Hippolytus of Rome : Then at this point, the army, which dwelt in Syria, having heard what happened, ran against them and made war against them on the day of the Sabbath. Those who feared the law of God and who kept the commandment of God did not lift up their hands against them, nor throw a stone against them, nor devise hiding places. And the soldiers answered them and said, "'Come forth now and do the command of the king and live!' but they said, 'We will not come out, nor will we do the command of the king, we will die in our sincerity. Heaven and earth testifies against you because you kill us recklessly.'" [1 Maccabees 2:29-37] Then they fell upon them in fire and murder and in captivity and killed from them over a thousand souls. And so what was spoken to the blessed Daniel was fulfilled, "And he will go on a journey and his heart shall be lifted up against the holy covenant, and he shall want to do all according to his heart, and my slaves shall be persecuted and weakened in hunger and in sword and in captivity." [Daniel 11:28] — Commentary on Daniel 4.43.1-4 Jerome : "And his heart shall be against the holy covenant, and he shall succeed and return into his own land." Both the Greek and the Roman historians relate that after Antiochus had been expelled from Egypt and had gone back once more, he came to Judaea, that is, against the holy covenant, and that he despoiled the Temple and removed a huge amount of gold; and then, having stationed a garrison in the citadel, he returned to his own land. — St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER ELEVEN Theodoret of Cyrus : But nonetheless he will then return to his own kingdom with much wealth and great abundance. "And his heart will be against the holy covenant." At last, he will have one endeavor, namely, to destroy the law given by God to the Jews. Because he desires this, he puts his plans into effect. "And he will act and return to his land." The book of the Maccabees and the history of Josephus explain this. — COMMENTARY ON Daniel 11:28