How many times is Abraham mentioned in the Bible?
The word Abraham appears 231 times in the King James Version, in 216 verses. Counting every form (Abraham, Abraham's, Abram, Abram's), it appears 311 times in 277 verses across 27 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Abraham 230 times (315 with every form).
Abram is his name until Genesis 17:5, where God renames him Abraham. Both names are counted.
Abraham in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Abraham counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Abraham | 231 | 230 |
| Abraham's | 19 | 21 |
| Abram | 54 | 57 |
| Abram's | 7 | 7 |
| Total | 311 | 315 |
What the name Abraham means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Abraham as "father of a great multitude".
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 2026-10-06.
Which books mention Abraham most
Abraham appears in 27 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Genesis has the most (193), then Luke (15) and John (11).
Also in: Nehemiah (2), James (2), Leviticus (1), Numbers (1), 1 Kings (1), 2 Kings (1), Jeremiah (1), Ezekiel (1), Micah (1), Mark (1), 2 Corinthians (1), 1 Peter (1).
First and last mention of Abraham
And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
The verse that uses it most is Genesis 16:3, 3 times (tied with John 8:39):
And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
Where the two translations differ
0 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 4 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Genesis 14:20: counted in the World English Bible only
And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave him a tenth of all.
Genesis 15:5: counted in the World English Bible only
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
Yahweh brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “So will your offspring be.”
Verses with Abraham on our topic pages
18 verses that use Abraham in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.
On: Hell, What Does the Bible Say About Ghosts? 25 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Reincarnation? 26 Verses
The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.
On: What Does the Bible Say About Ghosts? 25 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Reincarnation? 26 Verses
He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’
On: What Does the Bible Say About Ghosts? 25 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Reincarnation? 26 Verses
“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted, and you are in anguish.
On: What Does the Bible Say About Ghosts? 25 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Reincarnation? 26 Verses
Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.
On: Hospitality, What Does the Bible Say About Stealing? 30 Verses
and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave him a tenth of all.
On: Tithing
Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three seahs of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.”
On: Hospitality
Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.
On: Hospitality
For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”
On: Family
After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.
in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place.
There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah:
Common questions
How many times is Abraham in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 237 of the 311 uses are in the Old Testament and 74 in the New Testament. Abraham appears in 27 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Genesis has the most (193), then Luke (15) and John (11).
Where is Abraham first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 11:26: "And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran." The last is 1 Peter 3:6.
What does the name Abraham mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Abraham as "father of a great multitude".
More word counts: Mary, Paul, Peter, seven, forty, twelve, wine, drunk, or all 253 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 2026-10-06.