How many times is courage mentioned in the Bible?
The word courage appears 20 times in the King James Version, in 20 verses. Counting every form (courage, courageous, courageously), it appears 26 times in 26 verses across 12 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses courage 10 times (31 with every form).
Courage in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of courage counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| courage | 20 | 10 |
| courageous | 5 | 20 |
| courageously | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 26 | 31 |
Which books mention courage most
Courage appears in 12 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Joshua has the most (7), then Deuteronomy (3) and 1 Chronicles (3).
First and last mention of courage
And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.
And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.
Where the two translations differ
2 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 7 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Joshua 2:11: counted in the KJV only
And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted, and there wasn’t any more spirit in any man, because of you: for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.
Isaiah 41:6: counted in the KJV only
They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
Everyone helps his neighbor. They say to their brothers, “Be strong!”
1 Chronicles 17:25: counted in the World English Bible only
For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee.
For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you.
2 Chronicles 25:11: counted in the World English Bible only
And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand.
Amaziah took courage, and led his people out, and went to the Valley of Salt, and struck ten thousand of the children of Seir.
Verses with courage on our topic pages
8 verses that use courage in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.”
Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh.
Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them; for Yahweh your God himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.”
On: Strength, Courage, Loneliness, Encouragement
Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong!
On: Strength, Faith, Courage, Encouragement
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh.
On: Hope, Trust, Courage, Encouragement
“Be strong and courageous; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed; for Yahweh God, even my God, is with you. He will not fail you, nor forsake you, until all the work for the service of Yahweh’s house is finished.
On: Courage
We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.
On: Death
Common questions
How many times is courage in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 25 of the 26 uses are in the Old Testament and 1 in the New Testament. Courage appears in 12 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Joshua has the most (7), then Deuteronomy (3) and 1 Chronicles (3).
Where is courage first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Numbers 13:20: "And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes." The last is Acts 28:15.
Read the full collection: Bible Verses About Courage (30 Verses).
More word counts: pride, humility, sheep, lamb, thankful, rejoice, blessed, Jerusalem, 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.