How many times is Shushan mentioned in the Bible?
The word Shushan appears 21 times in the King James Version, in 19 verses. It is found in 3 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Shushan 11 times (21 with every form).
Shushan is Susa, the Persian royal city of Esther, Nehemiah 1:1 and Daniel 8:2. The KJV calls it Shushan everywhere; the World English Bible writes Susa in some verses and Shushan in others, and both are counted.
Shushan in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Shushan counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Shushan | 21 | 11 |
| Susa | not counted | 10 |
| Total | 21 | 21 |
What the name Shushan means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Shushan as "lily; rose; joy".
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 Shushan
The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,
And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.
The verse that uses it most is Esther 3:15, 2 times (tied with Esther 9:15):
The posts went out, being hastened by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.
Verses with Shushan on our topic pages
1 verse that uses Shushan in the World English Bible is in our topic collections.
“Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
On: Fasting
Common questions
How many times is Shushan in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 21 of the 21 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Shushan appears in 3 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Esther has the most (19), then Nehemiah (1) and Daniel (1).
Where is Shushan first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Nehemiah 1:1: "The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace," The last is Daniel 8:2.
What does the name Shushan mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Shushan as "lily; rose; joy".
More word counts: Lachish, Ziklag, Arabia, wind, dust, lips, physician, Gog, 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.