פָּרַס
𐤐𐤓𐤎
Paras
H6540 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Name for the region of Persia and, by extension, its inhabitants. In the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible, 'Paras' specifically refers to the ancient kingdom/empire situated east of Mesopotamia, later forming the core of the Achaemenid Empire. The term can designate the land itself, the dominant people group from that region, or be used collectively for the Persian imperial polity.
Semantic Range
Persia (the country/empire), Persian people or ethnic group, the imperial ruling class of Persia, by extension the broader territory or power associated with the Persian polity
Root / Etymology
Borrowed from Old Persian via Akkadian 'Parsu', referring to the region of Persis (modern Fars in southwestern Iran); not derived from a Hebrew root. Entered Biblical Aramaic as a loanword, designating the territory and ethnos known in Greek as Perses/Persis. The Hebrew form פָּרַס is a direct adoption, with no etymological development from Hebrew roots.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פָּרַס appears solely in the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible, most prominently in Daniel and Ezra, always referencing the Persians as imperial rulers or their territory. Its usage reflects the historical context of the late exilic and post-exilic periods, when the Achaemenid Empire dominated the Near East. The word is neutral and ethnic/geopolitical, without religious connotation in its original context. Later translations rendered it as 'Persians' or 'Persia', closely reflecting its original meaning. Distinct from מָדַי (Madai, Medes), though frequently paired as 'Medes and Persians' (see Daniel 5–6), signifying the ruling groups of the empire. Later rabbinic and post-biblical Hebrew retained the form for broader references to Persia. Standard English translations generally capture its scope, but modern readers may not recognize the shifting historical boundaries of 'Persia' across time.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to פָּרַס; {Paras (i.e. Persia), an Eastern country, including its inhabitants}; Persia, Persians.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
uncertain (Baleadan) — uncertain
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1002 | בִּירָה | the citadel |
| H105 | אֲגַרְטָל | bowls of |
| H1081 | בַּלְאֲדָן | Baladan |
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6540-02 |
וּ/פָרָֽס | ufaras | AC/Ngmsd |
and Persians | and Persia | and Paras | 4 |
H6540-01 |
פָּרָֽס | paras | ANp |
of Persia | Persia | Paras | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6540-02 |
Daniel 5:28 | וּ/פָרָֽס | ufaras | AC/Ngmsd |
and Persians | and Persia | and Paras |
H6540-02 |
Daniel 6:9 | וּ/פָרַ֖ס | ufaras | AC/Np |
and Persians | and Persia | and Paras |
H6540-02 |
Daniel 6:13 | וּ/פָרַ֖ס | ufaras | AC/Np |
and Persians | and Persia | and Paras |
H6540-02 |
Daniel 6:16 | וּ/פָרַ֔ס | ufaras | AC/Np |
and Persia | and Persia | and Paras |
H6540-01 |
Ezra 4:24 | פָּרָֽס | paras | ANp |
of Persia | Persia | Paras |
H6540-01 |
Ezra 6:14 | פָּרָֽס | paras | ANp |
of Persia | Persia | Paras |