Daniel 9:1-Daniel Receives a Prophecy During the First Year of Darius, the Son of Ahasuerus, a Mede, Who Was Made King of the Chaldeans
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday September 17, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 9:1-Daniel Receives a Prophecy During the First Year of Darius, the Son of Ahasuerus, a Mede, Who Was Made King of the Chaldeans
Lesson # 256
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 9:1.
Daniel 9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans. (NASB95)
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Daniel is employing the figure of “asyndeton” in order to mark a transition from the account of the vision Daniel received during the third year of Belshazzar’s reign to the vision he received during the first year of Darius the Mede’s reign as king over the Babylonians.
“In the first year of Darius” denotes that “during” the first year of Darius’ the Mede’s reign as king of Babylon, Daniel received prophetic revelation from God through the elect angel Gabriel regarding the future of the nation of Israel during the times of the Gentiles.
“The son of Ahasuerus” indicates that Darius who was appointed king over Babylon by Cyrus was a male offspring of Ahasuerus.
In the Septuagint (LXX), the noun ʾǎḥǎš·wē·rôš is translated by the Greek noun Ξέρξου, which in English is translated “Xerxes.”
“Ahasuerus” is a Hebrew adaptation of the Persian and Babylonian name of Xerxes, which of course comes from the Greek form of the name.
“Who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans” refers to Darius the Mede being made king over the Babylonian Empire by Cyrus the Persian immediately after the Medo-Persian army had captured the city of Babylon and defeated the Babylonian Empire.
Daniel 9:1 During Darius’ first year, Ahasuerus’ son, who was from Median descent, who was made king over the Chaldeans’ kingdom. (My translation)
Daniel 9:1 tells the reader when Daniel received his third great prophetic revelation.
It was during the first year of Darius the Mede’s reign who was the son of Ahasuerus.
Then, he informs the reader that Darius was made king over the Babylonian kingdom.
This would be 538-539 B.C. immediately after the Medo-Persian Empire conquered and absorbed the Babylon Empire.
Darius was installed as king by Cyrus the Persian.
Daniel 6:28 (6:29) records that Daniel prospered during the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
In 539 B.C. Cyrus overthrew Babylon and established the Medo-Persian Empire, which was Cyrus’ first year in control of Babylon.
His policy was to restore displaced peoples to their lands, which included the Jews.
He issued a decree in 538 B.C. that permitted Jews to return to Jerusalem if they wanted to (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4).
Fifty thousand Jewish exiles returned and began to rebuild the temple, which was an answer to Daniel’s prayer (Daniel 9:4-19).
The temple was completed in 515 B.C. (Ezra 6:15).
Seventy years had elapsed from the first deportation of Jews in 605 B.C. to the rebuilt foundation of the temple in 536 B.C.
This fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophecy as well (Jeremiah 25:11-12).
The prophetic revelation that Daniel received during the first year of Darius the Mede’s reign over Babylon took place after the second great prophetic revelation he received from God in 551 B.C. during the third year of the reign of Belshazzar.
This prophetic revelation presented in chapter nine took place fourteen years after his first great prophetic revelation from God during the first year of Belshazzar’s reign as co-regent with his father Nabonidus.
This would be the year 553 B.C.
This first prophetic revelation took place fourteen years prior to Daniel’s experience in the lions’ den.
He was 68 years of age in 553 B.C. since he was taken captive about the age of 16 or 17 which was 52 years earlier in 605 B.C.
This revelation Daniel received from God as recorded in chapter eight also took place before the events of Daniel chapter five, which took place in 539 B.C.
Thus, this revelation in chapter nine took place immediately after the fall of Babylon.
Daniel would also thus be eighty-four years of age when he received this third prophetic revelation in 539 B.C.
The Darius mentioned here in Daniel 9:1 is the same one mentioned in Daniel 5:31, which in the Aramaic is actually Daniel 6:1.
Daniel 5:31 (6:1) Now, Darius the Mede received the kingdom at sixty-two years of age. (Author’s translation)
These two verses in the book of Daniel have been the subject of much controversy and the object of attacks by the liberal critics of the Bible.
At the heart of this controversy is the identity of Darius since there is no historical evidence for him outside of the Bible.
Darius the Mede is the same as Gubaru, who was the governor appointed over Babylon by Cyrus.
This interpretation is strongly supported by the biblical text because Daniel 5:31 (6:1) and Daniel 9:1 make clear that Darius the Mede was appointed king over Babylon.
This interpretation is also supported by the Nabonidus-Cyrus Chronicle where Gubaru (Gobryas) is called Cyrus’ governor.
Darius the Mede must not be confused with Darius I who began to rule in 522 B.C. since the latter was about twenty-eight by 522 B.C. having been born in approximately 550 B.C. whereas the former was sixty-two when he began to rule according to Daniel 5:31 (6:1).
Furthermore, Darius I was of a Persian royal line because his father, Hystaspes, was of the Achaemenid dynasty whereas the father of Darius the Mede was Ahasuerus who was of Median descent according to Daniel 9:1.
Darius I took the throne by a coup d’état whereas Cyrus appointed Darius the Mede to be king over Babylon according to Daniel 9:1.
Darius I is mentioned in Ezra 4:5, 24; 5:5-7; 6:1, 12, 15 as well as Haggai 1:1; 2:10; Zechariah 1:1, 7; 7:1 whereas Darius the Mede is only mentioned in the book of Daniel (6:1, 6, 9, 25, 28; 9:1; 11:1).
The royal houses of the kingdoms of Media and Persia were closely related by marriage, which the Median king, Astyages, had arranged.
He wed his daughter, Mandane to Cambyses, King of Anshan.
This union produced Cyrus the Great who later became king of Persia. Astyages had a son as well, namely Darius Cyaxares (pronounced sigh AKS uh reez) II who is none other than Darius the Mede and uncle of Cyrus the Great.
The latter spent a little time in Babylon after its capture.
Thus, he left Babylon in Darius’ hands, his uncle. Cyrus eventually married the daughter of Darius.
Then approximately two years later, upon the death of Darius, Cyrus united the kingdoms of Media and Persia and assumed the title King of Persia.
Daniel’s statement here in Daniel 5:31 (6:1) that Darius the Mede received the Babylonian kingdom from Cyrus agrees with Xenophon who identifies Darius the Mede as Cyaxares II (Cyropaedia, 8.5, 19).
Nehemiah 12:22 mentions a Darius the Persian, who is not the same Darius mentioned in Daniel chapter six since the latter of course was a Mede according to Daniel 6:1.
This Darius was known as Darius Codomannus or Darius III.
He was the last king of Persia.
His empire was destroyed by Alexander the Great.