Overview:
Darius is a name attributed to several rulers in the Bible, most notably Darius the Mede and Darius I of Persia. These figures played significant roles in the history of Israel during the exilic and post-exilic periods. Their reigns are noted for their interactions with the Jewish people and their influence on the unfolding of biblical events.

Darius the Mede:
Darius the Mede is mentioned in the Book of Daniel as the ruler who took over the kingdom of Babylon after the fall of Belshazzar. His reign is noted for the famous incident involving Daniel in the lions' den. According to Daniel 6:1-28, Darius appointed 120 satraps to govern the kingdom and planned to set Daniel over the whole realm. However, due to the jealousy of other officials, Daniel was thrown into the lions' den for praying to God, defying the king's decree. Miraculously, Daniel was unharmed, leading Darius to acknowledge the power of Daniel's God. The identity of Darius the Mede has been a subject of scholarly debate, with some suggesting he may be a figure conflated with other historical rulers.

Darius I of Persia:
Darius I, also known as Darius the Great, was a prominent Persian king who reigned from 522 to 486 BC. He is best known in the biblical narrative for his role in the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. After the decree of Cyrus the Great, which allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple, the work faced opposition and was halted. During the reign of Darius I, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to resume construction. In response to inquiries, Darius issued a decree that confirmed the original edict of Cyrus and provided support for the project (Ezra 6:1-12). This decree is recorded in Ezra 6:7-8 : "Leave this work on the house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its original site. Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these Jewish elders in the construction of this house of God: The expenses are to be fully paid to these men from the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop."

Historical Context:
The reigns of the various rulers named Darius occurred during a pivotal time in Jewish history. The Babylonian exile had ended, and the Jewish people were in the process of re-establishing their religious and cultural identity in their ancestral land. The support of Persian rulers like Darius I was crucial in facilitating the rebuilding of the Temple, which was central to Jewish worship and community life.

Theological Significance:
The accounts of Darius in the Bible highlight themes of divine sovereignty and providence. Despite the political and social upheavals of the time, God's purposes for His people were being fulfilled. The account of Daniel in the lions' den under Darius the Mede demonstrates God's protection and deliverance of the faithful. Similarly, the support of Darius I for the Temple's reconstruction underscores the idea that God can use even foreign rulers to accomplish His will.

Legacy:
The legacy of Darius in the biblical narrative is one of a ruler who, whether knowingly or unknowingly, played a part in the divine plan for Israel. His interactions with the Jewish people are remembered as moments when God's hand was evident in the affairs of nations, ensuring the continuation and restoration of His covenant people.Darius

he that informs himself

Darius

(lord), the name of several kings of Media and Persia.

1. DARIUS THE MEDE, (Daniel 6:1; 11:1) "the son of Ahasuerus," (Daniel 9:1) who succeeded to the Babylonian kingdom ont he death of Belshazzar, being then sixty-two years old. (Daniel 5:31; 9:1) (B.C. 538.) Only one year of his reign is mentioned, (Daniel 9:1; 11:1) but that was of great importance for the Jews. Daniel was advanced by the king to the highest dignity, (Daniel 6:1) ff., and in his reign was cast into the lions' den. Dan. 6. This Darius is probably the same as "Astyages," the last king of the Medes.
2. DARIUS, the son of Hystaspes the founder of the Perso-Arian dynasty. Upon the usurpation of the magian Smerdis, he conspired with six other Persian chiefs to overthrow the impostor and on the success of the plot was placed upon the throne, B.C. 521. With regard to the Jews, Darius Hystaspes pursued the same policy as Cyrus, and restored to them the privileges which they had lost. (Ezra 5:1) etc.; Ezra 6:1 etc.
3. DARIUS THE PERSIAN, (Nehemiah 12:22) may be identified with Darius II. Nothus (Ochus), king of Persia B.C. 424-3 to 405-4; but it is not improbable that it points to Darius III. Codomannus, the antagonist of Alexander and the last king of Persia, B.C. 336-330.

