How many times is evil mentioned in the Bible?
The word evil appears 612 times in the King James Version, in 568 verses. Counting every form (evil, evils), it appears 621 times in 576 verses across 60 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses evil 611 times (619 with every form).
Evildoer and evildoers are different words and are not counted, and neither is the Babylonian king Evil-merodach (2 Kings 25:27).
Evil in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of evil counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| evil | 612 | 611 |
| evils | 9 | 8 |
| Total | 621 | 619 |
Which books mention evil most
Evil appears in 60 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Jeremiah has the most (100), then Proverbs (50) and Psalms (40).
Also in: Job (13), Ezekiel (13), Acts (12), 1 Peter (10), 2 Samuel (9), Exodus (8), James (8), Amos (7), Micah (7), John (7), Numbers (6), Nehemiah (6), Jonah (6), Mark (6), 1 Chronicles (5), Zechariah (4), 1 Corinthians (4), 2 Timothy (4), Daniel (3), Habakkuk (3), Malachi (3), Ephesians (3), 1 Thessalonians (3), Titus (3), Hebrews (3), 2 Peter (3), Leviticus (2), Joshua (2), Esther (2), Zephaniah (2), 2 Corinthians (2), 1 Timothy (2), 3 John (2), Jude (2), Ezra (1), Lamentations (1), Joel (1), Nahum (1), Galatians (1), Philippians (1), Colossians (1), 2 Thessalonians (1), 1 John (1), 2 John (1), Revelation (1).
First and last mention of evil
And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
The verse that uses it most is Jeremiah 24:3, 3 times (tied with Jeremiah 26:3, Matthew 12:35, Luke 6:45, James 4:11):
Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
Where the two translations differ
67 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 67 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Exodus 5:19: counted in the KJV only
And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, “You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!”
Exodus 5:22: counted in the KJV only
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?
Genesis 38:10: counted in the World English Bible only
And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
The thing which he did was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and he killed him also.
Exodus 32:22: counted in the World English Bible only
And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.
Aaron said, “Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.
Verses with evil on our topic pages
92 verses that use evil in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
On: Comfort, Depression, Fear, Courage
doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;
On: Love, Marriage, Mothers, Relationships
Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;
On: Lust, Idolatry, Purity, What Does the Bible Say About Gambling? 25 Verses
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
But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.
On: Self Control, Revenge, Enemies, What Does the Bible Say About War? 27 Verses
Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies.
On: Fear, Gossip, What Does the Bible Say About Cussing and Swearing? 26 Verses, Bullying
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.
On: What Does the Bible Say About Sex Before Marriage? 26 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Eating Pork? 26 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Stealing? 30 Verses, Murder
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
On: Money, Contentment, Wealth, What Does the Bible Say About Gambling? 25 Verses
Yahweh will keep you from all evil. He will keep your soul.
But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.
On: Honesty, What Does the Bible Say About Cussing and Swearing? 26 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Lying? 28 Verses
Common questions
How many times is evil in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 488 of the 621 uses are in the Old Testament and 133 in the New Testament. Evil appears in 60 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Jeremiah has the most (100), then Proverbs (50) and Psalms (40).
Where is evil first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 2:9: "And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." The last is Revelation 2:2.
More word counts: wicked, sin, devil, world, beloved, firstborn, law, rich, or all 680 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 2026-10-26.