How many times is rock mentioned in the Bible?
The word rock appears 119 times in the King James Version, in 106 verses. Counting every form (rock, rocks), it appears 142 times in 128 verses across 28 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses rock 123 times (146 with every form).
Rock in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of rock counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| rock | 119 | 123 |
| rocks | 23 | 23 |
| Total | 142 | 146 |
Which books mention rock most
Rock appears in 28 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (26), then Isaiah (16) and Judges (13).
Also in: 1 Corinthians (2), Revelation (2), 1 Kings (1), 1 Chronicles (1), Nehemiah (1), Song of Solomon (1), Amos (1), Obadiah (1), Nahum (1), Mark (1), Acts (1), Romans (1), 1 Peter (1).
First and last mention of rock
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
The verse that uses it most is Exodus 17:6, 2 times (tied with Numbers 20:8, Numbers 20:10, Deuteronomy 32:13, Deuteronomy 32:31, Judges 20:47 and 8 more):
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Where the two translations differ
8 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 11 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Judges 6:26: counted in the KJV only
And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.
Then build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this stronghold, in an orderly way, and take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.”
1 Samuel 14:4: counted in the KJV only
And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
Job 8:17: counted in the World English Bible only
His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.
His roots are wrapped around the rock pile. He sees the place of stones.
Job 28:6: counted in the World English Bible only
The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.
Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
Verses with rock on our topic pages
18 verses that use rock in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
From the end of the earth, I will call to you, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
On: Strength, Protection, What Does the Bible Say About Suicide? 25 Verses of Hope
I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
On: Hell, Spiritual Warfare, Church
Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
On: Strength, Protection
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer.
On: What Does the Bible Say About Cussing and Swearing? 26 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Meditation? 29 Verses
For in the day of trouble, he will keep me secretly in his pavilion. In the secret place of his tabernacle, he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock.
On: Protection, Fear
He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand.
On: Depression, What Does the Bible Say About Suicide? 25 Verses of Hope
The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are just. A God of faithfulness who does no wrong, just and right is he.
On: Justice
Bow down your ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be to me a strong rock, a house of defense to save me.
On: Courage
For you are my rock and my fortress, therefore for your name’s sake lead me and guide me.
On: Guidance
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress— I will never be greatly shaken.
On: Protection
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I will not be shaken.
On: Protection
With God is my salvation and my honor. The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
On: Protection
Common questions
How many times is rock in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 125 of the 142 uses are in the Old Testament and 17 in the New Testament. Rock appears in 28 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (26), then Isaiah (16) and Judges (13).
Where is rock first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Exodus 17:6: "Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel." The last is Revelation 6:16.
More word counts: star, rain, cloud, thorn, chariot, publican, scribe, centurion, 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.