This word is not a passive participle like the two words mene’ and teqil, although the vocalization indicates that the Masoretes considered it a verb form. It is a noun, here singular in form. The plural form appeared on the inscription (v. 25). There it is also connected to the preceding words by the conjunction we, “and.” The we appears as u in the word upharsin. This accounts for the difference between upharsin and peres.

 Peres means “share,” or “portion,” and if the plural form upharsin (v. 25) is adopted, may be translated, “pieces.” Daniel’s interpretation, “Thy kingdom is divided,” could also be rendered, “Thy kingdom is broken into pieces.” The emphasis is not necessarily that the kingdom was to be divided into two equal parts, the one part given to the Medes and the other to the Persians. The kingdom was to be divided into pieces, destroyed, and dissolved. This was to be effected by the Medes and the Persians. Significantly, the Aramaic form peres contains the consonants of the Aramaic words (see Vol. I, pp. 25, 26) for Persia and Persians, who were even then at the gates of Babylon.