How many times is Mephibosheth mentioned in the Bible?
The word Mephibosheth appears 15 times in the King James Version, in 13 verses. It is found in 1 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Mephibosheth 15 times.
Mephibosheth in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Mephibosheth counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Mephibosheth | 15 | 15 |
| Total | 15 | 15 |
What the name Mephibosheth means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Mephibosheth as "out of my mouth proceeds reproach".
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 Mephibosheth most
Mephibosheth appears in 1 book of the 66 in the King James Version. All 15 uses are in 2 Samuel.
First and last mention of Mephibosheth
And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:
The verse that uses it most is 2 Samuel 9:6, 2 times (tied with 2 Samuel 9:12):
Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!
Common questions
How many times is Mephibosheth in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 15 of the 15 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Mephibosheth appears in 1 book of the 66 in the King James Version. All 15 uses are in 2 Samuel.
Where is Mephibosheth first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is 2 Samuel 4:4: "And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth." The last is 2 Samuel 21:8.
What does the name Mephibosheth mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Mephibosheth as "out of my mouth proceeds reproach".
More word counts: Benaiah, Eliab, Ehud, gentleness, jealousy, Barak, Sennacherib, Achish, 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.