How many times is Eli mentioned in the Bible?
The word Eli appears 34 times in the King James Version, in 31 verses. Counting every form (Eli, Eli's), it appears 35 times in 31 verses across 3 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Eli 35 times (36 with every form).
Hitchcock's dictionary lists more than one person or place with this name, and every use is counted.
Eli in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Eli counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Eli | 34 | 35 |
| Eli's | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 35 | 36 |
What the name Eli means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Eli as "the offering or lifting up". He lists one more entry under the same spelling, for another person or place: "my God, my God".
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.
First and last mention of Eli
And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
The verse that uses it most is 1 Samuel 3:8, 2 times (tied with 1 Samuel 3:14, 1 Samuel 4:14, Matthew 27:46):
And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
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.
1 Samuel 4:18: counted in the World English Bible only
And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
When he made mention of God’s ark, Eli fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old man, and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
Common questions
How many times is Eli in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 33 of the 35 uses are in the Old Testament and 2 in the New Testament. Eli appears in 3 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 1 Samuel has the most (32), then Matthew (2) and 1 Kings (1).
Where is Eli first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is 1 Samuel 1:3: "And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there." The last is Matthew 27:46.
What does the name Eli mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Eli as "the offering or lifting up". He lists one more entry under the same spelling, for another person or place: "my God, my God".
More word counts: Caleb, Ahasuerus, Jephthah, Philip, Uzziah, Korah, Micah, Ezra, 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.