How many times does the word Messiah appear in the Old Testament?

Answer 1

The word for Messiah in Hebrew is Mashiach, and means anointed. This word occurs in the Old Testament a total of 39 times, according to "The New Strong's Expanded Dictionary of the Words in the Hebrew Bible." Since it means "anointed," the word Mashiach is not always used in Hebrew the same way as the word Messiah is used in English. It most often refers to a consecrated person such as a king or priest. In the book of Isaiah, God calls King Cyrus of Persia "My Mashiach." In this instance, it means to convey that God chose King Cyrus for a special purpose; his actions are sanctified by God. King Cyrus is the one who ordered that the Temple of Jerusalem be rebuilt, and that the exiles be sent back home. English translations of The Bible vary as to how many times they use the word "Messiah." Some translations will choose to translate the word Mashiach as "anointed" in some places, and as "Messiah" in others. One must go by context to understand how the word was most likely meant to function in the original passage.