How many times is Tamar mentioned in the Bible?
The word Tamar appears 27 times in the King James Version, in 25 verses. It is found in 7 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Tamar 29 times.
Tamar in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Tamar counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Tamar | 27 | 29 |
| Total | 27 | 29 |
What the name Tamar means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Tamar as "palm; palm-tree".
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 Tamar most
Tamar appears in 7 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 2 Samuel has the most (14), then Genesis (6) and 1 Chronicles (2).
First and last mention of Tamar
And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites that dwelt in Hazezon-tamar.
And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea.
The verse that uses it most is Genesis 38:11, 2 times (tied with 2 Samuel 13:10):
Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.
Where the two translations differ
0 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 2 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
1 Kings 9:18: counted in the World English Bible only
and Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,
Baalath, Tamar in the wilderness,
Matthew 1:3: counted in the World English Bible only
And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram.
Common questions
How many times is Tamar in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 27 of the 27 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Tamar appears in 7 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 2 Samuel has the most (14), then Genesis (6) and 1 Chronicles (2).
Where is Tamar first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 14:7: "And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites that dwelt in Hazezon-tamar." The last is Ezekiel 48:28.
What does the name Tamar mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Tamar as "palm; palm-tree".
More word counts: Jonadab, Agag, Baal, Molech, Chemosh, Belial, Beelzebub, Lucifer, 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.