How many times is mother mentioned in the Bible?
The word mother appears 245 times in the King James Version, in 226 verses. Counting every form (mother, mothers, mother's), it appears 328 times in 299 verses across 39 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses mother 249 times (337 with every form).
Mother in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of mother counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| mother | 245 | 249 |
| mothers | 8 | 10 |
| mother's | 75 | 78 |
| Total | 328 | 337 |
Which books mention mother most
Mother appears in 39 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Matthew has the most (29), then Genesis (28) and 2 Kings (22).
Also in: Ezekiel (9), Song of Solomon (7), Exodus (6), Isaiah (6), 1 Samuel (4), Job (4), Hosea (4), Acts (4), Numbers (3), Joshua (3), 2 Samuel (3), Lamentations (3), 1 Chronicles (2), Esther (2), Micah (2), Zechariah (2), Galatians (2), Ephesians (2), 1 Timothy (2), Ecclesiastes (1), Romans (1), 2 Timothy (1), Hebrews (1), Revelation (1).
First and last mention of mother
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
The verse that uses it most is Luke 12:53, 4 times:
The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Where the two translations differ
2 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 10 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Numbers 26:59: counted in the KJV only
And the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
1 Kings 1:6: counted in the KJV only
And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.
His father had not displeased him at any time in saying, “Why have you done so?” and he was also a very handsome man; and he was born after Absalom.
Exodus 22:30: counted in the World English Bible only
Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.
You shall do likewise with your cattle and with your sheep. Seven days it shall be with its mother, then on the eighth day you shall give it to me.
Leviticus 22:27: counted in the World English Bible only
When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
“When a bull, or a sheep, or a goat, is born, then it shall remain seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for the offering of an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
Verses with mother on our topic pages
34 verses that use mother in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
He settles the barren woman in her home, as a joyful mother of children. Praise Yah!
My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching:
As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you. You will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
“‘Each one of you shall respect his mother and his father. You shall keep my Sabbaths. I am Yahweh your God.
On: Mothers
“Honor your father and your mother, as Yahweh your God commanded you; that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you, in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
On: Mothers
The child’s mother said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose, and followed her.
On: Mothers
And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth. He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
On: Mothers
Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
On: Mothers
Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home.
On: Mothers
Common questions
How many times is mother in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 232 of the 328 uses are in the Old Testament and 96 in the New Testament. Mother appears in 39 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Matthew has the most (29), then Genesis (28) and 2 Kings (22).
Where is mother first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 2:24: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." The last is Revelation 17:5.
Read the full collection: Bible Verses About Mothers (19 Verses).
More word counts: father, friend, heart, holy, kindness, comfort, spirit, covenant, or all 107 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 2026-10-02.