How many times is hope mentioned in the Bible?
The word hope appears 129 times in the King James Version, in 121 verses. Counting every form (hope, hoped, hoping, hopeth), it appears 143 times in 135 verses across 30 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses hope 143 times (156 with every form).
Hope in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of hope counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| hope | 129 | 143 |
| hopes | 0 | 2 |
| hoped | 11 | 9 |
| hoping | 2 | 2 |
| hopeth | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 143 | 156 |
Which books mention hope most
Hope appears in 30 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (26), then Job (17) and Romans (15).
Also in: Colossians (3), Titus (3), Isaiah (2), Philippians (2), 1 Timothy (2), Ruth (1), Ezra (1), Esther (1), Ecclesiastes (1), Hosea (1), Joel (1), Zechariah (1), Galatians (1), 2 Thessalonians (1), 1 John (1).
First and last mention of hope
Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
The verse that uses it most is Romans 8:24, 4 times:
For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Where the two translations differ
16 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 26 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Job 6:11: counted in the KJV only
What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
What is my strength, that I should wait? What is my end, that I should be patient?
Job 6:20: counted in the KJV only
They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.
They were distressed because they were confident. They came there, and were confounded.
Job 13:15: counted in the World English Bible only
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.
Psalm 9:18: counted in the World English Bible only
For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.
Verses with hope on our topic pages
45 verses that use hope 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.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
On: Peace, Hope, Depression, Joy
Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy;
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh.
On: Hope, Trust, Courage, Encouragement
But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.
On: Hope, Patience, Waiting, Perseverance
Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance, and my God.
On: Hope, Depression, Mental Health
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
On: Hope, Heaven, Resurrection
This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope.
On: Hope, Depression
and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope:
On: Hope, Hard Times
and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
On: Hope, Hard Times
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through perseverance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
On: Hope, Encouragement
Common questions
How many times is hope in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 76 of the 143 uses are in the Old Testament and 67 in the New Testament. Hope appears in 30 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (26), then Job (17) and Romans (15).
Where is hope first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Ruth 1:12: "Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;" The last is 1 John 3:3.
Read the full collection: Bible Verses About Hope (42 Verses).
More word counts: grace, fear, fear not, heaven, hell, money, prayer, peace, 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.