Strong's Hebrew: 6539. פָּרָס (Paras) -- Persia

Original Word: פָרַס
Part of Speech: Proper Name
Transliteration: Parac
Pronunciation: pah-RAHS
Phonetic Spelling: (paw-ras')
KJV: Persia, Persians
NASB: Persia
Word Origin: [of foreign origin]

1. Paras (i.e. Persia), an Eastern country, including its inhabitants

Persia, Persians

Of foreign origin; Paras (i.e. Persia), an Eastern country, including its inhabitants -- Persia, Persians.

Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
a country in W. Asia which conquered Bab.
NASB Translation
Persia (28).

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, Spieg^{APK 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.

[フレーム]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).
• Jerusalem’s walls were rebuilt (Nehemiah 2:1-8; 6:15-16).
• The Law was publicly read and reinstituted (Nehemiah 8:1-18).

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).
• Darius: Confirmed the temple decree and financed the project (Ezra 6:6-12).
• Xerxes: Central to Esther’s deliverance narrative.
• Artaxerxes: Commissioned Ezra (Ezra 7) and authorized Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2).

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).
2. Fulfilled Prophecy: Isaiah’s naming of Cyrus a century in advance (Isaiah 45:1) and Daniel’s kingdom succession affirm the reliability of Scripture.
3. Missions Perspective: Persian edicts funded temple worship and dispatched Ezra and Nehemiah; secular authority can unknowingly advance the gospel.
4. Spiritual Warfare: Daniel 10 urges believers to persist in prayer, confident that heavenly conflict accompanies earthly events.
5. Preservation of the Covenant Line: Through Persian rule, the Jewish people were protected, enabling the birth of the Messiah centuries later.

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.

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 ūp̄ārāsInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts

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
HEB: לְכ֙וֹרֶשׁ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס לִכְל֥וֹת דְּבַר־
NAS: king of Persia-- in order to fulfill
KJV: king of Persia, that the word
INT: of Cyrus king of Persia might be accomplished the word

2 Chronicles 36:22
HEB: כּ֣וֹרֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־ פָּרַ֔ס וַיַּֽעֲבֶר־ קוֹל֙
NAS: king of Persia, so that he sent
KJV: king of Persia, that he made a proclamation
INT: of Cyrus king of Persia sent A proclamation

2 Chronicles 36:23
HEB: כּ֣וֹרֶשׁ ׀ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֗ס כָּל־ מַמְלְכ֤וֹת
NAS: king of Persia, 'The LORD,
KJV: king of Persia, All the kingdoms
INT: Cyrus king of Persia all the kingdoms

Ezra 1:1
HEB: לְכ֙וֹרֶשׁ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס לִכְל֥וֹת דְּבַר־
NAS: king of Persia, in order to fulfill
KJV: king of Persia, that the word
INT: of Cyrus king of Persia to fulfill the word

Ezra 1:1
HEB: כֹּ֣רֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־ פָּרַ֔ס וַיַּֽעֲבֶר־ קוֹל֙
NAS: king of Persia, so that he sent
KJV: king of Persia, that he made a proclamation
INT: of Cyrus king of Persia sent A proclamation

Ezra 1:2
HEB: כֹּ֚רֶשׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס כֹּ֚ל מַמְלְכ֣וֹת
NAS: king of Persia, 'The LORD,
KJV: Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God
INT: Cyrus king of Persia all the kingdoms

Ezra 1:8
HEB: כּ֚וֹרֶשׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס עַל־ יַ֖ד
NAS: king of Persia, had them brought
KJV: king of Persia bring forth
INT: and Cyrus king of Persia out the hand

Ezra 3:7
HEB: כּ֥וֹרֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־ פָּרַ֖ס עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ פ
NAS: they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
KJV: that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.
INT: Cyrus king of Persia and

Ezra 4:3
HEB: כּ֥וֹרֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־ פָּרָֽס׃
NAS: the king of Persia has commanded
KJV: the king of Persia hath commanded
INT: Cyrus the king of Persia

