THEOSISJerome of Stridon
It will be divided according to the four corners of the earth, yet it will not be inherited by his offspring, nor will it retain the strength by which he ruled. Following Alexander, his dominion was partitioned into the four corners of the earth: the east, west, south, and north. In Egypt, located in the south, Ptolemy, the son of Logos, was the first to reign; in Macedonia, to the west, Philip, also known as Aridaeus, who was Alexander’s brother; in Syria and Babylon, which lie to the east, Seleucus Nicanor; and in the regions of Asia, including Pontus, which are to the north, Antigonus. This description pertains to the nations of the entire world. However, for those in Judea, Syria is found to the north, and Egypt to the south.
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The phrase, “shall not pass to his descendants,” indicates that he had no heirs; his kingdom was distributed among foreigners, apart from his brother Philip, who obtained Macedonia. Furthermore, it did not encompass the authority with which he ruled. When his kingdom was fragmented into four parts, it weakened as the rulers engaged in conflict and developed animosity towards one another. Moreover, his dominion would also be shared with others beyond these four: in addition to the kingdoms of Macedonia, Asia, Syria, and Egypt, the kingdom of Macedon was further divided among other less renowned and less noble kings. He specifically refers to Perdiccas, Craterus, and Lysimachus. Regions such as Cappadocia, Armenia, Bithynia, Heraclea, the Bosphorus, and others, having detached from Macedonian rule, established their own kings.
A powerful ruler will emerge and govern with great authority, acting according to his own desires. However, when he rises to prominence, his reign will ultimately come to an end. This clearly refers to Alexander the Great, the son of Philip. He defeated the Illyrians and Thracians, conquered Greece, and obliterated Thebes. He then advanced into Asia, routed the leaders of Darius, captured the city of Sardis, and later vanquished India, founding the city of Alexandria. He met his demise from poison in Babylon at the age of thirty-two, after twelve years of his reign.