The Persian KingsSample

Who is King Cyrus and how does he relate to Esther? Well, King Cyrus’s daughter Atossa, along with her husband, Darius, later gave birth to a son. They named their son Xerxes. Thus, King Cyrus was King Xerxes’ grandfather.

Esther’s king had been born into royalty. But before any assumptions are made about what that means, let me explain that he had been born into a royal legacy unlike many ruling powers of that day. King Cyrus (his grandfather) and King Darius (his father) were both revered for ruling with a bent toward humanitarian and religious freedoms unique for that period of time.

Cultures in that day normalized both slavery and the subjection of humans, particularly following a national conquest. Yet “Cyrus the Great” set in order a law to ensure freedom of faith and the abolishment of slavery as well as forced labor-services. This reformative act known today as the Cyrus Cylinder is one of the first historical human rights declarations.

These two kings who reigned before Xerxes had a reputation for ruling more fairly and justly than any kings had ever done. Their power was great. Their wealth immense. And their pride certainly matched. But, for some reason in God’s providential setting of the stage, these kings’ hearts beat somewhat sympathetically toward those who were normally oppressed (Prov. 21:1).

Xerxes had big shoes to fill, having been birthed into a legacy of ruling well. He had risen to power during this season in which Persian royalty had enabled the Jews to restore the house of the Lord and return to their land.