Ezra 4:5
HEB: כּ֚וֹרֶשׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס וְעַד־ מַלְכ֖וּת
NAS: king of Persia, even until
KJV: king of Persia, even until the reign
INT: of Cyrus king of Persia until the reign

Ezra 4:5
HEB: דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־ פָּרָֽס׃
NAS: of Darius king of Persia.
KJV: of Darius king of Persia.
INT: of Darius king of Persia

Ezra 4:7
HEB: ק) מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרָ֑ס וּכְתָב֙ הַֽנִּשְׁתְּוָ֔ן
NAS: king of Persia; and the text
KJV: king of Persia; and the writing
INT: Artaxerxes king of Persia and the text of the letter

Ezra 7:1
HEB: אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֣סְתְּא מֶֽלֶךְ־ פָּרָ֑ס עֶזְרָא֙ בֶּן־
NAS: king of Persia, [there went up] Ezra
KJV: king of Persia, Ezra
INT: of Artaxerxes king of Persia Ezra son

Ezra 9:9
HEB: לִפְנֵי֩ מַלְכֵ֨י פָרַ֜ס לָֽתֶת־ לָ֣נוּ
NAS: of the kings of Persia, to give
KJV: of the kings of Persia, to give
INT: the sight of the kings of Persia to give reviving

Esther 1:3
HEB: וַעֲבָדָ֑יו חֵ֣יל ׀ פָּרַ֣ס וּמָדַ֗י הַֽפַּרְתְּמִ֛ים
NAS: the army [officers] of Persia and Media,
KJV: the power of Persia and Media,
INT: and attendants army Persia and Media the nobles

Esther 1:14
HEB: שִׁבְעַ֞ת שָׂרֵ֣י ׀ פָּרַ֣ס וּמָדַ֗י רֹאֵי֙
NAS: princes of Persia and Media
KJV: princes of Persia and Media,
INT: the seven princes of Persia and Media had access

Esther 1:18
HEB: תֹּאמַ֣רְנָה ׀ שָׂר֣וֹת פָּֽרַס־ וּמָדַ֗י אֲשֶׁ֤ר
NAS: day the ladies of Persia and Media who
KJV: [Likewise] shall the ladies of Persia and Media
INT: will speak the ladies of Persia and Media who

Esther 1:19
HEB: וְיִכָּתֵ֛ב בְּדָתֵ֥י פָֽרַס־ וּמָדַ֖י וְלֹ֣א
NAS: in the laws of Persia and Media
KJV: among the laws of the Persians and the Medes,
INT: it be written the laws of Persia and Media cannot

Esther 10:2
HEB: לְמַלְכֵ֖י מָדַ֥י וּפָרָֽס׃
NAS: of the Kings of Media and Persia?
KJV: of the kings of Media and Persia?
INT: of the Kings of Media Persia

Ezekiel 27:10
HEB: פָּרַ֨ס וְל֤וּד וּפוּט֙
NAS: Persia and Lud and Put
KJV: They of Persia and of Lud and of Phut
INT: Persia and Lud and Put

Ezekiel 38:5
HEB: פָּרַ֛ס כּ֥וּשׁ וּפ֖וּט
NAS: Persia, Ethiopia and Put
KJV: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya
INT: Persia Ethiopia and Put

Daniel 8:20
HEB: מַלְכֵ֖י מָדַ֥י וּפָרָֽס׃
NAS: of Media and Persia.
KJV: [are] the kings of Media and Persia.
INT: the kings of Media and Persia

Daniel 10:1
HEB: לְכ֙וֹרֶשׁ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס דָּבָר֙ נִגְלָ֣ה
NAS: king of Persia a message
KJV: king of Persia a thing
INT: of Cyrus king of Persia A message was revealed

Daniel 10:13
HEB: וְשַׂ֣ר ׀ מַלְכ֣וּת פָּרַ֗ס עֹמֵ֤ד לְנֶגְדִּי֙
NAS: of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding
KJV: of the kingdom of Persia withstood
INT: the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding about

28 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6539
28 Occurrences

p̄ā·ras — 3 Occ.
lə·p̄ā·ras — 1 Occ.
pā·rās — 22 Occ.
ū·p̄ā·rās — 2 Occ.