Bible Strands
Ezra 6:1
Thus King Darius ordered a search of the archives stored in the treasury of Babylon.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — King Darius issues a command to his administrators to search the Babylonian treasury archives. This occurs in direct response to Jewish leaders requesting verification of a prior royal decree regarding the temple.
The words — דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ (da.re.Ya.vesh) = Darius and סִפְרַיָּ֗/א (sif.rai.Ya/') = books/archives. The text records the king’s direct order to search these specific records.
The thread — This search fulfills the request made in Ezra 5:17 and echoes the administrative procedure in Ezra 4:15. It aligns with the principle in Proverbs 25:2 that kings are tasked with searching out concealed matters.
Why it lands — It demands verification of past promises through documented history rather than oral tradition. It shows that sacred restoration depends on official records being located and authenticated.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
Cross-references
- Ezra 5:17 Now, therefore, if it pleases the king, let a search be made of the royal archives in Babylon to see if King Cyrus did indeed issue a decree to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.
- Ezra 4:15 that a search should be made of the record books of your fathers. In these books you will discover and verify that the city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, inciting sedition from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.
- Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search it out.
- Ezra 4:19 I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has revolted against kings from ancient times, engaging in rebellion and sedition.
- Job 29:16 I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
- Psalms 40:7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll:
- Jeremiah 36:2 “Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you during the reign of Josiah until today.
- Jeremiah 36:20 So the officials went to the king in the courtyard. And having stored the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, they reported everything to the king.
- Jeremiah 36:29 You are to proclaim concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah that this is what the LORD says: You have burned the scroll and said, ‘Why have you written on it that the king of Babylon would surely come and destroy this land and deprive it of man and beast?’
- Jeremiah 36:32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and at Jeremiah’s dictation he wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.