← H1867 H1869 →

דָּֽרְיָוֵשׁ

𐤃𐤓𐤉𐤅𐤔

Dareyavesh

H1868 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain; foreign royal name

Definition

Darius (דָּֽרְיָוֵשׁ, Dâryāvēsh) designates the royal name or title borne by several Persian kings mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. The term refers specifically to Darius I (Darius the Great), who reigned from 522–486 BCE, and possibly to other Darius figures (e.g., Darius the Mede in Daniel, whose historical identification is disputed). In biblical usage, the word consistently refers to a sovereign of Persia, most frequently the ruler under whom the early restoration of the Jerusalem Temple took place.

Semantic Range

Darius (royal name or title of Persian monarchs), specifically Darius I, Darius the Mede (symbolic or literary figure in Daniel), identifiers for Persian sovereigns in post-exilic contexts

Root / Etymology

Loanword from Old Persian Dārayava(h)uš (possibly 'he who holds firm the good' or 'maintains goodness'), via Aramaic. The word is not natively derived from a Hebrew root and retains the Persian/Persianized form in biblical texts. Root etymology: uncertain, as it is a foreign proper name imported fully formed into Hebrew.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, דָּֽרְיָוֵשׁ appears in post-exilic books (Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, Haggai, Zechariah) referring to Persian royal figures after the Babylonian exile. Most occurrences clearly refer to Darius I, but the figure called 'Darius the Mede' in the Book of Daniel is likely a literary or symbolic figure rather than a reference to a known Persian monarch. The form aligns closely with the Aramaic דָּרְיָוֵשׁ, reflecting the language milieu of the Persian Empire. The Greek form in later translations is Δαρεῖος (Dareios). English translations render it as 'Darius,' but this conceals the status of the name as a foreign royal title in the text. The use of this name marks a substantial chronological and cultural shift from earlier Israelite to Persian imperial world references, signifying Israelite and later Judean engagement with Persian authority following the Babylonian exile.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to דָּֽרְיָוֵשׁ; {Darejavesh, a title (rather than name) of several Persian kings}; Darius.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

ד־ר־י־ו־שׁ (uncertain, foreign) (d-r-y-w-š (uncertain)) — uncertain; foreign royal name

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1868-01 דָּרְיָ֔וֶשׁ dareyavesh ANp Darius Darius 11
H1868-03 וְ/דָרְיָ֨וֶשׁ֙ vedareyavesh AC/Np and Darius and Darius 2
H1868-02 לְ/דָרְיָ֣וֶשׁ ledareyavesh AR/Np to Darius to Darius 2

Occurrences in Scripture

15 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1868-03 Daniel 6:1 וְ/דָרְיָ֨וֶשׁ֙ vedareyavesh AC/Np And-Darius and Darius
H1868-01 Daniel 6:2 דָּרְיָ֔וֶשׁ dareyavesh ANp Darius Darius
H1868-01 Daniel 6:7 דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ dareyavesh ANp Darius Darius
H1868-01 Daniel 6:10 דָּֽרְיָ֔וֶשׁ dareyavesh ANp of Darius Darius
H1868-01 Daniel 6:26 דָּרְיָ֣וֶשׁ dareyavesh ANp Darius Darius
H1868-01 Daniel 6:29 דָּרְיָ֑וֶשׁ dareyavesh ANp Darius Darius
H1868-01 Ezra 4:24 דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ dareyavesh ANp Darius Darius
H1868-02 Ezra 5:5 לְ/דָרְיָ֣וֶשׁ ledareyavesh AR/Np to Darius to Darius
H1868-01 Ezra 5:6 דָּרְיָ֖וֶשׁ dareyavesh ANp Darius Darius
H1868-02 Ezra 5:7 לְ/דָרְיָ֥וֶשׁ ledareyavesh AR/Np to Darius to Darius
← H1867 Hebrew Lexicon H1869 →