Daniel 5 28

Daniel 5:28 kjv

PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

Daniel 5:28 nkjv

PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."

Daniel 5:28 niv

Peres : Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

Daniel 5:28 esv

PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

Daniel 5:28 nlt

Parsin means 'divided' ? your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

Daniel 5 28 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Dan 2:21"He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings..."God's sovereign control over rulers
Dan 4:17, 25"...the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will."God establishes earthly kingdoms
Dan 5:26"PERES; your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."Fulfillment of the writing
Jer 27:6-7"And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar..."God uses foreign nations as instruments
Isa 10:5-6"Assyria, the rod of my anger..."God using nations in judgment
Eze 21:26-27"'Remove the turban, take off the crown... Never shall this be yours..."Judgment on Zedekiah and his kingship
Luke 1:52"He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree."God's reversal of earthly power
Acts 1:7"It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has set..."God's sovereign control over time
John 19:11"You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above."All authority comes from God
Rev 11:15"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ..."God's ultimate kingdom
Rev 17:12-13"...beasts... are kings who have not yet received kingdom but... receive authority as kings..."God grants authority to rulers
Rev 18:10, 17"Alas, alas, the great city... Babylon..."Judgment on Babylon
Rom 13:1"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities..."God-ordained authority
Ps 75:6-7"For promotion comes from neither east nor west, nor from the south... but God is the judge."Divine source of authority
Ps 22:28"For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations."God's supreme rule
Gen 1:28"Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it..."Mandate to human authority
Prov 16:12"A king's righteousness is established on the throne."Righteous rule
Dan 2:32-33, 39Describing the succession of world empiresProphetic vision of kingdoms
Dan 5:28Direct fulfillment of prophecy regarding Babylonian defeatSpecific prophecy fulfillment

Daniel 5 verses

Daniel 5 28 Meaning

Daniel's prophecy regarding the division of his kingdom signifies the transfer of dominion and authority from Belshazzar to the Medes and Persians. This division was a direct judgment from God upon the Babylonian empire for its arrogance and defiance.

Daniel 5 28 Context

Chapter 5 of Daniel details the dramatic fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians. Belshazzar, the king, held a lavish feast using sacred vessels from the Jerusalem Temple, defying the God of Israel. During this feast, a disembodied hand appeared, writing on the wall: "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin." Daniel was summoned to interpret the mysterious writing. He condemned Belshazzar's pride and idolatry, explaining that God had numbered Belshazzar's kingdom, weighed him and found him wanting, and decreed that his kingdom would be divided. This verse is the specific interpretation of "Parsin," signifying the imminent division of the Babylonian empire.

Daniel 5 28 Word Analysis

  • PERES (פָּרַס)
    • Transliteration: Paras (Hebrew origin, but used here in Aramaic context)
    • Meaning: Divided; Split apart. This word is the singular passive participle of the root parash (פָּרַשׁ) meaning "to divide," "to separate," or "to spread out."
  • your kingdom (מַלְכוּתָךְ)
    • Transliteration: Malkhuthakh (Aramaic)
    • Meaning: Your dominion; Your sovereignty; Your reign.
  • is divided (דִּיָּתָא)
    • Transliteration: Di’yatha (Aramaic)
    • Meaning: It is divided. This is the perfect passive verb from the root da’a (דִּיָּא), meaning "to divide."
  • and given (וּמִנְחַת)
    • Transliteration: U-m’nḥat (Aramaic)
    • Meaning: And given; and gifted; and handed over. This form can also relate to a tribute or offering, but in context, it signifies the transfer of ownership or dominion.
  • to the Medes (לְמָדָי)
    • Transliteration: L'madai (Aramaic)
    • Meaning: To the Medes. The Medes were a prominent ancient Iranian people.
  • and Persians (וּפָרְסָי)
    • Transliteration: U-parsai (Aramaic)
    • Meaning: And Persians. The Persians were another related Iranian people, who would soon become the dominant power.

Word Group Analysis

The parallelism in the divine pronouncement, especially with the repetition and related words "Peres" and "Parsin" (in Daniel 5:25), emphasizes the completeness and finality of the judgment. The wordplay on "Peres" is significant, directly linking to the eventual division of the empire among the Medes and Persians. The root parash itself carries a sense of separation and distribution, aptly describing the political fragmentation of Babylon.

Daniel 5 28 Bonus Section

The concept of divine judgment and the rise and fall of empires is a recurring theme in Daniel, as seen in the vision of the great image in chapter 2. The hand writing on the wall in chapter 5 is a dramatic, supernatural demonstration of God's power to intervene directly in human affairs and execute His pronouncements. The literal fulfillment of this prophecy during Belshazzar's reign confirms Daniel's divine authority and the truth of God's word, even amidst the pomp and perceived invincibility of Babylonian power. This event serves as a stark warning against pride and idolatry, underscoring that all earthly power ultimately derives from and is accountable to the Most High.

Daniel 5 28 Commentary

This verse marks the climax of the mysterious writing on the wall, clearly interpreted by Daniel. It directly predicts the fall of Babylon and the partition of its vast empire between the Medes and the Persians, foreshadowing the geopolitical shifts orchestrated by God. Belshazzar's kingdom, so boastfully displayed, is shown to be fleeting, subject to God's sovereign decree. The mention of Medes and Persians highlights the historical reality of the empire's overthrow by Cyrus the Great, who was of Persian origin but often referred to in conjunction with the Medes who formed a significant part of his invading force. The judgment is not arbitrary; it stems from Belshazzar's unrepentant sin.