How many times is "Holy Ghost" in the Bible?
The phrase "Holy Ghost" appears 90 times in the King James Version, in 89 verses. It is found in 16 of the 66 books. The World English Bible never uses this phrase.
The World English Bible never says Holy Ghost. It says Holy Spirit in those verses, so its count for this wording is zero. The Holy Spirit page counts Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit together.
Holy Ghost in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Holy Ghost counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Ghost | 90 | 0 |
| Total | 90 | 0 |
Which books mention Holy Ghost most
Holy Ghost appears in 16 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Acts has the most (42), then Luke (11) and Matthew (6).
Also in: Jude (1).
First and last mention of Holy Ghost
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
The verse that uses it most is Acts 19:2, 2 times:
He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
Where the two translations differ
89 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.
Matthew 1:18: counted in the KJV only
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 1:20: counted in the KJV only
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
Common questions
How many times is Holy Ghost in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 0 of the 90 uses are in the Old Testament and 90 in the New Testament. Holy Ghost appears in 16 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Acts has the most (42), then Luke (11) and Matthew (6).
Where is Holy Ghost first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Matthew 1:18: "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost." The last is Jude 1:20.
More word counts: Holy Spirit, only begotten, love, God, Jesus, Christ, Lord, faith, or all 686 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 2026-11-03.