How many times is Jerusalem mentioned in the Bible?
The word Jerusalem appears 811 times in the King James Version, in 764 verses. It is found in 36 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Jerusalem 808 times.
Jerusalem in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Jerusalem counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Jerusalem | 811 | 808 |
| Total | 811 | 808 |
What the name Jerusalem means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Jerusalem as "vision of peace".
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 2026-10-06.
Which books mention Jerusalem most
Jerusalem appears in 36 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 2 Chronicles has the most (127), then Jeremiah (108) and 2 Kings (63).
Also in: John (13), Mark (11), Daniel (10), Joshua (9), Song of Solomon (8), Micah (8), Lamentations (7), Joel (6), Judges (5), Ecclesiastes (5), Galatians (5), Zephaniah (4), Romans (4), Revelation (3), Amos (2), Obadiah (2), Malachi (2), 1 Samuel (1), Esther (1), 1 Corinthians (1), Hebrews (1).
First and last mention of Jerusalem
Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;
And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
The verse that uses it most is Joshua 15:63, 2 times (tied with Judges 1:21, 1 Kings 15:4, 2 Kings 14:2, 2 Kings 14:13, 2 Kings 15:2 and 41 more):
As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.
Where the two translations differ
3 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 1 verse matches only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
1 Kings 9:15: counted in the KJV only
And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.
This is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised, to build Yahweh’s house, his own house, Millo, Jerusalem’s wall, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
Jeremiah 7:29: counted in the KJV only
Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
Cut off your hair, and throw it away, and take up a lamentation on the bare heights; for Yahweh has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
Acts 4:5: counted in the World English Bible only
And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
In the morning, their rulers, elders, and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem.
Verses with Jerusalem on our topic pages
13 verses that use Jerusalem in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires.
On: Dating, What Does the Bible Say About Sex Before Marriage? 26 Verses
As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you. You will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
and he said, “Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, king Jehoshaphat. Yahweh says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
Moreover he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to Yahweh’s law.
On: Tithing
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so Yahweh surrounds his people from this time forward and forever more.
On: Trust
May Yahweh bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
On: Blessings
I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, or by the hinds of the field, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires.
On: What Does the Bible Say About Sex Before Marriage? 26 Verses
It will happen that whoever will call on Yahweh’s name shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Yahweh has said, and among the remnant, those whom Yahweh calls.
On: End Times
Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
On: Christmas
nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
On: What Does the Bible Say About Cussing and Swearing? 26 Verses
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
On: Holy Spirit
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky.
On: What Does the Bible Say About Speaking in Tongues? 22 Verses
Common questions
How many times is Jerusalem in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 667 of the 811 uses are in the Old Testament and 144 in the New Testament. Jerusalem appears in 36 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 2 Chronicles has the most (127), then Jeremiah (108) and 2 Kings (63).
Where is Jerusalem first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Joshua 10:1: "Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;" The last is Revelation 21:10.
What does the name Jerusalem mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Jerusalem as "vision of peace".
More word counts: Egypt, church, fasting, remember, dream, music, dance, dog, 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 2026-10-06.