How many times is Reuben mentioned in the Bible?
The word Reuben appears 74 times in the King James Version, in 70 verses. It is found in 9 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Reuben 74 times.
Reuben in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Reuben counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Reuben | 74 | 74 |
| Total | 74 | 74 |
What the name Reuben means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Reuben as "who sees the son; the vision of the son".
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 Reuben most
Reuben appears in 9 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Joshua has the most (22), then Numbers (21) and Genesis (13).
First and last mention of Reuben
And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
The verse that uses it most is Exodus 6:14, 2 times (tied with Numbers 2:10, Numbers 26:5, Joshua 13:23):
These be the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.
Common questions
How many times is Reuben in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 73 of the 74 uses are in the Old Testament and 1 in the New Testament. Reuben appears in 9 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Joshua has the most (22), then Numbers (21) and Genesis (13).
Where is Reuben first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 29:32: "And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me." The last is Revelation 7:5.
What does the name Reuben mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Reuben as "who sees the son; the vision of the son".
More word counts: Gad, Dan, Naphtali, Simeon, Asher, Zebulun, Issachar, Joab, 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.