John Gill Commentary Ezra 6:10

"that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savor unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons." — Ezra 6:10 (ASV)

That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God
of heaven
Such as will be acceptable to him, (Genesis 8:21)

and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons ;
prayer being wont to be made at the time of the morning and evening incense; and the Jews used to pray for other people besides themselves, and especially when desired, and particularly for kings and civil magistrates, to whom they were subject, see (Jeremiah 29:7) (1 Timothy 2:1 1 Timothy 2:2) .

The sons of Darius Hystaspis, for whose life, as well as his own, he would have prayer made, were, according to Herodotus ^F4 , three by his first wife, the daughter of Gobryas, before he began to reign, the eldest of which was Artobazanes; which sons must be here meant, since this was towards the beginning of his reign; he had afterwards four more by Atossa the daughter of Cyrus, the eldest of which was Xerxes, who succeeded him: many of the Heathens had an high opinion of the God of the Jews, and of their prayers to him for them; even the Emperor Julian ^F5 styles him the best of all the gods, and desired the Jews to pray to him for the welfare of his kingdom; nor need it seem strange that Darius should desire the same, since he was a devout prince; his father Hystaspes is supposed by some to be the same that was one of the most famous among the Persian Magi, or ministers in sacred things; and Darius himself had so great a veneration for the men of that sacred order, that he commanded that it should be put upon his sepulchral monument, that he was master of the Magi ^F6 ; and by his familiarity with the priests of Egypt, and learning their divinity, has the honour, while alive, to have deity ascribed to him ^F7 .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F4: Polymnia, sive, l. 7. c. 2.
• F5: Opera, par. 2. ep. 25. p. 153.
• F6: Porphyr. de abstinentia, l. 4, c. 16.
• F7: Diodor. Sic. l. 1. p. 85.