How many times is Sisera mentioned in the Bible?
The word Sisera appears 21 times in the King James Version, in 19 verses. It is found in 5 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Sisera 20 times.
Sisera in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Sisera counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Sisera | 21 | 20 |
| Total | 21 | 20 |
What the name Sisera means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Sisera as "that sees a horse or a swallow".
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.
First and last mention of Sisera
And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:
The verse that uses it most is Judges 4:15, 2 times (tied with Judges 4:22):
And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.
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.
Judges 5:28: counted in the KJV only
The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
“Through the window she looked out, and cried: Sisera’s mother looked through the lattice. ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots wait?’
Common questions
How many times is Sisera in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 21 of the 21 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Sisera appears in 5 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Judges has the most (17), then 1 Samuel (1) and Ezra (1).
Where is Sisera first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Judges 4:2: "And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles." The last is Psalm 83:9.
What does the name Sisera mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Sisera as "that sees a horse or a swallow".
More word counts: Naomi, Ahithophel, Obadiah, Joel, Michal, Nabal, Omri, Abigail, 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.