How many times is Asaph mentioned in the Bible?
The word Asaph appears 33 times in the King James Version, in 28 verses. Counting every form (Asaph, Asaph's), it appears 34 times in 29 verses across 6 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Asaph 34 times.
Most uses are the Levite musician of David's time (1 Chronicles 16:5); another Asaph kept the king's forest (Nehemiah 2:8). Asaph is also named in the titles of 12 psalms (Psalm 50 and Psalms 73 to 83). Psalm titles are not verse text, so they are not in these counts.
Asaph in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Asaph counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Asaph | 33 | 34 |
| Asaph's | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 34 | 34 |
What the name Asaph means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Asaph as "who gathers together".
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.
Which books mention Asaph most
Asaph appears in 6 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 1 Chronicles has the most (16), then 2 Chronicles (6) and Nehemiah (6).
First and last mention of Asaph
And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.
Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
The verse that uses it most is 1 Chronicles 25:2, 3 times:
Of the sons of Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king.
Common questions
How many times is Asaph in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 34 of the 34 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Asaph appears in 6 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 1 Chronicles has the most (16), then 2 Chronicles (6) and Nehemiah (6).
Where is Asaph first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is 2 Kings 18:18: "And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder." The last is Isaiah 36:22.
What does the name Asaph mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Asaph as "who gathers together".
More word counts: year, Mephibosheth, Benaiah, Eliab, Ehud, gentleness, jealousy, Barak, 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.