He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.
He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province. "Peaceably" х bªshalwaah (H7962)] - literally, unexpectedly, securely, safely; under the guise of friendship he seized Ptolemy Philometor.
And he shall do that which his fathers have not done - his predecessors, kings of Syria, had always coveted Egypt, but in vain: he alone made himself master of it.
He shall scatter among them the prey - among his followers (1Ma 1:19).
Yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds - he shall form a studied scheme for making himself master of the Egyptian fortresses. He gained them all except Alexandria, which successfully resisted him. Retaining to himself Pelusium, he retired to Judea, where, in revenge for the joy shown by the Jews at the report of his death, which led them to a revolt, he subdued Jerusalem by storm or stratagem.
Even for a time - his rage shall not be forever; it is but for a time limited by God. Calvin makes "for a time" in antithesis to 'unexpectedly' in the beginning of the verse. He suddenly mastered the weaker cities: he had to 'forecast his plans' more gradually ("for a time") as to how to gain the stronger fortresses.