How many times is flesh mentioned in the Bible?
The word flesh appears 420 times in the King James Version, in 369 verses. Counting every form (flesh, fleshly, fleshy), it appears 424 times in 373 verses across 50 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses flesh 315 times (327 with every form).
Flesh in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of flesh counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| flesh | 420 | 315 |
| fleshly | 3 | 12 |
| fleshy | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 424 | 327 |
Which books mention flesh most
Flesh appears in 50 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Leviticus has the most (59), then Genesis (28) and Romans (26).
Also in: Ephesians (10), Colossians (9), 1 Peter (8), Revelation (7), Judges (6), 2 Kings (6), 1 Samuel (5), Proverbs (5), Daniel (5), Matthew (5), Philippians (5), Hebrews (5), 2 Samuel (4), 1 Kings (4), Ecclesiastes (4), Zechariah (4), Mark (4), Acts (4), Micah (3), 1 John (3), Jude (3), 1 Chronicles (2), Nehemiah (2), Luke (2), 2 Peter (2), 2 Chronicles (1), Lamentations (1), Hosea (1), Joel (1), Zephaniah (1), Haggai (1), 1 Timothy (1), Philemon (1), James (1), 2 John (1).
First and last mention of flesh
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
The verse that uses it most is Revelation 19:18, 5 times:
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Where the two translations differ
96 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 14 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Exodus 12:8: counted in the KJV only
And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
They shall eat the meat in that night, roasted with fire, and unleavened bread. They shall eat it with bitter herbs.
Exodus 12:46: counted in the KJV only
In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.
It must be eaten in one house. You shall not carry any of the meat outside of the house. Do not break any of its bones.
Exodus 28:42: counted in the World English Bible only
And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
You shall make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the waist even to the thighs they shall reach:
Ecclesiastes 2:3: counted in the World English Bible only
I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.
Verses with flesh on our topic pages
59 verses that use flesh in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness,
Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.
On: Marriage, Family, Divorce, Relationships
My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
On: Strength, Contentment, Death, Grief
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
On: Forgiveness, Identity in Christ, Freedom, What Does the Bible Say About Sex Before Marriage? 26 Verses
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh.
So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don’t let man tear apart.”
On: Marriage, Divorce, What Does the Bible Say About Sex Before Marriage? 26 Verses, Remarriage
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s.
On: Pride, Lust, Temptation, Modesty
I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
On: New Beginnings, Holy Spirit, Change, Bible Verses for the New Year
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.
On: Lust, Modesty, What Does the Bible Say About Gluttony? 26 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Pornography? 28 Verses
I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.
For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.
For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
On: Demons, Spiritual Warfare, What Does the Bible Say About Witchcraft? 25 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About War? 27 Verses
Common questions
How many times is flesh in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 271 of the 424 uses are in the Old Testament and 153 in the New Testament. Flesh appears in 50 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Leviticus has the most (59), then Genesis (28) and Romans (26).
Where is flesh first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 2:21: "And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;" The last is Revelation 19:21.
More word counts: knowledge, tears, mourning, Zebedee, Heshbon, Nun, Hananiah, Jehoram, or all 635 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 2026-10-24.