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Easton's Bible Dictionary
There are three kings designated by this name in Scripture.
(1) The father of Darius the Mede, mentioned in Daniel
9:1 . This was probably the Cyaxares I. known by this name in profane history,
the king of Media and the conqueror of Nineveh.
(2) The king mentioned in Ezra
4:6 , probably the Cambyses of profane history, the son and successor of Cyrus
(B.C. 529).
(3) The son of Darius Hystaspes, the king named in the Book of Esther. He ruled
over the kingdoms of Persia, Media, and Babylonia, "from India to Ethiopia." This
was in all probability the Xerxes of profane history, who succeeded his father
Darius (B.C. 485). In the LXX. version of the Book of Esther the name Artaxerxes
occurs for Ahasuerus. He reigned for twenty-one years (B.C. 486-465). He invaded
Greece with an army, it is said, of more than 2,000,000 soldiers, only 5,000 of
whom returned with him. Leonidas, with his famous 300, arrested his progress at
the Pass of Thermopylae, and then he was defeated disastrously by Themistocles
at Salamis. It was after his return from this invasion that Esther was chosen
as his queen.
Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names
prince; head; chief
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(lion-king)
the name of one Median and two Persian kings mentioned in the Old Testament.
(1) In ( Daniel
9:1 ) Ahasuerus is said to be the father of Darius the Mede. [DARIUS]
This first Ahasuerus is Cyaxares, the conqueror of Nineveh. (Began to reign B.C.
634.)
(2) The Ahasuerus king of Persia, referred to in ( Ezra
4:6 ) must be Cambyses, thought to be Cyrus successor, and perhaps his son.
(B.C. 529.)
(3) The third is the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther. This Ahasuerus is probably
Xerxes of history, ( Esther
1:1 ) (B.C. 485), and this conclusion is fortified by the resemblance of character
and by certain chronological indications, the account of his life and character
agreeing with the book of Esther In the third year of Ahasuerus was held a great
feast and assembly in Shushan the palace, ( Esther
1:3 ) following a council held to consider the invasion of Greece. He divorced
his queen Vashti for refusing to appear in public at this banquet, and married,
four years afterwards, the Jewess Esther, cousin and ward of Mordecai. Five years
after this, Haman, one of his counsellors, having been slighted by Mordecai, prevailed
upon the king to order the destruction of all the Jews in the empire. But before
the day appointed for the massacre, Esther and Mordecai influenced the king to
put Haman to death and to give the Jews the right of self-Defence.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
(no entry)
Tags:
ahasuerus, bible commentary, bible history, bible reference, bible study, cambyses, cyaxares, darius, define, esther, haman, median king, mordecai, persian king, vashti, xerxes
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