How many times is Artaxerxes mentioned in the Bible?
The word Artaxerxes appears 15 times in the King James Version, in 14 verses. It is found in 2 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Artaxerxes 15 times.
Artaxerxes in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Artaxerxes counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Artaxerxes | 15 | 15 |
| Total | 15 | 15 |
What the name Artaxerxes means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Artaxerxes as "the silence of light; fervent to spoil".
This is the 1869 traditional meaning; modern scholars often read names differently.
See every name and place with its meaning and count on Bible names and their meanings.
Source: Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869), checked 2026-10-24.
First and last mention of Artaxerxes
And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.
But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:
The verse that uses it most is Ezra 4:7, 2 times:
And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.
Common questions
How many times is Artaxerxes in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 15 of the 15 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Artaxerxes appears in 2 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Ezra has the most (12), then Nehemiah (3).
Where is Artaxerxes first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Ezra 4:7: "And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue." The last is Nehemiah 13:6.
What does the name Artaxerxes mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Artaxerxes as "the silence of light; fervent to spoil".
More word counts: Bilhah, Milcah, Sanballat, Jehoiada, Amaziah, Jehoiakim, Obed, Ekron, or all 635 words.
Counted by Bible Says About from the full public-domain text of the King James Version (1769 edition) and the World English Bible. Verse text only: headings and psalm titles are left out. A word is a run of letters: a hyphenated name like Beer-sheba counts as two, and an apostrophe stays inside its word (LORD'S is one). Matching ignores capital letters. Data compiled 2026-10-24.