Matthew Poole and continuators on Daniel 9:1

1 IN the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes , which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans .

That is immediately after the overthrow of the Kingdom of Babylon, which was also the year of the Iews deliverance from their 70 years Captivity. Therefore punctually here set down. The Lord hath carefully recorded the several periods of time that relate to his Church, and the signal providences both of Mercy or Judgment exercised towards it for hereby God is glorified in the signal displaying of his Attributes, and the Saints graces exercised, especially Faith and Patience by calling to mind what God hath done in time past, Psal. 77.5, 6, 7.

This Darius was not Darius the Persian, under whom the Temple was built, as Porphyrius would have it, that thereby he might perswade unlearned men that Daniel lived long after the time that he did live in. Therefore this is called Darius the Mede, and by the Greeks called Cya[illegible: 1 letter]ares.

And this is confirmed by Xenophon.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 letter]hap. 1.21. [illegible: 1 word] 6.28.; [illegible: 1 letter]eb. Ma[illegible: 1 letter]ai. [illegible: 2 letters], i[illegible: 1 letter] which &c.