Daniel 5:28

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Daniel 5:28 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “PERES; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

PERES; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
Daniel 5:28 — American Standard Version

Context — Daniel 5

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
28PERES; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“PERES, etc.] The singular of “Pharsin”, (<270525>Daniel 5:25). The sense of this word is, thy kingdom is divided: which, though it consisted of various provinces, united under Belshazzar, now should be broken and separated from him: and given to the Medes and Persians; to Darius the Mede, and to Cyrus the Persian, who was a partner for a while with his uncle Darius in the government of the empire: there is an elegant play on words in the words “Peres” and “Persians”; and a grievous thing it is to sinners, not only to have body and soul divided at death, but to be divided and separated from God to all eternity; and to hear that sentence, “depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Peres--the explanation of "dividers" (Dan 5:25), the active participle plural there being used for the passive participle singular, "dividers" for "divided." The word "Peres" alludes to the similar word "Persia." divided--namely, among the Medes and Persians [MAURER]; or, "severed" from thee [GROTIUS].”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Peres - In Daniel 5:25 this is “Upharsin.” These are but different forms of the same word - the word in Daniel 5:25 being in the plural, and here in the singular. The verb (פרס peras) means, to “divide;” and in this form, as in the previous cases, it is, according to Gesenius, participle meaning “divided.” As it stands here, it would be applicable to anything that was “divided” or “sundered” - whether a kingdom, a palace, a house, territory, etc. “What” was divided could be known only by Divine revelation. If the “word” had been understood by Belshazzar, undoubtedly it would have suggested the idea that there was to be some sort of division or sundering, but what that was to be would not be…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“PERES - Separated, divided, broken. Phars signifies two things, broken off, and Persian; noting that, first, this kingdom was broken down from Belshazzar. Secondly, that it was given to the Persians. Daniel 5:31”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“5:28 Parsin means ‘divided’ (or halved): The Babylonian Empire would be divided and given to two peoples, the Medes and the Persians.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“PERES: Peres,"he was divided," pronounced paras, denoted Persians, who seem evidently referred to. Thy: Dan 5:31, Dan 6:28, Dan 8:3, Dan 8:4, Dan 8:20, Dan 9:1; Isa 13:17, Isa 21:2, Isa 45:1, Isa 45:2 Daniel 5:29”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification