How many times is son mentioned in the Bible?
The word son appears 2,370 times in the King James Version, in 1,784 verses. Counting every form (son, sons, son's), it appears 3,486 times in 2,643 verses across 61 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses son 2,372 times (3,490 with every form).
A hyphenated word counts its parts, so son-in-law and sons-in-law are included: 15 uses in each translation.
Son in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of son counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| son | 2,370 | 2,372 |
| sons | 1,094 | 1,095 |
| son's | 22 | 23 |
| Total | 3,486 | 3,490 |
Which books mention son most
Son appears in 61 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 1 Chronicles has the most (632), then Genesis (306) and Numbers (241).
Also in: Judges (71), Leviticus (69), John (65), Isaiah (54), Deuteronomy (51), Joshua (50), Proverbs (47), Mark (41), 1 John (25), Psalms (23), Hebrews (23), Job (19), Acts (18), Esther (13), Ecclesiastes (13), Galatians (12), Haggai (10), Zechariah (10), Romans (10), Ruth (9), Daniel (8), Hosea (7), Amos (5), Zephaniah (5), Joel (4), Malachi (4), 1 Corinthians (4), Revelation (4), Micah (3), 2 Corinthians (2), Ephesians (2), Philippians (2), Colossians (2), 1 Timothy (2), 2 Timothy (2), 2 Peter (2), 2 John (2), Song of Solomon (1), Lamentations (1), Jonah (1), 1 Thessalonians (1), 2 Thessalonians (1), Titus (1), Philemon (1), James (1), 1 Peter (1).
First and last mention of son
And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
The verse that uses it most is 1 Chronicles 9:12, 8 times (tied with 2 Chronicles 29:12, Nehemiah 11:7):
And Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasiai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;
Where the two translations differ
57 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 57 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Genesis 23:3: counted in the KJV only
And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,
Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,
Genesis 23:11: counted in the KJV only
Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.
“No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.”
Genesis 10:22: counted in the World English Bible only
The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
The sons of Shem were: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.
Genesis 10:23: counted in the World English Bible only
And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.
The sons of Aram were: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
Verses with son on our topic pages
121 verses that use son in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices sorcery, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,
On: What Does the Bible Say About Halloween? 24 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Ghosts? 25 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Witchcraft? 25 Verses, Psychics
Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
On: Baptism, Holy Spirit, Discipleship, Evangelism
For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, these may forget, yet I will not forget you!
On: Mothers, Compassion, Miscarriage
“It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.
On: Dreams, End Times, What Does the Bible Say About Speaking in Tongues? 22 Verses
But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
On: Leadership, Serving Others, What Does the Bible Say About Slavery? 26 Verses
“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted, and you are in anguish.
On: What Does the Bible Say About Ghosts? 25 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Reincarnation? 26 Verses, Purgatory
He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
On: Addiction, Freedom, What Does the Bible Say About Slavery? 26 Verses
Common questions
How many times is son in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 3,032 of the 3,486 uses are in the Old Testament and 454 in the New Testament. Son appears in 61 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 1 Chronicles has the most (632), then Genesis (306) and Numbers (241).
Where is son first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 4:17: "And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch." The last is Revelation 21:7.
More word counts: teeth, womb, disease, Shushan, Lachish, Ziklag, Arabia, wind, 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.