Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women - (cf. Ezekiel 24:16; Ezekiel 24:18, "the desire of thine eyes" - i:e., Ezekiel's wife). The wife, as the desire of man's eyes, is the symbol of the tenderest relations (2 Samuel 1:26). Antiochus would set at nought even their entreaties that he should cease from his attack on Yahweh's worship (Polanus). Maurer refers it to Antiochus' attack on the temple of the Syrian Venus, worshipped by women (1Ma 6:1 , etc.; Malachi 1:13 Malachi 1:13). Newton refers it to Rome's 'forbidding to marry.' Elliott rightly makes the anti-typical reference be to Messiah. Jewish women desired to be mothers with a view to Him, the promised seed of the woman, (Genesis 30:23; Luke 1:23; Luke 1:28, "Hail! thou that art highly favoured (the virgin Mary), the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women!")
Nor regard any god - (2 Thessalonians 2:4).