November 12, 2025

Have you ever wondered why Darius, King of Persia, was willing to help rebuild the temple, or why his heart was full of kindness towards the Israelites captive in his country? I stumbled upon a tidbit of information that answers that question in the Matthew Henry Commentary, where he elaborates on Solomon's use of resources from Huram, King of Tyre, to build the temple. Perhaps I'm the only one who didn't know, but it seems to be well-known historical information that wasn't detailed in the Bible, at least not to my knowledge, but did you know that Queen Esther and King Ahasuerus had a daughter and a son? The son was Darius King of Persia! According to 2 Chronicles 2, the original temple built by Solomon utilized building materials from Tyre. The same country assisted in the rebuilding of the temple under the leadership of Zerubbabel after the Babylonian exile. The fact that Darius was willing to help with the temple makes so much more sense now; he was part Israelite through his mother, Hadassah, also known as Esther. God is good at filling in the gaps of our knowledge when we pray for Him to expand our understanding. Why does that excite me so much? It confirms that God heard my prayer and was faithful in answering it. Ask for more spiritual knowledge; God is faithful in answering our questions and curiosities. Remember, this information comes from historical sources not mentioned in the Bible, as far as I can tell.

And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me. 2 Chronicles 2:3