How many times is Heshbon mentioned in the Bible?
The word Heshbon appears 38 times in the King James Version, in 37 verses. It is found in 9 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Heshbon 38 times.
Heshbon in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Heshbon counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Heshbon | 38 | 38 |
| Total | 38 | 38 |
What the name Heshbon means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Heshbon as "invention; industry".
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.
Which books mention Heshbon most
Heshbon appears in 9 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Joshua has the most (9), then Numbers (8) and Deuteronomy (8).
First and last mention of Heshbon
And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.
Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.
The verse that uses it most is Jeremiah 48:45, 2 times:
They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.
Common questions
How many times is Heshbon in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 38 of the 38 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Heshbon appears in 9 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Joshua has the most (9), then Numbers (8) and Deuteronomy (8).
Where is Heshbon first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Numbers 21:25: "And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof." The last is Jeremiah 49:3.
What does the name Heshbon mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Heshbon as "invention; industry".
More word counts: Nun, Hananiah, Jehoram, Elkanah, Ethiopians, Rezin, Zoar, Ophrah, 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.