How many times is Ashkelon mentioned in the Bible?
The word Ashkelon appears 9 times in the King James Version, in 8 verses. Counting every form (Ashkelon, Askelon), it appears 12 times in 11 verses across 7 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Ashkelon 12 times (13 with every form).
The KJV spells the city Askelon in Judges 1:18 and 1 Samuel 6:17 and 2 Samuel 1:20. Both spellings are counted. The KJV's Eshkalonites in Joshua 13:3 is not counted; the World English Bible writes Ashkelonites there and counts it, so its count is one higher.
Ashkelon in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Ashkelon counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Ashkelon | 9 | 12 |
| Askelon | 3 | not counted |
| Ashkelonites | not counted | 1 |
| Total | 12 | 13 |
What the name Ashkelon means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Ashkelon as "weight; balance; fire of infamy".
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.
First and last mention of Ashkelon
Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.
Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.
The verse that uses it most is Zechariah 9:5, 2 times:
Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.
Where the two translations differ
0 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 1 verse matches only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Joshua 13:3: counted in the World English Bible only
From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:
from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, which is counted as Canaanite; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avvim,
Common questions
How many times is Ashkelon in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 12 of the 12 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Ashkelon appears in 7 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Jeremiah has the most (3), then Judges (2) and Zephaniah (2).
Where is Ashkelon first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Judges 1:18: "Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof." The last is Zechariah 9:5.
What does the name Ashkelon mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Ashkelon as "weight; balance; fire of infamy".
More word counts: enemy, brother, virgin, birth, mouth, Hinnom, Nadab, Tobiah, 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.