Meaning of the Name Cyrus

Cyrus is accepted as an Old Persian name, but its etymology is uncertain. Over time it has been connected with proposals involving 'sun,' 'young,' 'throne,' and other roots, yet none has achieved full certainty. Its meaning should therefore be regarded as debated.

Origin

The name Cyrus is of Old Persian; etymology debated origin.

Who is Cyrus in the Bible?

Cyrus is highly significant in the Bible as the Persian king who permits the Jews to return from exile. Ezra records his decree, and Isaiah highlights him as a ruler used for the LORD's purposes.

The story of Cyrus in the Bible

Cyrus is the Persian king who turns the tide of the exile story in the Bible. The closing lines of 2 Chronicles and the opening of Ezra describe the same event: in the first year of his reign the LORD stirs Cyrus's heart, and the king sends a written proclamation throughout his realm. By this decree the Jews are permitted to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple of the LORD; in Ezra's account Cyrus also returns the temple vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem. The book of Isaiah gives Cyrus an even more striking place: the LORD calls him his anointed, promising to subdue nations before him and open doors for him. In these passages Cyrus is portrayed as a ruler God uses to set his people free, even though he does not know God himself. He thus stands out as one of the rare foreign kings remembered favorably in the Bible; both the return from exile and the rebuilding of the temple begin with his decree.

Is Cyrus mentioned in the Quran?

The name Cyrus does not appear in the Quran; some Muslim commentators have suggested identifying him with Dhu al-Qarnayn mentioned in the Quran, but this view is not certain. In the Bible he is the Persian king who allowed the Jewish exiles to return home.

Verses where Cyrus appears