Lexical Summary prac: To uncover, to expose, to make naked, to let go, to let loose Original Word: פְרַס Strong's Exhaustive Concordance divide, Upharsin (Aramaic) corresponding to parac; to split up -- divide, (U-)pharsin. see HEBREW parac Brown-Driver-Briggs מְּרֵס (read מְּרָס ? M78* f.) probably noun [masculine] half-mina (Late Hebrew מְּרָס, Old Aramaic פרס, פרש Lzb354 SAC99 Cooke176, 406; see מְנֵא and references); — absolute ׳פ Daniel 5:28; plural (וּ)פַרְסִין [read מְּרָסִין ? see Ml.c.] Daniel 5:25. Topical Lexicon פְרַס (Strong’s 6537)Occurrences Daniel 5:25; Daniel 5:28 (twice) Historical Setting The word appears exclusively in the account of Belshazzar’s feast (Daniel 5), the final night of the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 539 BC. While Babylon celebrated, the Medo-Persian forces of Cyrus the Great had already diverted the Euphrates and entered the city. Thus, when the mysterious hand wrote on the palace wall, divine judgment and the empire’s fall were simultaneous events. Meaning within the Narrative פְרַס is read aloud as “Peres” in Daniel 5:28: “Peres means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.” (Daniel 5:28) 1. Division – The core idea is separation or apportionment. Belshazzar’s rule is literally “split” and removed. Theological Themes Divine sovereignty over nations The sudden fall of Babylon fulfills earlier prophecies: Isaiah 13:17; Isaiah 21:2; Jeremiah 51:11, 28. פְרַס underscores that world powers rise and fall at God’s decree (Daniel 2:21; Daniel 4:17). Moral accountability Belshazzar’s desecration of the Jerusalem vessels (Daniel 5:2-4) provokes immediate heavenly response. The “division” of an empire illustrates Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction.” Prophetic precision Daniel interprets the inscription before any messenger arrives from the battlefield, showing that prophetic revelation precedes historical verification. The split between Media and Persia (“the Medes and Persians,” Daniel 5:28) anticipates the dual nature of the next kingdom portrayed in the silver torso of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue (Daniel 2:32, 39) and the ram with two horns (Daniel 8:3-4, 20). Ministry Applications 1. Spiritual self-examination As Belshazzar was “weighed on the scales and found deficient” (Daniel 5:27), believers are urged to “examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Profaning holy vessels led to national loss. Churches and individuals steward sacred realities—the gospel, the ordinances, bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Babylon fell in a single night. פְרַס reminds hearers that judgment can be swift, making “today” the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). The fulfilled wordplay (divide / Persians) strengthens assurance that all remaining prophecies—especially those concerning the return of Christ—will likewise come to pass. Echoes in Later Scripture and Christian Vocabulary • The idiom “the writing on the wall” in modern speech derives from this passage, a cultural testimony to Scripture’s enduring impact. Summary פְרַס in Daniel 5 is more than a cryptic term; it encapsulates the decisive act of God in dividing and transferring power, validates earlier prophecy, models the certainty of divine judgment, and calls every generation to humility, vigilance, and trust in the Sovereign Lord who weighs kingdoms and hearts alike. Forms and Transliterations וּפַרְסִֽין׃ ופרסין׃ פְּרִיסַת֙ פְּרֵ֑ס פריסת פרס pə·rês pə·rî·saṯ peRes pərês periSat pərîsaṯ ū·p̄ar·sîn ufarSin ūp̄arsînLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 5:25 HEB: מְנֵ֖א תְּקֵ֥ל וּפַרְסִֽין׃ NAS: MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.' KJV: MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. INT: MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN Daniel 5:28 Daniel 5:28 3 Occurrences |
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