How many times is Hamath mentioned in the Bible?
The word Hamath appears 34 times in the King James Version, in 32 verses. Counting every form (Hamath, Hamathite), it appears 36 times in 34 verses across 14 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Hamath 36 times (37 with every form).
Not counted: Hamath inside the hyphenated name of a different person or place, 1 time in the KJV: Hamath-zobah (1). The World English Bible has 1 such use.
Hamath in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Hamath counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Hamath | 34 | 36 |
| Hamathite | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 36 | 37 |
What the name Hamath means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Hamath as "anger; heat; a wall".
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 Hamath
And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.
And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise.
The verse that uses it most is Ezekiel 47:16, 2 times (tied with Ezekiel 48:1):
Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazar-hatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran.
Where the two translations differ
1 verse matches in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 2 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Genesis 10:18: counted in the KJV only
And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.
the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad.
1 Chronicles 13:5: counted in the World English Bible only
So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjath-jearim.
So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor the brook of Egypt even to the entrance of Hamath, to bring God’s ark from Kiriath Jearim.
Amos 6:14: counted in the World English Bible only
But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.
For, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, house of Israel,” says Yahweh, the God of Armies; “and they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of the Arabah.”
Common questions
How many times is Hamath in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 36 of the 36 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Hamath appears in 14 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 2 Kings has the most (8), then Ezekiel (6) and Isaiah (4).
Where is Hamath first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 10:18: "And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad." The last is Zechariah 9:2.
What does the name Hamath mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Hamath as "anger; heat; a wall".
More word counts: Asahel, Amram, Nahash, power, wedding, Seir, Gibeon, Abiathar, 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.