Darius

1.DARIUS THE MEDE

Daniel 5:31 9:1:11:1, was son of Astyages king of the Medes, and brother of Mandane mother of Cyrus, and of Amyit the mother of Evil-merodach and grandmother of Belshazzar: thus he was uncle, by the mother's side, to Evil-merodach and to Cyrus. The Hebrew generally calls him Darius; the Septuagint, Artaxerxes; and Xenophon, Cyaxares. Darius dethroned Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans, and occupied the throne till his death two years after, when it reverted to the illustrious Cyrus. In his reign Daniel was cast into the lion's den, Daniel 6:1-28.

2.DARIUS HYSTASPIS

Spoken of in Ezra 4:1-7:28, Haggai, and Zechariah, as the king who renewed the permission to rebuild the temple, given to the Jews by Cyrus and afterwards recalled. He succeeded Smerdis, the Magian usurper, B. C. 521, and reigned thirty-six years. He removed the seat of government to Susa, whereupon Babylon rebelled against him; but he subdued the rebellion and broke down the walls of Babylon, as was predicted, Jeremiah 51:58.

3.DARIUS CODOMANUS

Nehemiah 12:22, was one of the most brave and generous of the Persian kings. Alexander the Great defeated him several times, and at great length subverted the Persian monarchy, after it had been established two hundred and six years. Darius was killed by his own generals, after a short reign of six years. Thus were verified the prophecies of Daniel, Daniel 8:1-27, who had foretold the enlargement of the Persian monarchy, under the symbol of a ram, butting with its horns westward, northward, and southward, which nothing could resist; and its destruction by a goat having a very large horn between his eyes, (Alexander the Great,) coming from the west, and overrunning the world without touching the earth. Nothing can be added to the clearness of these prophecies, so exactly describing what in due time took place and is matter of history.

The holder or supporter, the name of several Persian kings.

(1.) Darius the Mede (Dan. 11:1), "the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes" (9:1). On the death of Belshazzar the Chaldean he "received the kingdom" of Babylon as viceroy from Cyrus. During his brief reign (B.C. 538-536) Daniel was promoted to the highest dignity (Dan. 6:1, 2); but on account of the malice of his enemies he was cast into the den of lions. After his miraculous escape, a decree was issued by Darius enjoining "reverence for the God of Daniel" (6:26). This king was probably the "Astyages" of the Greek historians. Nothing can, however, be with certainty affirmed regarding him. Some are of opinion that the name "Darius" is simply a name of office, equivalent to "governor," and that the "Gobryas" of the inscriptions was the person intended by the name.

(2.) Darius, king of Persia, was the son of Hystaspes, of the royal family of the Achaemenidae. He did not immediately succeed Cyrus on the throne. There were two intermediate kings, viz., Cambyses (the Ahasuerus of Ezra), the son of Cyrus, who reigned from B.C. 529-522, and was succeeded by a usurper named Smerdis, who occupied the throne only ten months, and was succeeded by this Darius (B.C. 521-486). Smerdis was a Margian, and therefore had no sympathy with Cyrus and Cambyses in the manner in which they had treated the Jews. He issued a decree prohibiting the restoration of the temple and of Jerusalem (Ezra 4:17-22). But soon after his death and the accession of Darius, the Jews resumed their work, thinking that the edict of Smerdis would be now null and void, as Darius was in known harmony with the religious policy of Cyrus. The enemies of the Jews lost no time in bringing the matter under the notice of Darius, who caused search to be made for the decree of Cyrus (q.v.). It was not found at Babylon, but at Achmetha (Ezra 6:2); and Darius forthwith issued a new decree, giving the Jews full liberty to prosecute their work, at the same time requiring the Syrian satrap and his subordinates to give them all needed help. It was with the army of this king that the Greeks fought the famous battle of Marathon (B.C. 490). During his reign the Jews enjoyed much peace and prosperity. He was succeeded by Ahasuerus, known to the Greeks as Xerxes, who reigned for twenty-one years.

