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פַּרְסִי

𐤐𐤓𐤎𐤉

Parçîy

H6543 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פָּרַס to divide, split, cleave

Definition

A person of Persian origin or descent, specifically an inhabitant of the region or empire called Persia; used as a designation for members of the Persian people, particularly in official or court contexts during the Persian period.

Semantic Range

Persian (as an ethnic and geographic designation), member of the Persian people, pertaining to Persia or the Persians; rarely as administrative title or official; contrasted with Median (מָדַי) in imperial contexts

Root / Etymology

From the root פָּרַס (paras), referring to the land of Persia, with the adjectival or gentilic suffix -ִי (-î), indicating 'of' or 'from' Persia. The form פַּרְסִי is the Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew פָּרָסִי (Parasi).

Historical & Contextual Notes

פַּרְסִי occurs exclusively in Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Daniel 5:28; 6:9, 13, 16), always in the context of the Achaemenid Persian administration or population. The term designates ethnic Persians as distinct from Medes. In the biblical context, Persian rule follows the exilic period, and פַּרְסִי is typically used for high-ranking officials or functionaries in the Persian imperial bureaucracy. English translations often use 'Persian,' which appropriately reflects the original gentilic meaning. The term is geographic and ethnic, not religious, and should not be confused with later notions of religious identity. Although the Greek rendering ΙΙερσος (Persos) gives rise to the English 'Persian,' the original term faithfully records the demonym used during the biblical Persian era. The biblical 'Parsi' does not carry the specific later associations with Zoroastrianism or modern Iranian identity. In Daniel, idiomatic use (e.g., in the 'mene, mene, tekel, u-parsin' passage) also includes a wordplay with the verb 'to divide' (פְּרַס) and the nation 'Persian' (פַּרְסִי). Related terms include מָדַי (Madai, 'Mede'), often contrasted with פַּרְסִי to highlight the dual leadership of the Medes and Persians in the Achaemenid Empire.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to פַּרְסִי; {a Parsite (i.e. Persian), or inhabitant of Peres}; Persian.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פרס (p-r-s) — divide, split, cleave

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6536 פָּרַס to split
H6537 פְּרַס division
H6538 פֶּרֶס the tearing talon
H6539 פָּרַס Persia
H6540 פָּרַס Persia

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6543-02 פָּרְסָאָֽ/ה paresaah ANgmsd/Td Persia the Persian 1
H6543-01 פרסי/א frsy ANgmsd/Td the-Persian the Persian 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6543-01 Daniel 6:29 פרסי/א frsy ANgmsd/Td the-Persian the Persian
H6543-02 Daniel 6:29 פָּרְסָאָֽ/ה paresaah ANgmsd/Td Persia the Persian
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