mene, mene, tekel, upharsin

[ mee-nee, mee-nee, tek-uhl, yoo-fahr-sin ]

Aramaic.

1. (in the Bible) numbered, numbered, weighed, divided: the miraculous writing on the wall interpreted by Daniel as foretelling the destruction of Belshazzar and his kingdom.

mene, mene, tekel, upharsin

/ ˈmiːniː ˈmiːniː ˈtɛkəl juːˈfɑːsɪn /

noun

1. Old Testament the words that appeared on the wall during Belshazzar's Feast (Daniel 5:25), interpreted by Daniel to mean that God had doomed the kingdom of Belshazzar

Word History and Origins

Origin of mene, mene, tekel, upharsin¹

Ultimately from Aramaic mnʾ mnʾ tql prs (without vowel markings) and in Daniel's first reading (with vowel markings) mĕnēʾ mĕnēʾ tĕqēl ūpharsīn , equivalent to mĕnēʾ “a mina ( def ) (a unit of weight and value)” + tĕqēl “a shekel ( def ) (a unit of weight and a coin, especially the ancient Hebrew silver shekel)” + ū- “and” + pharsīn “two (?) half minas.” Daniel's interpretation is an elaborate pun, mnʾ mnʾ tql prs now being read mĕnāh “he has measured” + tĕqal “he has weighed” + pĕras “he has divided (your kingdom).” Prs may also be read pāras “Persia, Persians,” a punning reference to the Medes and Perisans, who will capture Babylon; Parsee,

Word History and Origins

Origin of mene, mene, tekel, upharsin¹

Aramaic: numbered, numbered, weighed, divided

Example Sentences

Additionally, due to an additional editing error, an earlier draft of this article consisting of the phrase, “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN!” repeated 75 times in steadily increasing font sizes was published by mistake; this has been corrected.

From Slate

Is it because the foundation of their temple is crumbling, because the walls are cracked, the pillars leaning, the great dome swaying to its fall, and because Science has written over the high altar its mene, mene, tekel, upharsin—the old words, destined to be the epitaph of all religions?

From Project Gutenberg

This is the writing that was written: 'Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.'

From Project Gutenberg

See I not in yonder letters a ‘Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin’? 

From Project Gutenberg

The crown prince Belshazzar, the son of Nabonidus, was feasting, the Bible relates, when a hand appeared and wrote in letters of fire upon the wall these mystical words: “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin,” which was interpreted by the prophet Daniel, whom he summoned to read the riddle, as “God has numbered thy kingdom and finished it; thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting and thy kingdom is given to the Medes and Persians.”

From Project Gutenberg