Daniel Interprets the Handwriting
And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. Dan. 5:31
Darius the Median... Darius the Mede 62 years old (Dan. 5:31; 6:1-27; 9:1). Many have denied the existence of this king due to the fact that the word Darius was merely an appellative denoting the Maintainer, and was used as such by Xerxes and others. This Darius is not listed in secular history by the name of Darius the Mede. He is thought to be Astyages. He reigned over Babylon before Darius I, II, and III of profane history. He is not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture outside of Daniel. Josephus speaks of him as being the son of Astyages and kinsman of Cyrus, saying that he took Daniel into Media and exalted him as his chief ruler over the princes of the provinces, trusting him with everything of importance in his realm (Josephus, Book 10, chp. 11). Daniel speaks nothing of the war that raged between the Babylonians and the Medes, but the other prophets do (Isa. 13:1-22, 14:1-32, 45:1-25, 46:1-13, 47:1-15; Jer. 1:1-19, 51:1-64). The Medes and Persians were confederates in this war; the former under Darius and the latter under Cyrus. Both princes were supposed to have been present at the taking of Babylon.
Again, This chapter follows Daniel 7-8 in chronology, for the vision of Dan. 7:1-28 was seen in the first year and that of Dan. 8:1-27 in the third year of Belshazzar. The author no doubt put the message of this chapter here in order to keep the prophetic sections of Daniel 7:1-12:13 together.
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