How many times is Gilgal mentioned in the Bible?
The word Gilgal appears 41 times in the King James Version, in 39 verses. It is found in 10 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Gilgal 41 times.
Gilgal in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Gilgal counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Gilgal | 41 | 41 |
| Total | 41 | 41 |
What the name Gilgal means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Gilgal as "wheel; rolling; heap".
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 Gilgal
Are they not on the other side Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites, which dwell in the champaign over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh?
O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.
The verse that uses it most is 1 Samuel 11:15, 2 times (tied with Amos 5:5):
And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
Common questions
How many times is Gilgal in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 41 of the 41 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Gilgal appears in 10 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Joshua and 1 Samuel share the most, 13 each.
Where is Gilgal first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Deuteronomy 11:30: "Are they not on the other side Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites, which dwell in the champaign over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh?" The last is Micah 6:5.
What does the name Gilgal mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Gilgal as "wheel; rolling; heap".
More word counts: Persia, Macedonia, Ephesus, Corinth, Philippi, Antioch, Rome, Athens, 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.