How many times is Ahab mentioned in the Bible?
The word Ahab appears 92 times in the King James Version, in 81 verses. Counting every form (Ahab, Ahab's), it appears 94 times in 82 verses across 5 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Ahab 73 times (94 with every form).
Ahab in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Ahab counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Ahab | 92 | 73 |
| Ahab's | 2 | 21 |
| Total | 94 | 94 |
What the name Ahab means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Ahab as "uncle, or father's brother".
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 Ahab most
Ahab appears in 5 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 1 Kings has the most (50), then 2 Kings (27) and 2 Chronicles (14).
First and last mention of Ahab
So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.
For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.
The verse that uses it most is 2 Kings 8:27, 3 times:
And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the son in law of the house of Ahab.
Common questions
How many times is Ahab in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 94 of the 94 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Ahab appears in 5 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 1 Kings has the most (50), then 2 Kings (27) and 2 Chronicles (14).
Where is Ahab first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is 1 Kings 16:28: "So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead." The last is Micah 6:16.
What does the name Ahab mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Ahab as "uncle, or father's brother".
More word counts: Jehoshaphat, Eleazar, Abimelech, Abner, Simon, Balaam, Asa, Jehu, 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.