(from dara, a king), Authorized Version “dram,” (1 Chronicles 29:7; Ezra 2:69; 8:27; Nehemiah
7:70,71,72) a gold coin current in Palestine in the period after the return from Babylon. It weighed
128 grains, and was worth about five dollars. At these times there was no large issue of gold money
except by the Persian kings. The darics which have been discovered are thick pieces of pure hold,
of archaic style, bearing on the obverse the figure of a king with bow and javelin or bow and dagger,
and on the reverse an irregular incuse square. The silver daric was worth about fifty cents.
Darius
(lord), the name of several kings of Media and Persia.
•DARIUS THE MEDE, (Daniel 6:1; 11:1) “the son of Ahasuerus,” (Daniel 9:1) who succeeded to
the Babylonian kingdom ont he death of Belshazzar, being then sixty-two years old. (Daniel 5:31;
9:1) (B.C. 538.) Only one year of his reign is mentioned, (Daniel 9:1; 11:1) but that was of great
importance for the Jews. Daniel was advanced by the king to the highest dignity, (Daniel 6:1) ff.,
and in his reign was cast into the lions’ den. Dan. 6. This Darius is probably the same as “Astyages,”
the last king of the Medes.
•DARIUS, the son of Hystaspes the founder of the Perso-Arian dynasty. Upon the usurpation of
the magian Smerdis, he conspired with six other Persian chiefs to overthrow the impostor and on
the success of the plot was placed upon the throne, B.C. 521. With regard to the Jews, Darius
Hystaspes pursued the same policy as Cyrus, and restored to them the privileges which they had
lost. (Ezra 5:1) etc.; Ezra 6:1 etc.
•DARIUS THE PERSIAN, (Nehemiah 12:22) may be identified with Darius II. Nothus (Ochus),
king of Persia B.C. 424-3 to 405-4; but it is not improbable that it points to Darius III. Codomannus,
the antagonist of Alexander and the last king of Persia, B.C. 336-330.
Darkness
is spoken of as encompassing the actual presence of God, as that out of which he speaks,—the
envelope, as it were, of divine glory. (Exodus 20:21; 1 Kings 8:12) The plague of darkness in Egypt
was miraculous. The darkness “over all the land,” (Matthew 27:45) attending the crucifixion has
been attributed to an eclipse, but was undoubtedly miraculous, as no eclipse of the sun could have
taken place at that time, the moon being at the full at the time of the passover. Darkness is also, as
in the expression “land of darkness,” used for the state of the dead, (Job 10:21,22) and frequently,
figuratively, for ignorance and unbelief, as the privation of spiritual light. (John 1:5; 3:19)
Darkon
(scatterer). Children of Darkon were among the “servants of Solomon” who returned from
Babylon with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:56; Nehemiah 7:58) (B.C. before 536).
Dates
(2 Chronicles 31:5) marg. [Palm Tree TREE]
Dathan
(belonging to a fountain) a Reubenite chieftain, son of Eliab, who joined the conspiracy of
Korah the Levite. (Numbers 16:1; 26:9; 11:6; Psalms 106:17) (B.C. 1490-1452).
Daughter
The word is used in Scripture not only for daughter, but for granddaughter or other female
descendant. (Genesis 24:48) It is used of the female inhabitants of a place or country, (Genesis 6:2;
Luke 23:28) and of cities in general, (Isaiah 10:32; 23:12) but more specifically of dependent towns
or hamlets, while to the principal city the correlative “mother” is applied. (Numbers 21:25)
frankie
(Frankie)
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