Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9 · Doctrines 1 · Question 1 – Question 2
1. Quest. What Assuerus this was, whose sonne Darius is said to be.
1. What Darius this was, is handled at large, qu. 1. c. 6. he was not that Darius, in whose second yeare the Temple beganne to be built, whereof mention is made, Hagg. 1. 1. as Porphyrie of purpose doth confound them, to disturbe the propheticall historie and computation of yeares in Daniel: neither was this that Darius whome Alexander ouercame, but Darius before mentioned, c. 6. who together with Cyrus tooke the citie of Babylon.
2. This Assuerus the father of Darius, was not that Assuerus the husband of Esther, as Canus thinketh, and Bullinger seemeth to incline to that opinion: for that Assuerus is also called Artaxerxes in the booke of Esther, which was the name of the Persian kings after Cyrus: And that Assuerus had his palace and princely seat at Sushan, which was not appointed to be the chiefe citie or seat of the kingdom vntil Cyrus, as Strabo thinketh, l. 15. or till Darius Hystaspis, as Plin. lib. 6. c. 21. Perer. But this argument rather ouerthroweth this opinion, that the captiuitie of Babylon was ended, and the people returned before the raigne of that Assuerus: whereas they were at this time in captiuitie still. And further, that Assuerus raigned from India to Ethiopia: but the Chaldean Monarchie yet standing, the Persian Monarchie could not be so large.
3. Iosephus, Hieronimus, Theodoret, and Lyranus, Carthusian. following them, take this Assuerus to be Astyages whose daughter Mandane was Cyrus mother: but Astyages is not found to hauehave had any sonnes, but onelyonly that daughter, as is shewed before, c. 6. qu. 1. 6.
4. Pererius thinketh that Assuerus, or Achashuerus, was not the proper name of any one king, but it beeing deriued of Achash, great, and Resh, an head, was a common name, which was giuen by the Hebrewes vntounto forren Princes that were of great power: And this title is found giuen vntounto three kings, the father of this Darius, the husband of Esther, and to that king, which hindred the building of the Temple, Ezr. 4. who is thought by the most to be Cambyses the sonne of Cyrus.
Contr. Pererius is here deceiued in many points. 1. he taketh Assuerus to be an Hebrew name, where it hath a Persian deriuation, and is deriued of Achash, which signifieth a Prince, Polan. in c. 6. v. 1. 2. it is euident, that it was a peculiar name, for otherwise it should hauehave beene common to all the Persian kings. 3. the same Assuerus mentioned Ezt. 4. 6. is thought to be the same so much celebrated in the storie of Esther: in both places Iunius taketh him for Xerxes.
5. Wherefore the more probable opinion is, that this Assuerus, called by the Greeke historians Cyaxares the first, was father vntounto Astyages and this Darius, who was called also Cyaxares the second: for there is no great difference in signification betweene Cyaxares and Achassuerus, the first beeing deriued of chu, and achash, both which words signifie a Prince: and put together, a Prince of Princes, that is, a great Prince: and Achassuerus likewise is deriued of the same word, Achash, a Prince, Ioseph. Scallig. lib. 6. de emendat. Polan. in 6. Dan. This Assuerus then was not Astyages, but the father of Astyages and this Darius, who was vncle to Cyrus mother, and great vncle vntounto Cyrus. Iun. comment.
2. Quest. Of the yeares of Darius raigne, and how this vision is said to be in his first yeare.
1. Annius, whome Driedo, and Lucidus follow, thinke that Cyrus and Darius raigned two yeares together, after the Babylonians were subdued. 2. Lyranus and Vatablus in 9. …. Dan. thinke that Darius raigned two yeares before Cyrus raigne began. 3. Cyrillus Hierosolymit. seemeth to giuegive vntounto him eight yeares, cateches. 12. 4. Severus Sulpitius thinketh that Darius raigned 18. yeares, at the same time that Astyages raigned in Media: but that can not be, for this Darius was also the king of the Medes and Persians, as is euident, c. 6. 5. Iosephus Scalliger giueth vntounto Darius 17. yeares, making him the last king of the Chaldeans, after whome Cyrus succeeded, lib. 6. de emendat. tempor. 6. Iunius opinion seemeth to be, commentar, in 5. c. v. 29. that the first yeare of Darius, was the second of Cyrus. 7. Pererius affirmeth that Darius raigned but one yeare, and that Cyrus succeeded him in the same yeare, beeing the 70. yeare of the Iewes captiuitie.
8. But the truer opinion is, that Cyrus and Darius raigned ioyntly together, as thinketh Calvin: and that the first of Darius was the first also of Cyrus: for in the first of Cyrus the word of God spoken by Ieremie concerning the 70. yeares captiuitie was finished, 2. Chro. 36. 22. And so likewise it appeareth in this place, that in the first yeare of Darius, that time of 70. yeares was expired: the first then of Cyrus and Darius concurred together: for the rest, it is like that Darius raigned not long, but beeing 62. yeare old, when he tooke the kingdom vponupon him, he might die the same yeare, which was also Cyrus first: see more hereof, c. 6. qu. 3.
9. And whereas it is saide, in one yeare of Darius, which Pererius gesseth to be so called, because he raigned but one yeare: the reason rather is this, that the word a…hath, which signifieth one, is according to the phrase of the Hebrew, taken for the first: as Gen. 1. the morning and euening were one day, that is, the first: and Mark. 16. it is said, that our Lord rose in one of the Sabbaths, that is, in the first day of the weeke. Polan. Pintus.