פָּרַס28 H6539
Persia (Paras) — the ancient empire east of Babylon, prominent in post-exilic biblical literature
Paras is the Hebrew name for Persia, the vast empire that displaced Babylon and authorized the Jewish return from exile. All 28 occurrences cluster in the latest stratum of the Hebrew Bible: Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel, and two passages in Ezekiel. The word enters the narrative at the pivotal moment when Cyrus king of Persia issues his decree permitting the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple (2 Chr 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-2), and it echoes through the court intrigues of Esther set in 'the laws of Persia and Media' (Est 1:3, 14, 18-19). Daniel's visions name Persia explicitly in the ram with two horns representing 'the kings of Media and Persia' (Dan 8:20) and in the angelic warfare involving 'the prince of Persia' (Dan 10:13, 20). Ezekiel lists Paras among the mercenary nations allied with Tyre (Ezek 27:10) and with Gog (Ezek 38:5). The Septuagint renders it Persis or Persion, while Spanish uses 'Persia,' French 'Perse,' and German 'Persien.'
Senses
1. Persia (proper noun) — The proper name for the Persian Empire and its territory, centered in modern Iran. Every occurrence belongs to post-exilic or late prophetic literature. The name anchors the theological turning point of the exile's end: Cyrus's decree (2 Chr 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-2), Esther's court dramas under Persian law (Est 1:3, 19), Daniel's apocalyptic visions of 'the kings of Media and Persia' (Dan 8:20; 10:13, 20), and Ezekiel's oracles naming Paras among foreign military powers (Ezek 27:10; 38:5). The LXX renders it consistently as Persis. 28×
AR["فارِس", "فَارِسَ", "فَارِسُ"]·ben["পারস্য", "পারস্যের"]·DE["Persien"]·EN["Paras", "Paras-", "Persia"]·FR["Perse"]·heb["פרס"]·HI["पारस", "फ़ारस", "फ़ारस-का", "फ़ारस-के", "फ़ारसियों", "फारस-का", "फारस-के"]·ID["Persia", "Persia,"]·IT["Persia"]·jav["Persia", "Pèrsia", "Pèrsia-", "katulis", "ratu"]·KO["바사", "바사와", "바사와-", "바사의", "페르시아와"]·PT["Paras", "Paras-"]·RU["Параса", "Парса", "Персии", "Персия"]·ES["Paras", "Persia", "Persia.", "de-Persia", "de-Persia:"]·SW["Uajemi", "la-Uajemi", "na-Umedi", "paּras", "wa-Uajemi", "za-Uajemi"]·TR["Parsin", "Pers", "Pers'in", "Pers-"]·urd["فارس", "فارس-کا", "فارس-کی", "فارس-کے"]
2 Chr 36:20, 2 Chr 36:22, 2 Chr 36:22, 2 Chr 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 (+16 more)
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
פָּרַס28 n.pr.terr. Persia, Περσῶν (genit.), Dn 11:2 τῇ Περσίδι (𝔊 et Θ), 2 Ch 36:20 Μήδων (OPers. Pârsa, Persian, Persia, SpiegAPK 231, NPers. پَارْسِ, فَارْسِ; Arabic فَارِسُ );—פ׳ 2 Ch 36:22 +, פָּרָ֑ס v 20 +;—in late lit., 2 Ch 36:20, v 22(×2), 23 = Ezr 1:1(×2), 2; Dn 10:1 + 11 times Ezr Dn + (c. מָדַי) Est 1:3, 14, 18, 19; 10:2; Dn 8:20; פ׳ Ez 27:10; 38:5 is doubted by Toy (who, 27:10, reads כּוּשׁ, after Gr), but Krae defends.