How many times is Barnabas mentioned in the Bible?
The word Barnabas appears 29 times in the King James Version, in 28 verses. It is found in 4 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Barnabas 29 times.
Barnabas in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Barnabas counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Barnabas | 29 | 29 |
| Total | 29 | 29 |
Which books mention Barnabas most
Barnabas appears in 4 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Acts has the most (24), then Galatians (3) and 1 Corinthians (1).
First and last mention of Barnabas
And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)
The verse that uses it most is Acts 15:2, 2 times:
When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
Verses with Barnabas on our topic pages
2 verses that use Barnabas in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”
On: Fasting
who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.
Common questions
How many times is Barnabas in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 0 of the 29 uses are in the Old Testament and 29 in the New Testament. Barnabas appears in 4 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Acts has the most (24), then Galatians (3) and 1 Corinthians (1).
Where is Barnabas first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Acts 4:36: "And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus," The last is Colossians 4:10.
More word counts: Silas, Ruth, Esther, Job, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, 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 2026-10-05.