How many times is Cyrus mentioned in the Bible?
The word Cyrus appears 23 times in the King James Version, in 19 verses. It is found in 4 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Cyrus 23 times.
Cyrus in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Cyrus counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Cyrus | 23 | 23 |
| Total | 23 | 23 |
What the name Cyrus means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Cyrus as "as miserable; as heir".
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 2026-10-22.
Which books mention Cyrus most
Cyrus appears in 4 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Ezra has the most (15), then 2 Chronicles (3) and Daniel (3).
First and last mention of Cyrus
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.
The verse that uses it most is 2 Chronicles 36:22, 2 times (tied with Ezra 1:1, Ezra 5:13, Ezra 6:3):
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Common questions
How many times is Cyrus in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 23 of the 23 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Cyrus appears in 4 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Ezra has the most (15), then 2 Chronicles (3) and Daniel (3).
Where is Cyrus first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is 2 Chronicles 36:22: "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying," The last is Daniel 10:1.
What does the name Cyrus mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Cyrus as "as miserable; as heir".
More word counts: Hiram, Jezebel, Naboth, Zerubbabel, Sisera, Naomi, Ahithophel, Obadiah, or all 484 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 2026-10-22.