(3.) Darius the Persian (Nehemiah 12:22) was probably the Darius II. (Ochus or Nothus) of profane history, the son of Artaxerxes Longimanus, who was the son and successor of Ahasuerus (Xerxes). There are some, however, who think that the king here meant was Darius III. (Codomannus), the antagonist of Alexander the Great (B.C. 336-331).

DARIUS

da-ri'-us: The name of three or four kings mentioned in the Old Testament. In the original Persian it is spelled "Darayavaush"; in Babylonian, usually "Dariamush"; in Susian(?), "Tariyamaush"; in Egyptian "Antaryuash"; on Aramaic inscriptions, d-r-y-h-w-sh or d-r-y-w-h-w-sh; in Hebrew, dareyawesh; in Greek, Dareios; in Latin, "Darius." In meaning it is probably connected with the new Persian word Dara, "king." Herodotus says it means in Greek, Erxeies, coercitor, "restrainer," "compeller," "commander."

(1) Darius the Mede (Daniel 6:1; Daniel 11:1) was the son of Ahasuerus (Xerxes) of the seed of the Medes (Daniel 9:1). He received the government of Belshazzar the Chaldean upon the death of that prince (Daniel 5:30, 31; Daniel 6:1), and was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans.

From Daniel 6:28 we may infer that Darius was king contemporaneously with Cyrus. Outside of the Book of Daniel there is no mention of Darius the Mede by name, though there are good reasons for identifying him with Gubaru, or Ugbaru, the governor of Gutium, who is said in the Nabunaid-Cyrus Chronicle to have been appointed by Cyrus as his governor of Babylon after its capture from the Chaldeans. Some reasons for this identification are as follows:

(a) Gubaru is possibly a translation of Darius. The same radical letters in Arabic mean "king," "compeller," "restrainer." In Hebrew, derivations of the root mean "lord," "mistress," "queen"; in Aramaic, "mighty," "almighty."

(b) Gutium was the designation of the country North of Babylon and was in all possibility in the time of Cyrus a part of the province of Media.

(c) But even if Gutium were not a part of Media at that time, it was the custom of Persian kings to appoint Medes as well as Persians to satrapies and to the command of armies. Hence, Darius-Gubaru may have been a Mede, even if Gutium were not a part of Media proper.

(d) Since Daniel never calls Darius the Mede king of Media, or king of Persia, it is immaterial what his title or position may have been before he was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans. Since the realm of the Chaldeans never included either Media or Persia, there is absolutely no evidence in the Book of Daniel that its author ever meant to imply that Darius the Mede ever ruled over either Media or Persia.

(e) That Gubaru is called governor (pihatu), and Darius the Mede, king, is no objection to this identification; for in ancient as well as modern oriental empires the governors of provinces and cities were often called kings.

Moreover, in the Aramaic language, no more appropriate word than "king" can be found to designate the ruler of a sub-kingdom, or province of the empire.

(f) That Darius is said to have had 120 satraps under him does not conflict with this; for the Persian word "satrap" is indefinite as to the extent of his rule, just like the English word "governor." Besides, Gubaru is said to have appointed pihatus under himself. If the kingdom of the Chaldeans which he received was as large as that of Sargon he may easily have appointed 120 of these sub-rulers; for Sargon names 117 subject cities and countries over which he appointed his prefects and governors.

(g) The peoples, nations and tongues of chapter 6 are no objection to this identification; for Babylonia itself at this time was inhabited by Babylonians, Chaldeans, Arabians, Arameans and Jews, and the kingdom of the Chaldeans embraced also Assyrians, Elamites, Phoenicians and others within its limits.

