How many times is Nazarite mentioned in the Bible?
The word Nazarite appears 9 times in the King James Version, in 9 verses. Counting every form (Nazarite, Nazarites), it appears 12 times in 12 verses across 4 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Nazarite 9 times (11 with every form).
A Nazarite took the vow of Numbers 6; Samson was one (Judges 13:5). The World English Bible spells it Nazirite, and its column counts that spelling. In Lamentations 4:7 the KJV says Nazarites and the World English Bible says nobles, so its count is one lower. A Nazarite is not a Nazarene, a person from Nazareth.
Nazarite in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Nazarite counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Nazarite | 9 | not counted |
| Nazarites | 3 | not counted |
| Nazirite | not counted | 9 |
| Nazirites | not counted | 2 |
| Total | 12 | 11 |
What the name Nazarite means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Nazarite as "one chosen or set apart".
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 Nazarite most
Nazarite appears in 4 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Numbers has the most (6), then Judges (3) and Amos (2).
First and last mention of Nazarite
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD:
But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
Where the two translations differ
1 verse matches in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 0 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Lamentations 4:7: counted in the KJV only
Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
Her nobles were purer than snow. They were whiter than milk. They were more ruddy in body than rubies. Their polishing was like sapphire.
Common questions
How many times is Nazarite in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 12 of the 12 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Nazarite appears in 4 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Numbers has the most (6), then Judges (3) and Amos (2).
Where is Nazarite first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Numbers 6:2: "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD:" The last is Amos 2:12.
What does the name Nazarite mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Nazarite as "one chosen or set apart".
More word counts: Kidron, Gilboa, Belteshazzar, Shunammite, Mamre, Rabshakeh, love, God, 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.