PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easily missed is the clever wordplay Daniel uses: "Peres" sounds like the word for "Persian," meaning the kingdom wouldn't just be divided, but specifically handed over to the Persians and Medes. This wasn't just a prediction of political fragmentation, but a specific, pointed insult tied directly to the king's enemies. The very name of the conquerors was embedded in the judgment itself.
PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
As the mysterious hand finishes writing its pronouncement, Daniel interprets the final word, "Peres," revealing that Belshazzar's kingdom will be broken apart and given to the Medes and Persians. This pronouncement directly follows the king's desperate summoning of Daniel, his plea for understanding, and his previous failed attempts to comprehend the divine message, setting the stage for the immediate downfall of his reign.
Daniel wasn't just translating words; he was delivering a divine verdict. The very language God used held a double meaning, a profound warning wrapped in a clever play on words.
The word Daniel speaks, 'Peres,' is a singular form related to the word 'Upharsin' from the previous verse. While 'Upharsin' generally means 'divided,' the root word 'Peres' also sounds incredibly similar to 'Persians.'
A Divine Pun
This wasn't just a random coincidence. God used this linguistic connection to make His judgment unmistakable:
This dual meaning ensured that the message was not only understood but also remembered. It was a divine stamp on the prophecy, highlighting the precision of God's judgment.
Belshazzar and his kingdom were judged not just by their actions, but by their character. The division of the kingdom was the direct consequence of being 'weighed in the balance.'
The entire sequence in Daniel 5 builds to a powerful conclusion: the writing on the wall is a declaration of judgment.
The Balance and the Verdict
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This highlights a crucial theological truth: God is not only a creator and sustainer but also a judge who holds individuals and nations accountable.
Understand the original words
pĕras · Aramaic Verb/Noun
Refers to the act of partitioning or breaking apart, frequently used in Scripture for the judgment of nations or kingdoms. It symbolizes the removal of divine favor and the subsequent dissolution of authority or unity.
The dramatic prophecy of the kingdom's division and transfer to the Medes and Persians directly corresponds to the historical conquest of Babylon by Cyrus the Great, fulfilling ancient predictions and ushering in a new imperial era.
c. 550 BC
Rise of Cyrus the Great
Cyrus, ruler of Anshan, begins his conquest, eventually uniting the Medes and Persians under his leadership and challenging the Babylonian Empire.
c. 546 BC
Fall of Lydia
Cyrus conquers the wealthy kingdom of Lydia, a significant blow to the regional powers and a demonstration of the Medo-Persian military might.
c. 540 BC
Babylonian Empire Weakened
Under King Nabonidus, the Babylonian Empire faces internal strife and external pressure, setting the stage for its eventual downfall.
October 12, 539 BC— this verse
Fall of Babylon
Cyrus the Great captures Babylon after a siege, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire and incorporating its vast territories into the Medo-Persian realm.
539 BC
Darius the Mede Rules Babylon
Cyrus appoints his uncle, Darius the Mede, as the ruler of Babylon, marking the transition of power and the division of governance.
c. 538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands, a direct consequence of the Medo-Persian conquest.
This passage prophesies the desolation of Judah and its subsequent servitude to Babylon for seventy years, mirroring the divinely ordained end of empires seen in Daniel's vision.
Isaiah 44:28This verse directly names Cyrus as God's shepherd who will fulfill His purpose and restore Jerusalem, highlighting God's sovereignty over even the 'enemy' empires like Persia.
Daniel 2:21This verse shows God's power to change times and seasons, set up kings, and remove them, which is the ultimate principle demonstrated by the fall of Belshazzar's kingdom.
Luke 16:10Jesus teaches that faithfulness in small matters is a reflection of faithfulness in larger responsibilities, a principle that Belshazzar utterly failed, leading to the division of his kingdom.
Proverbs 16:18The verse 'Pride goes before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall' perfectly encapsulates the spiritual and political downfall of Belshazzar and his kingdom.
barnesDaniel 5:28: "PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."
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,…
pooleDaniel 5:28: "PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."
Separated, divided, broken. Peres signifies two things, broken off, and Persian; noting, first, That this kingdom was broken from Belshazzar, and his line and family. Secondly, That it was given from the Chaldeans to the Persians. Then it was divided between the Medes and Persians; for Cyrus took Babylon, he was a Persian; after that he gave part of it to Darius his son-in-law, and he was a Mede; and so they were…
What's easily missed is the clever wordplay Daniel uses: "Peres" sounds like the word for "Persian," meaning the kingdom wouldn't just be divided, but specifically handed over to the Persians and Medes. This wasn't just a prediction of political fragmentation, but a specific, pointed insult tied directly to the king's enemies. The very name of the conquerors was embedded in the judgment itself.
As the mysterious hand finishes writing its pronouncement, Daniel interprets the final word, "Peres," revealing that Belshazzar's kingdom will be broken apart and given to the Medes and Persians. This pronouncement directly follows the king's desperate summoning of Daniel, his plea for understanding, and his previous failed attempts to comprehend the divine message, setting the stage for the immediate downfall of his reign.
As the mysterious hand finishes writing its pronouncement, Daniel interprets the final word, "Peres," revealing that Belshazzar's kingdom will be broken apart and given to the Medes and Persians. This pronouncement directly follows the king's desperate summoning of Daniel, his plea for understanding, and his previous failed attempts to comprehend the divine message, setting the stage for the immediate downfall of his reign.
"PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”" — What's easily missed is the clever wordplay Daniel uses: "Peres" sounds like the word for "Persian," meaning the kingdom wouldn't just be divided, but specifically handed over to the Persians and Med…
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Last reviewed October 2026