How many times is anxious mentioned in the Bible?
The word anxious does not appear in the King James Version. The World English Bible uses it 17 times, and 20 times counting anxious, anxiety.
Anxious in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of anxious counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| anxious | 0 | 17 |
| anxiety | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 0 | 20 |
Which books mention anxious most
Anxious appears in 7 books of the 66 in the World English Bible. Matthew and Luke share the most, 7 each.
First and last mention of anxious
When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let us return, lest my father stop caring about the donkeys, and be anxious for us.”
In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
The verse that uses it most is Matthew 6:34, 2 times:
Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.
Where the two translations differ
0 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 19 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
1 Samuel 9:5: counted in the World English Bible only
And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us.
When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let us return, lest my father stop caring about the donkeys, and be anxious for us.”
1 Samuel 10:2: counted in the World English Bible only
When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel’s sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?
When you have departed from me today, then you will find two men by Rachel’s tomb, on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will tell you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found; and behold, your father has stopped caring about the donkeys, and is anxious for you, saying, “What shall I do for my son?”’
Verses with anxious on our topic pages
9 verses that use anxious in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.
On: Anxiety, Provision, Worry, Thanksgiving
“Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?
On: Anxiety, Worry, Thanksgiving, Stress
Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
On: Anxiety, Thanksgiving, Contentment
“Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’
On: Provision, Thanksgiving, Wealth
Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
On: Christmas, Stress, Hospitality
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a kind word makes it glad.
On: Stress, Mental Health
Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin,
On: Provision, Thanksgiving
He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.
On: Stress
Common questions
How many times is anxious in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the World English Bible, counting every form, 3 of the 20 uses are in the Old Testament and 17 in the New Testament. Anxious appears in 7 books of the 66 in the World English Bible. Matthew and Luke share the most, 7 each.
Where is anxious first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the World English Bible is 1 Samuel 9:5: "When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let us return, lest my father stop caring about the donkeys, and be anxious for us.”" The last is Philippians 4:6.
Read the full collection: Bible Verses About Anxiety (32 Verses).
More word counts: worry, fear, peace, trust, rest, sin, Israel, David, or all 107 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 2026-10-02.