ezekiel 29:14; Ezekiel 30:12 it is foretold, that Egypt should become a base kingdom, and subject to strangers; and here it is foretold, that in the latter times it should be a province of the Turks, as we see at this day. See Newton.