How many times is horse mentioned in the Bible?
The word horse appears 43 times in the King James Version, in 41 verses. Counting every form (horse, horses), it appears 154 times in 144 verses across 30 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses horse 41 times (157 with every form).
Horse in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of horse counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| horse | 43 | 41 |
| horses | 111 | 116 |
| Total | 154 | 157 |
Which books mention horse most
Horse appears in 30 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 2 Kings has the most (18), then Jeremiah (16) and Revelation (15).
Also in: Genesis (2), 2 Samuel (2), Nehemiah (2), Job (2), Proverbs (2), Hosea (2), 1 Chronicles (1), Ezra (1), Ecclesiastes (1), Song of Solomon (1), Joel (1), Micah (1), Nahum (1), Haggai (1), James (1).
First and last mention of horse
And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
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 Deuteronomy 17:16, 2 times (tied with 1 Kings 20:25, 1 Kings 22:4, 2 Kings 3:7, 2 Chronicles 1:17, Zechariah 1:8 and 4 more):
But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
Where the two translations differ
3 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 6 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Genesis 49:17: counted in the KJV only
Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
Dan will be a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path, That bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward.
Song of Solomon 1:9: counted in the KJV only
I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.
I have compared you, my love, to a steed in Pharaoh’s chariots.
Judges 5:22: counted in the World English Bible only
Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.
Then the horse hoofs stamped because of the prancing, the prancing of their strong ones.
Esther 8:10: counted in the World English Bible only
And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus’ name, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:
He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by courier on horseback, riding on royal horses that were bred from swift steeds.
Verses with horse on our topic pages
6 verses that use horse in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust the name of Yahweh our God.
When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, chariots, and a people more than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Elisha prayed, and said, “Yahweh, please open his eyes, that he may see.” Yahweh opened the young man’s eyes; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.
On: Angels
The horse is prepared for the day of battle; but victory is with Yahweh.
Assyria can’t save us. We won’t ride on horses; neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, ‘Our gods!’ for in you the fatherless finds mercy.”
On: Orphans
and cinnamon, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, sheep, horses, chariots, and people’s bodies and souls.
Common questions
How many times is horse in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 138 of the 154 uses are in the Old Testament and 16 in the New Testament. Horse appears in 30 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 2 Kings has the most (18), then Jeremiah (16) and Revelation (15).
Where is horse first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 47:17: "And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year." The last is Revelation 19:21.
More word counts: camel, fish, wolf, sparrow, goat, dove, locust, soul, or all 253 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 2026-10-05.