How many times is Jacob mentioned in the Bible?
The word Jacob appears 358 times in the King James Version, in 332 verses. Counting every form (Jacob, Jacob's), it appears 377 times in 345 verses across 29 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Jacob 359 times (381 with every form).
Jacob is also called Israel. Only the name Jacob is counted here; the Israel page counts that name.
Jacob in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Jacob counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob | 358 | 359 |
| Jacob's | 19 | 22 |
| Total | 377 | 381 |
Which books mention Jacob most
Jacob appears in 29 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Genesis has the most (181), then Isaiah (42) and Psalms (34).
Also in: Lamentations (3), Hosea (3), Obadiah (3), John (3), Hebrews (3), 2 Kings (2), 1 Chronicles (2), Romans (2), Leviticus (1), 1 Samuel (1), 2 Samuel (1), 1 Kings (1), Nahum (1), Mark (1).
First and last mention of Jacob
And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
The verse that uses it most is Genesis 25:33, 2 times (tied with Genesis 27:22, Genesis 27:30, Genesis 27:41, Genesis 28:5, Genesis 29:10 and 26 more):
And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
Where the two translations differ
1 verse matches in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 3 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Genesis 45:26: counted in the KJV only
And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.
They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart fainted, for he didn’t believe them.
Genesis 32:26: counted in the World English Bible only
And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
The man said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” Jacob said, “I won’t let you go, unless you bless me.”
Genesis 33:8: counted in the World English Bible only
And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.
Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” Jacob said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.”
Verses with Jacob on our topic pages
9 verses that use Jacob in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Yahweh of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
On: Protection, Fear
But now Yahweh who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel says: “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine.
On: Identity in Christ, What Does the Bible Say About Suicide? 25 Verses of Hope
May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high,
On: Trust
Yahweh of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
On: Fear
This is what Yahweh who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you says: “Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
One will say, ‘I am Yahweh’s;’ and another will be called by the name of Jacob; and another will write with his hand ‘to Yahweh,’ and honor the name of Israel.”
On: Tattoos
Now Yahweh says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and to gather Israel to him, for I am honorable in Yahweh’s eyes, and my God has become my strength.
“A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from disobedience in Jacob,” says Yahweh.
On: Christmas
‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
On: Resurrection
Common questions
How many times is Jacob in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 350 of the 377 uses are in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Jacob appears in 29 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Genesis has the most (181), then Isaiah (42) and Psalms (34).
Where is Jacob first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 25:26: "And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them." The last is Hebrews 11:21.
More word counts: Joseph, Solomon, Aaron, Joshua, Samuel, Saul, Elijah, Elisha, or all 253 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 2026-10-05.