How many times is Hebrews mentioned in the Bible?
The word Hebrews appears 21 times in the King James Version, in 21 verses. Counting every form (Hebrews, Hebrew), it appears 47 times in 45 verses across 12 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Hebrews 21 times (47 with every form).
Hebrews in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Hebrews counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrews | 21 | 21 |
| Hebrew | 26 | 26 |
| Total | 47 | 47 |
What the name Hebrews means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Hebrews as "descendants of Heber".
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.
Which books mention Hebrews most
Hebrews appears in 12 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Exodus has the most (14), then 1 Samuel (8) and Genesis (6).
First and last mention of Hebrews
And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
The verse that uses it most is Deuteronomy 15:12, 2 times (tied with Philippians 3:5):
And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
Verses with Hebrews on our topic pages
3 verses that use Hebrews in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”
“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.
If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, and serves you six years; then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
Common questions
How many times is Hebrews in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 33 of the 47 uses are in the Old Testament and 14 in the New Testament. Hebrews appears in 12 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Exodus has the most (14), then 1 Samuel (8) and Genesis (6).
Where is Hebrews first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 14:13: "And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram." The last is Revelation 16:16.
What does the name Hebrews mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Hebrews as "descendants of Heber".
Hebrews is also the name of a book of the Bible. See its 13 chapters, 303 verses and reading time.
More word counts: Greeks, Romans, Samaritans, Assyrians, Syrians, Israelites, Ephraim, Benjamin, 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.