Lexical Summary Paras: Persia Original Word: פָרַס Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Persia, Persians Of foreign origin; Paras (i.e. Persia), an Eastern country, including its inhabitants -- Persia, Persians. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof foreign origin Definition a country in W. Asia which conquered Bab. NASB Translation Persia (28). Brown-Driver-Briggs מָּרַס28 proper name, of a territory Persia, περσῶν (genitive), Daniel 11:2 τῇ Περσίδι (ᵐ5 and Θ), 2 Chronicles 36:20 Μήδων (Old Persian Pârsa, Persian, Persia, SpiegAPK 231, New Persian  ,  ; Arabic  ; — ׳פ2Chronicles 36:22 +, מָּרָ֑ס 2 Chronicles 36:20 +; — in late literature, 2 Chronicles 36:20, 2 Chronicles 36:22, 22, 23 = Ezra 1:1 (twice in verse); Ezra 1:2; Daniel 10:1 11t. Ezra Daniel + (with מָדַי) Esther 1:3,14,18,19; Esther 10:2; Daniel 8:20; ׳פ Ezekiel 27:10; Ezekiel 38:5 is doubted by Toy (who, Ezekiel 27:10, reads כּוּשׁ, after Gr), but Krae defends. Topical Lexicon Geographical and Ethnic Overview פָרַס designates the ancient nation of Persia, situated east of Babylon in the territory bounded by the Zagros Mountains and the Persian Gulf. Scripture consistently links Persia with Media, reflecting the historical union that created the Medo-Persian Empire (Esther 1:3; Daniel 8:20). Although originally a tribal name, the term soon came to describe a world power that succeeded Babylon and dominated the Near East until the rise of Greece. Occurrences and Literary Distribution The word appears about twenty-eight times, concentrated in the exilic and post-exilic books: 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ezekiel, and Daniel. It never occurs in the Pentateuch or the historical books prior to the exile, underscoring its relevance to Israel’s later history. Persia and the Return from Exile Jeremiah had foretold seventy years of captivity (Jeremiah 25:11-12). Those years closed when the “L ORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia” (2 Chronicles 36:22). Cyrus’s decree (Ezra 1:1-4) authorized the rebuilding of the temple and inaugurated the series of returns under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Under Persian patronage: • The temple was completed (Ezra 6:14-15). Thus פָרַס stands in Scripture as God’s chosen instrument to restore His covenant people to their land. Persian Kings in the Biblical Narrative Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes (Ahasuerus), and Artaxerxes appear by name or title. Each is shown as subject to divine sovereignty: • Cyrus: “He is My shepherd, and he shall fulfill all My purpose” (Isaiah 44:28). Persia in the Prophets Ezekiel foretold Persia’s commercial and military alliances (Ezekiel 27:10; 38:5). Daniel, writing under Babylonian dominion yet looking beyond it, saw the Medo-Persian ram (Daniel 8:20) and predicted that “three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth” before Greece’s ascendancy (Daniel 11:2). These prophecies align seamlessly with the historical sequence of Cambyses, Pseudo-Smerdis, Darius I, and Xerxes I, demonstrating Scripture’s accuracy. Spiritual Conflict over Persia Daniel 10:13-20 pulls back the veil on unseen realities: “the prince of the kingdom of Persia resisted me twenty-one days… then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me”. Persia’s political scene was influenced by spiritual forces, yet ultimately governed by God’s purposes. Persia in the Book of Esther In Susa, Haman’s genocidal plot was foiled, leading to the institution of Purim (Esther 9). The narrative shows Persia’s legal rigidity (“a law of the Persians and Medes, which cannot be revoked,” Esther 1:19) but also the L ORD’s providence in placing Esther and Mordecai for “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Eschatological Echoes Ezekiel 38 lists Persia among those gathering against restored Israel in the latter days, suggesting that lands once under Persian sway will play roles in end-time opposition. Yet even this coalition cannot thwart God’s ultimate plan. Ministry and Theological Significance 1. Divine Sovereignty: From Cyrus’s decree to Esther’s deliverance, Persia illustrates that “the king’s heart is a watercourse in the hand of the L ORD” (Proverbs 21:1). Persia, therefore, stands in Scripture not merely as a historical empire but as a testament to God’s unerring governance of nations in service to His redemptive plan. Forms and Transliterations וּפָרָֽס׃ ופרס׃ לְפָרַ֗ס לפרס פָּֽרַס־ פָּרַ֔ס פָּרַ֖ס פָּרַ֗ס פָּרַ֛ס פָּרַ֣ס פָּרַ֨ס פָּרָ֑ס פָּרָֽס׃ פָֽרַס־ פָרַ֜ס פָרָֽס׃ פרס פרס־ פרס׃ faRas lə·p̄ā·ras lefaRas ləp̄āras pā·ras pā·rās p̄ā·ras p̄ā·rās pā·ras- p̄ā·ras- paRas pāras pārās p̄āras p̄ārās pāras- p̄āras- ū·p̄ā·rās ufaRas ūp̄ārāsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Chronicles 36:20 HEB: מְלֹ֖ךְ מַלְכ֥וּת פָּרָֽס׃ NAS: the rule of the kingdom of Persia, KJV: of the kingdom of Persia: INT: the rule of the kingdom of Persia 2 Chronicles 36:22 2 Chronicles 36:22 2 Chronicles 36:23 Ezra 1:1 Ezra 1:1 Ezra 1:2 Ezra 1:8 Ezra 3:7 Ezra 4:3 Ezra 4:5 Ezra 4:5 Ezra 4:7 Ezra 7:1 Ezra 9:9 Esther 1:3 Esther 1:14 Esther 1:18 Esther 1:19 Esther 10:2 Ezekiel 27:10 Ezekiel 38:5 Daniel 8:20 Daniel 10:1 Daniel 10:13 28 Occurrences |
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