(h) This identification is supported further by the fact that there is no other person known to history that can well be meant. Some, indeed, have thought that Darius the Mede was a reflection into the past of Darius Hystaspis; but this is rendered impossible inasmuch as the character, deeds and empire of Darius Hystaspis, which are well known to us from his own monuments and from the Greek historians, do not resemble what Daniel says of Darius the Mede.

(2) Darius, the fourth king of Persia, called Hystaspes because he was the son of a Persian king named Hystaspis, is mentioned in Ezra (4:5, et al.), Haggai (1:1) and Zechariah (1:1). Upon the death of Cambyses, son and successor to Cyrus, Smerdis the Magian usurped the kingdom and was dethroned by seven Persian nobles from among whom Darius was selected to be king. After many rebellions and wars he succeeded in establishing himself firmly upon the throne (Ant., XI, i). He reorganized and enlarged the Persian empire. He is best known to general history from his conflict with Greece culminating at Marathon, and for his re-digging of the Suez Canal. In sacred history he stands forth as the king who enabled the Jews under Jeshua and Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem.

(3) Darius, called by the Greeks Nothus, was called Ochus before he became king. He reigned from 424 to 404 B.C. In the Scriptures he is mentioned only in Nehemiah 12:22, where he is called Darius the Persian, probably to distinguish him from Darius the Mede.

It is not necessary to suppose that Darius Codomannus who reigned from 336 to 330 B.C., is meant by the author of Nehemiah 12, because he mentions Jaddua; for (a) Johanan, the father of this Jaddua, was high priest about 408 B.C., as is clear from the Aramaic papyrus from Elephantine lately published by Professor Sachau of Berlin, and Jaddua may well have succeeded him in those troubled times before the death of Darius Nothus in 404 B.C. And (b) that a high priest named Jaddua met Alexander in 332 B.C., is attested only by Josephus (Ant., XI, viii, 5). It is not fair to take the testimony of Josephus as to Jaddua without taking his testimony as to the meeting with Alexander and as to the appeal of Jaddua to the predictions of the Book of Daniel. But even if Josephus be right, there may have been two Jadduas, one high priest in 404 B.C., and the other in 332 B.C.; or the one who was alive and exercising his functions in 404 B.C. may still have been high priest in 332 B.C. He need not have exceeded 90 years of age.

According to the Eshki Harran inscription, which purports to have been written by himself, the priest of the temple in that city had served for 104 years. In our own time how many men have been vigorous in mind and body at the age of 90, or thereabouts; Bismarck and Gladstone, for example?

R. Dick Wilson

1868. Dareyavesh -- two Pers. kings
... two Pers. kings. Transliteration: Dareyavesh Phonetic Spelling: (daw-reh-yaw-vaysh')
Short Definition: Darius. ... kings NASB Word Usage Darius (15). Darius. ...
/hebrew/1868.htm - 6k

1867. Dareyavesh -- the name of several Pers. kings
... the name of several Pers. kings. Transliteration: Dareyavesh Phonetic Spelling:
(daw-reh-yaw-vaysh') Short Definition: Darius. ... kings NASB Word Usage Darius (10). ...
/hebrew/1867.htm - 6k

Darius the Great
Darius the Great. <. Darius the Great Jacob Abbott. Produced
by D Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/

The Death of Darius.
Darius the Great. <. ... CHAPTER XII. THE DEATH OF DARIUS.
BC490-485 The Persian fleet sails southward."Fate of Hippias ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter xii the death of.htm

How Xerxes the Son of Darius was Well Disposed to the Jews; as ...
... CHAPTER 5. How Xerxes The Son Of Darius Was Well Disposed To The Jews;
As Also Concerning Esdras And Nehemiah. 1. Upon the death ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 5 how xerxes the.htm

Next, Darius, under whom the Temple was Restored, Obtained the ...
... Book II. Chapter X. Next, Darius, under whom the temple was restored,
obtained the kingdom? Next, Darius, under whom the temple ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter x next darius under.htm

