Hebrew word · H1867

דָּֽרְיָ֫וֶשׁ

dareyavesh

Darius

A personal name taken over from Old Persian Dārayavauš, usually explained as 'he who holds firm the good'. The Babylonian form is Dariamuš and the Greek form is Dareios. In Haggai, Zechariah and Ezra 4–6 it refers to Darius I, son of Hystaspes.

Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.4.5

Also named: dar.ya.vesh (דָּֽרְיָ֫וֶשׁ "Darius" H1868)

§ Darius = "lord"

1) Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, king of the Chaldeans, who succeeded to the Babylonian kingdom on the death of Belshazzar; probably the same as "Astyages" the last king of the Medes (538 BC)

2) Darius, the son of Hystaspes, the founder of the Perso-Arian dynasty (521 BC)

3) Darius II or Darius III

3a) Darius II, Nothus (Ochus) was king of Persia during the time of Nehemiah (424/3-405/4 BC). Darius II is the most probable because he is mentioned by Nehemiah and ruled during the time of Nehemiah

3b) Darius III, Codomannus was king of Persia during its last years at the time of Alexander the Great and was his opponent (336-330 BC)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Haggai 1:15

Range of meaning

A personal name taken over from Old Persian Dārayavauš, usually explained as 'he who holds firm the good'. The Babylonian form is Dariamuš and the Greek form is Dareios. In Haggai, Zechariah and Ezra 4–6 it refers to Darius I, son of Hystaspes.

Against the English

Readers sometimes mix him up with 'Darius the Mede' in Daniel (Dan 5:31; 6), whose identity is disputed. Haggai's Darius is the well-documented Persian Darius I.

Used elsewhere in the period

His Behistun inscription records that he seized the throne in 522 BC and put down widespread revolts in 522–521 BC. Ezra 4:24–6:15 tells of the temple project under him, finished in his sixth year (Ezra 6:15). The years of his reign are counted from the spring after he took the throne, so year two is about spring 520 to spring 519 BC.

From the study of Haggai 2:10

Range of meaning

The Hebrew spelling of the Old Persian name Dārayavauš ('he who holds firm the good'). Here it means Darius I Hystaspes (522–486 BC). Daniel's 'Darius the Mede' is a separate question.

Against the English

English Bibles just say 'Darius'. The NLT and some notes add 'King' or turn the date into a modern one.

Used elsewhere in the period

Darius's Behistun inscription describes how he took power in 522 BC and spent his first years putting down revolts across the empire. Ezra 4:24–6:15 records that the temple was rebuilt during his reign and finished in his sixth year (515 BC). Zechariah 1:1, 7 and 7:1 use the same dating system.

Where it appears

Ezra · 1

  1. Ezra 4:5 דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ Darius

    They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Nehemiah · 1

  1. Nehemiah 12:22 דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ Darius

    In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, during the reign of Darius the Persian, the heads of the families of the Levites and priests were recorded.

Daniel · 2

  1. Daniel 9:1 לְדָרְיָ֛וֶשׁ of Darius

    In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes, a Mede by descent, who was made ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans—

  2. Daniel 11:1 לְדָרְיָ֖וֶשׁ of Darius

    “And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, stood up to strengthen and protect him.

Haggai · 3

  1. Haggai 1:1 לְדָרְיָ֣וֶשׁ of Darius

    In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, stating

    Here: The 'l-' marks the year as belonging to Darius. This is Darius I, the Persian king, whose Old Persian name was Dārayavauš. Judah's calendar is now counted by a foreign emperor's reign.

  2. Haggai 1:15 לְדָרְיָ֥וֶשׁ of Darius

    on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.

    Here: Darius I, the Persian Great King (reigned 522–486 BC). Hebrew took the name over from the Persian Dārayavauš. The time of Judah's temple-building is measured by a foreign emperor's reign.

  3. Haggai 2:10 לְדָרְיָ֑וֶשׁ of Darius

    On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,

    Here: 'Of Darius'. This is Darius I of Persia, who reigned 522–486 BC. Judah has no king of its own, so the prophet dates God's word by the reign of the foreign emperor.

Zechariah · 3

  1. Zechariah 1:1 לְדָרְיָ֑וֶשׁ of Darius

    In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying:

  2. Zechariah 1:7 לְדָרְיָ֑וֶשׁ of Darius

    On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.

  3. Zechariah 7:1 לְדָרְיָ֖וֶשׁ of Darius

    In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.