How many times is devil mentioned in the Bible?
The word devil appears 61 times in the King James Version, in 57 verses. Counting every form (devil, devils), it appears 116 times in 105 verses across 19 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses devil 34 times (35 with every form).
Devil in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of devil counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| devil | 61 | 34 |
| devils | 55 | 0 |
| devil's | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 116 | 35 |
Which books mention devil most
Devil appears in 19 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Luke has the most (30), then Matthew (25) and Mark (18).
Also in: 2 Timothy (1), Hebrews (1), 1 Peter (1), Jude (1).
First and last mention of devil
And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The verse that uses it most is 1 John 3:8, 3 times:
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Where the two translations differ
72 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 0 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Leviticus 17:7: counted in the KJV only
And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.
They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat idols, after which they play the prostitute. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.’
Deuteronomy 32:17: counted in the KJV only
They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.
They sacrificed to demons, not God, to gods that they didn’t know, to new gods that came up recently, which your fathers didn’t dread.
Verses with devil on our topic pages
19 verses that use devil in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
On: Fasting, Temptation
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.
On: Angels, Temptation
Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;
and don’t give place to the devil.
Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.
On: Persecution, Perseverance
The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
On: Temptation
Common questions
How many times is devil in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 4 of the 116 uses are in the Old Testament and 112 in the New Testament. Devil appears in 19 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Luke has the most (30), then Matthew (25) and Mark (18).
Where is devil first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Leviticus 17:7: "And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations." The last is Revelation 20:10.
More word counts: angel, forgiveness, worry, anxious, sin, Israel, David, Moses, 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.