The Accession of Darius.
Darius the Great. <. ... CHAPTER IV. THE ACCESSION OF DARIUS. BC520
Confusion at Susa."No heir to the throne."Five days ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter iv the accession of.htm

Darius the Great
Darius the Great. <. ... Title Page. Makers of History Darius the Great. BY. JACOB
ABBOTT. WITH ENGRAVINGS. NEW YORK AND LONDON. HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/title page.htm

How after the Death of Cambyses and the Slaughter of the Magi but ...
... CHAPTER 3. How After The Death Of Cambyses And The Slaughter Of The Magi But Under
The Reign Of Darius, Zorobabel Was Superior To The Rest In The Solution Of ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 3 how after the.htm

In the Meantime, those Jews, Who, as we have Said Above...
... Thus, the plan of the rulers being approved of by the king, the building of the
city was put a stop to, and delayed until the second year of Darius the king. ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter ix in the meantime.htm

Concerning Sanballat and Manasseh, and the Temple which they Built ...
... from the family of Oreste, and his son Alexander succeeded him in the kingdom; who,
passing over the Hellespont, overcame the generals of Darius's army in a ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 8 concerning sanballat and.htm

Of the Times of Christ's Birth and Passion, and of Jerusalem's ...
... For he says thus: "In the first year under Darius, son of Ahasuerus, of the seed
of the Medes, who reigned over the kingdom of the Chaldees, I Daniel ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter viii of the times of.htm

Darius (26 Occurrences)
... (1.) Darius the Mede (Dan. ... After his miraculous escape, a decree was issued
by Darius enjoining "reverence for the God of Daniel" (6:26). ...
/d/darius.htm - 24k

Persians (6 Occurrences)
... HISTORY 1. Cyrus 2. Capture of Babylon 3. Cambyses 4. Pseudo-Smerdis 5. Darius I
6. Darius' Suez Canal 7. Xerxes I 8. Artaxerxes II 9. Xerxes II 10. ...
/p/persians.htm - 20k

Ahasbai (1 Occurrence)
... It seems to be more probable that Xerxes, the son and successor of Darius Hystaspis,
is meant: first, because in the following verse Artaxerxes, the son and ...
/a/ahasbai.htm - 11k

Sanballat (10 Occurrences)
... edition in Lietzmanns Kleine Texte, Number 32, 1908) as having been the governor
(pachath) of Samaria some time before the 17th year of Darius (Nothus), ie 408 ...
/s/sanballat.htm - 14k

Great (10383 Occurrences)
... Having secured his succession, Alexander proceeded to Corinth, where he was confirmed
in his father's position of leader of Hellas against Darius. ...
/g/great.htm - 35k

Ezranehemiah
... to restore His exiled people to their inheritance, through the instrumentality on
the one hand of the great heathen monarchs, Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, and ...
/e/ezranehemiah.htm - 22k

Ezra-nehemiah
... to restore His exiled people to their inheritance, through the instrumentality on
the one hand of the great heathen monarchs, Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, and ...
/e/ezra-nehemiah.htm - 22k

Artaxerxes (14 Occurrences)
... Ezra led a second colony of Jews back to Jerusalem, was probably Longimanus, who
reigned for forty years (BC 464-425); the grandson of Darius, who, fourteen ...
/a/artaxerxes.htm - 16k

Persia (30 Occurrences)
... It was reconquered and thoroughly organized by Darius, the son of Hystaspes,
whose dominions extended from India to the Danube. Int. ...
/p/persia.htm - 20k

Belshazzar (8 Occurrences)
... shaz'-ar (belsha'tstsar; Baltasar, Babylonian Bel-shar-usur): According to Daniel
5:30, he was the Chaldean king under whom Babylon was taken by Darius the Mede ...
/b/belshazzar.htm - 16k

Who was Darius in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Daniel in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What should we learn from the account of Daniel in the lions' den? | GotQuestions.org

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