Daniel 5:26-28

5:26 This is the interpretation of the words: ¹  As for mene ²  – God has numbered your kingdom’s days and brought it to an end. 5:27 As for teqel – you are weighed on the balances and found to be lacking. 5:28 As for peres ³  – your kingdom is divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”

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¹ tn Or “word” or “event.” See HALOT 1915 s.v. מִלָּה.

² tn The Aramaic term מְנֵא (mÿne’) is a noun referring to a measure of weight. The linkage here to the verb “to number” (Aram. מְנָה, mÿnah) is a case of paronomasia rather than strict etymology. So also with תְּקֵל (tÿqel) and פַרְסִין (farsin). In the latter case there is an obvious wordplay with the name “Persian.”

³ sn Peres (פְּרֵס) is the singular form of פַרְסִין (pharsin) in v. 25.