How many times is heart mentioned in the Bible?
The word heart appears 830 times in the King James Version, in 762 verses. Counting every form (heart, hearts, heart's), it appears 946 times in 871 verses across 56 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses heart 834 times (953 with every form).
Heart in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of heart counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| heart | 830 | 834 |
| hearts | 113 | 115 |
| heart's | 3 | 4 |
| Total | 946 | 953 |
Which books mention heart most
Heart appears in 56 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (133), then Proverbs (85) and Jeremiah (62).
Also in: Matthew (18), 2 Samuel (17), Judges (15), Daniel (15), Romans (15), 2 Kings (14), Mark (14), Genesis (12), 2 Corinthians (11), Hebrews (11), Hosea (10), Joshua (9), Lamentations (9), John (7), Zechariah (6), Ephesians (6), Nehemiah (5), Song of Solomon (5), 1 Corinthians (5), Colossians (5), James (5), Leviticus (4), Esther (4), Malachi (4), 1 John (4), Numbers (3), Ezra (3), Zephaniah (3), 1 Thessalonians (3), 1 Peter (3), Revelation (3), Joel (2), Obadiah (2), Philippians (2), 2 Thessalonians (2), 2 Peter (2), Ruth (1), Nahum (1), Galatians (1), 1 Timothy (1), 2 Timothy (1).
First and last mention of heart
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
The verse that uses it most is Deuteronomy 30:6, 3 times (tied with 1 Kings 11:4, 2 Kings 10:15, Ezekiel 11:19, Ezekiel 28:2, Ezekiel 36:26 and 1 more):
And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
Where the two translations differ
36 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 45 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Leviticus 26:16: counted in the KJV only
I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it.
2 Samuel 3:21: counted in the KJV only
And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a league with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
Abner said to David, “I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires.” David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
Genesis 43:30: counted in the World English Bible only
And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
Joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother; and he sought a place to weep. He entered into his room, and wept there.
Deuteronomy 4:11: counted in the World English Bible only
And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.
You came near and stood under the mountain. The mountain burned with fire to the heart of the sky, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness.
Verses with heart on our topic pages
116 verses that use heart in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.
Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
On: Anxiety, Comfort, Depression, Worry
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.
Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh.
for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
On: Money, Contentment, Tithing, Christmas
Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;
On: Kindness, Humility, Mercy, Friendship
Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.
On: Money, Tithing, Giving, Generosity
but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God very precious.
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh.
On: Hope, Trust, Courage, Encouragement
Common questions
How many times is heart in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 779 of the 946 uses are in the Old Testament and 167 in the New Testament. Heart appears in 56 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (133), then Proverbs (85) and Jeremiah (62).
Where is heart first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 6:5: "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." The last is Revelation 18:7.
More word counts: holy, kindness, comfort, spirit, covenant, miracle, prophet, baptism, 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.