Original Word: פָרַס
Part of Speech: Proper Name
Transliteration: Parac
Pronunciation: pah-RAHS
Phonetic Spelling: (paw-ras')
NASB: Persians, Persia
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H6539 (פָּרַס - Persia)]

1. Persia, Persians

Persia, Persians

(Aramaic) corresponding to Parac -- Persia, Persians.

see HEBREW Parac

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to Paras
Definition
a country in W. Asia which conquered Bab.
NASB Translation
Persia (2), Persians (4).

מָּרַס proper name, of a territory and people Persia (as kingdom), Persians (see Biblical Hebrew id.); — ׳פ Daniel 6:9; Daniel 6:13; Daniel 6:16; מָּרָ֑ס Daniel 5:28; Ezra 4:24; Ezra 6:14.

Entry: פָרַס (Strong's Hebrew 6540) — Persia, the Persians

Occurrences and Contexts

Appears six times, always denoting the realm or people of Persia: Ezra 4:24; Ezra 6:14; Daniel 5:28; Daniel 6:8; Daniel 6:12; Daniel 6:15. In Ezra the word frames the post-exilic rebuilding narrative; in Daniel it underscores the succession of world empires and the immutability of Persian law.

Historical Setting

Persia rose under Cyrus the Great, who conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. Persian policy permitted exiles to return home and rebuild temples, directly affecting Judah’s restoration. Subsequent monarchs—Darius I and Artaxerxes I—feature in Ezra and Nehemiah as God’s providential instruments. The empire lasted until Alexander’s conquest in 331 B.C., a transition anticipated in Daniel’s prophecies.

Persia in Ezra

Ezra 4:24 notes the temporary halt of temple construction “until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.” Ezra 6:14 records that the same imperial authority later enabled completion: “They finished building... according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.” Persia thus exemplifies God’s ability to turn political powers toward His redemptive ends.

Persia in Daniel

Daniel 5:28 marks the transfer of Babylon to “the Medes and Persians,” fulfilling divine judgment. Daniel 6:8, 12, 15 repeat the refrain “according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked,” highlighting the apparent finality of human decrees—yet God overrides them by preserving Daniel in the lions’ den. Persia becomes both a symbol of earthly authority and a backdrop against which divine sovereignty is displayed.

Theological Significance

1. Sovereignty of God: Persia’s ascent and Babylon’s fall confirm God’s control over nations (Daniel 2:21).
2. Preservation of the Remnant: Persian edicts finance and protect the temple’s reconstruction, safeguarding the lineage through which Messiah would come.
3. Prophetic Chronology: Daniel positions Persia as the second of four empires, anchoring the timeline that culminates in God’s everlasting kingdom (Daniel 2:44).

Practical and Ministry Implications

• Submission with Integrity: Daniel models faithful service under pagan governance.
• Confidence under Secular Rule: The return from exile illustrates that God can redirect political agendas for His people’s welfare.
• Supremacy of Divine Law: The clash between irrevocable Persian statutes and God’s deliverance encourages believers to honor God above all legislations.

Inter-Testamental Echoes

Persia remains the backdrop for Esther and influences the shaping of the Old Testament canon during the Second Temple period. Daniel 8:20’s vision of the ram with two horns explicitly identifies “the kings of Media and Persia,” confirming the predictive precision of biblical prophecy.

Summary

פָרַס designates more than a nation; it embodies a divinely guided epoch in which the Lord used a Gentile superpower to discipline, restore, and protect His covenant people. Persia’s appearance in Scripture magnifies God’s sovereignty, validates prophetic Scripture, and instructs believers on faithful living within the structures of worldly authority.

וּפָרַ֔ס וּפָרַ֖ס וּפָרָֽס׃ ופרס ופרס׃ פָּרָֽס׃ פרס׃ pā·rās paRas pārās ū·p̄ā·ras ū·p̄ā·rās ufaRas ūp̄āras ūp̄ārāsInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts