How many times is Moab mentioned in the Bible?
The word Moab appears 174 times in the King James Version, in 157 verses. It is found in 23 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Moab 171 times.
Moab in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Moab counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Moab | 174 | 171 |
| Total | 174 | 171 |
What the name Moab means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Moab as "of his father".
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 Moab most
Moab appears in 23 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Jeremiah has the most (38), then Numbers (32) and Isaiah (19).
Also in: Amos (3), Genesis (2), Joshua (2), Zephaniah (2), Exodus (1), 1 Kings (1), Daniel (1), Micah (1).
First and last mention of Moab
And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
The verse that uses it most is Judges 11:18, 4 times:
Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
Where the two translations differ
7 verses match 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.
Judges 3:28: counted in the KJV only
And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
He said to them, “Follow me; for Yahweh has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” They followed him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn’t allow any man to pass over.
Ezra 2:6: counted in the KJV only
The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.
The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred twelve.
Deuteronomy 2:9: counted in the World English Bible only
And the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.
Yahweh said to me, “Don’t bother Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give you any of his land for a possession; because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession.”
1 Kings 11:33: counted in the World English Bible only
Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
because that they have forsaken me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon. They have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in my eyes, and to keep my statutes and my ordinances, as David his father did.
Common questions
How many times is Moab in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 174 of the 174 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Moab appears in 23 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Jeremiah has the most (38), then Numbers (32) and Isaiah (19).
Where is Moab first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 19:37: "And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day." The last is Zephaniah 2:9.
What does the name Moab mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Moab as "of his father".
More word counts: Assyria, Hebron, Lebanon, Bethel, Shechem, Bashan, Syria, Gilgal, 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.