Who was King Darius in the Bible?

Darius was a king of the Persian Empire who ruled after Cyrus. He is best known for issuing a decree that allowed the Jewish people to resume rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem, which had been halted by opposition (Ezra 6:1-12).

Why is King Darius important in the Bible?

Darius is significant because his decree fulfilled God's purpose by allowing the completion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. His support was crucial for the restoration of Jewish worship and community after the Babylonian exile (Ezra 6:14-15).

What did King Darius do for the Temple in Jerusalem?

After finding Cyrus's original decree, Darius ordered that the rebuilding of the Temple continue and be funded from the royal treasury. He also commanded that supplies be provided and that anyone hindering the work be punished (Ezra 6:6-12).

Darius

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleKing

Darius, king of Persia, issued a decree allowing the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. (Ezr.4.5; Hag.1.1,15; 2.10; Zec.1.1,7; 7.1; Ezr.4.24; 5.5,6,7; 6.1,12,13,14,15)

Darius

Biography

Darius I of Persia (reigned 522-486 BC), also known as Darius the Great, plays a significant role in the biblical accounts of the Temple's reconstruction. When the rebuilding project stalled due to opposition from adversaries who wrote letters of complaint to the Persian court (Ezra 4:5, 24), it was Darius who, upon finding the original decree of Cyrus in the royal archives at Ecbatana, reaffirmed and expanded the edict to allow the Temple's completion (Ezra 6:1-12). The prophets Haggai and Zechariah both dated their ministries to the second year of Darius (Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 1:1), making his reign the backdrop for two crucial prophetic books. The Temple was completed in the sixth year of his reign (Ezra 6:15).

Significance

Darius I holds a pivotal place in redemptive history as the Persian king whose royal authority, and whose archival diligence, secured the completion of the Second Temple. The rebuilt Temple was not merely a physical structure but the renewed center of Israel's covenant worship and the place where God's glory could dwell among his people once again. Haggai and Zechariah's prophetic ministries during his reign injected eschatological vision into the restoration project, pointing beyond the Second Temple to a greater glory to come (Haggai 2:9). Darius thus stands as an instrument of divine providence, illustrating that God employs the bureaucratic machinery of world empires to fulfill his promises to his covenant people.

Verse Appearances (16)

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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