How many times is firstborn mentioned in the Bible?
The word firstborn appears 116 times in the King James Version, in 99 verses. It is found in 23 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses firstborn 141 times.
Where the law speaks of animals the KJV often says firstling, as in Exodus 13:13 and 34:19; the World English Bible says firstborn there too, which is why its count is higher. It also says firstborn where the KJV says eldest (Numbers 1:20) or first begotten (Revelation 1:5).
Firstborn in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of firstborn counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| firstborn | 116 | 141 |
| Total | 116 | 141 |
Which books mention firstborn most
Firstborn appears in 23 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 1 Chronicles has the most (25), then Genesis (20) and Exodus (20).
Also in: Job (1), Isaiah (1), Jeremiah (1), Micah (1), Zechariah (1), Matthew (1), Luke (1), Romans (1).
First and last mention of firstborn
And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
The verse that uses it most is Exodus 11:5, 4 times (tied with Exodus 12:29, Exodus 13:15):
And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.
Where the two translations differ
0 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 15 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Genesis 4:4: counted in the World English Bible only
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering,
Exodus 13:12: counted in the World English Bible only
That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’S.
that you shall set apart to Yahweh all that opens the womb, and every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have. The males shall be Yahweh’s.
Verses with firstborn on our topic pages
4 verses that use firstborn in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering,
On: Jealousy
and didn’t know her sexually until she had given birth to her firstborn son. He named him Jesus.
On: Christmas
He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
On: Church
to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,
On: Purgatory
Common questions
How many times is firstborn in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 109 of the 116 uses are in the Old Testament and 7 in the New Testament. Firstborn appears in 23 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 1 Chronicles has the most (25), then Genesis (20) and Exodus (20).
Where is firstborn first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 10:15: "And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth," The last is Hebrews 12:23.
More word counts: Passover, law, rich, door, hand, stone, gate, beard, or all 680 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 2026-10-26.