Darius is the name of several kings mentioned in the Bible. Here is an overview of the main Dariuses in the Bible and what can be learned about them:
Darius the Mede
Darius the Mede is mentioned in the book of Daniel. He conquered Babylon after King Belshazzar was killed and became king over the realm of the Chaldeans (Daniel 5:30-31). This Darius made Daniel one of three high administrators over the kingdom (Daniel 6:1-2). When Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den for praying to God, Darius was distressed and tried to save him. After Daniel survived the night with the lions, Darius praised Daniel’s God (Daniel 6:16-27). Beyond this, not much more is known about Darius the Mede from Scripture. Scholars have debated his identity and relationship to other historical figures.
Darius the Persian
Darius the Persian (Darius I or Darius the Great) ruled the Persian Empire after it was conquered by Cyrus the Great. He reigned from 522-486 BC. Under his rule, the building of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem resumed. The people of Israel had started rebuilding the temple during the reign of Cyrus but were forced to stop due to opposition. After prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to start rebuilding again despite this opposition, the governor of the region wrote to Darius asking if they should be allowed to continue. Darius did research, found Cyrus’ original decree allowing the temple to be rebuilt, and commanded the officials to stay out of the way and provide whatever help the Jews needed to complete the temple (Ezra 5-6).
Darius the Persian in the Book of Haggai
The book of Haggai refers to Darius briefly in the context of the rebuilding of the temple. It mentions that the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel governor of Judah, Joshua the high priest, and all the remnant of the people to rebuild the temple. This took place in the second year of the reign of Darius (Haggai 1:1, 14).
Darius the Persian in the Book of Zechariah
The prophet Zechariah also mentions Darius in the context of his prophetic visions encouraging the rebuilding of the temple. One vision refers to “the fourth year of King Darius” (Zechariah 1:1,7). Another vision mentions that a delegation had returned from Babylon in the fourth year of King Darius (Zechariah 7:1).
Darius the Persian in the Book of Ezra
Darius features more prominently in the book of Ezra, which recounts the history of the Jewish people after their return from exile in Babylon. Here are some key details about Darius in Ezra:
– After the people of Israel had begun rebuilding the temple, officials of the surrounding peoples wrote a letter of accusation against them to King Darius warning that Jerusalem would rebel if the temple was rebuilt (Ezra 5:3-17).
– Darius did research in the archives and found the decree of Cyrus allowing the temple to be rebuilt. He then issued a new decree ordering his officials to fully support the rebuilding project (Ezra 6:1-12).
– The people completed the temple in the sixth year of Darius’ reign (Ezra 6:15).
– When the temple was finished, the Israelites celebrated the Passover feast in joy. Darius supported them in this celebration (Ezra 6:19-22).
– After this, during the reign of Darius, Ezra led a group of exiles back to Jerusalem from Babylon (Ezra 7:1-8). Darius issued a decree allowing Ezra to return and ordering treasury officials to give Ezra silver and gold for the temple. The king and his counselors donated items for the temple as well (Ezra 7:11-26).
So in summary, the book of Ezra shows Darius as a Persian king who supported the rebuilding of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem after it had stalled under opposition. He allowed the project to be completed and supported the worship activities of the Jewish people in their land.
Darius the Persian in the Book of Nehemiah
The book of Nehemiah also briefly mentions Darius. It specifies that Nehemiah came to Jerusalem in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 1:1), which was after the reign of Darius the Persian. When Nehemiah was asking Artaxerxes to allow him to go rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, he referred back to what Darius had previously decreed about rebuilding the temple (Nehemiah 2:1-8).
Insights about Darius in the Bible
Pulling all of this together, here are some key insights the Bible provides about Darius:
– There were two main kings named Darius that are relevant to biblical history – Darius the Mede and Darius the Persian. They may or may not have been the same person, as scholars debate their relationship.
– Darius the Mede took over the Babylonian kingdom after Belshazzar and was instrumental in saving Daniel from the lions’ den, showing his power over Babylon.
– Darius the Persian (Darius I) ruled the vast Persian Empire after it was established by Cyrus the Great.
– Darius I allowed the rebuilding of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem to resume after it had been stalled. He provided support for its completion.
– Darius I allowed groups of Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem from Babylon and supported their community and worship activities with provision of silver, gold, and offerings.
– The prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Ezra all witnessed the positive decrees made by Darius I which encouraged the rebuilding projects in Jerusalem.
– Darius was a pagan foreign king, but nevertheless served the purposes of God by allowing the Jewish people to reestablish themselves in their land and rebuild their temple.
– God used the decrees and support of Darius I to allow His people to rebuild Jerusalem at a pivotal time in history after the Babylonian exile.
So in summary, the biblical Dariuses, especially Darius the Persian, played an important role in supporting the Jewish people after their return from exile and in facilitating the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple. Though not Israelites or worshipers of God themselves, God used these foreign kings to enact His purposes at crucial moments in history.