How many times is bread mentioned in the Bible?
The word bread appears 361 times in the King James Version, in 330 verses. It is found in 38 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses bread 381 times.
Bread in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of bread counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| bread | 361 | 381 |
| Total | 361 | 381 |
Which books mention bread most
Bread appears in 38 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Exodus has the most (34), then Genesis (25) and Leviticus (23).
Also in: 2 Samuel (10), 2 Kings (8), Jeremiah (8), 1 Corinthians (8), Judges (7), Acts (7), Job (6), 2 Chronicles (5), Nehemiah (5), Lamentations (4), Ecclesiastes (3), Hosea (3), Amos (3), Joshua (2), Ruth (2), 1 Chronicles (2), Ezra (2), 2 Thessalonians (2), Daniel (1), Obadiah (1), Haggai (1), Malachi (1), 2 Corinthians (1).
First and last mention of bread
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
The verse that uses it most is Exodus 29:23, 3 times (tied with Leviticus 26:26, Deuteronomy 16:3, 1 Samuel 21:6, John 6:51):
And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD:
Where the two translations differ
18 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 34 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Genesis 39:6: counted in the KJV only
And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.
He left all that he had in Joseph’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Joseph was well-built and handsome.
Genesis 43:31: counted in the KJV only
And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and said, “Serve the meal.”
Genesis 40:16: counted in the World English Bible only
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head.
Exodus 25:30: counted in the World English Bible only
And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
You shall set bread of the presence on the table before me always.
Verses with bread on our topic pages
38 verses that use bread in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.
Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;
On: Provision, Giving, Generosity
I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread.
Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate bread with me, has lifted up his heel against me.
On: Friendship, Betrayal
It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, eating the bread of toil; for he gives sleep to his loved ones.
Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.
She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn’t eat the bread of idleness.
Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.
But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
On: Fasting, Temptation
Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,
Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
On: Laziness, What Does the Bible Say About Gambling? 25 Verses
Common questions
How many times is bread in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 281 of the 361 uses are in the Old Testament and 80 in the New Testament. Bread appears in 38 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Exodus has the most (34), then Genesis (25) and Leviticus (23).
Where is bread first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 3:19: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." The last is 2 Thessalonians 3:12.
More word counts: honey, milk, oil, salt, fire, sword, king, priest, or all 253 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 2026-10-05.