How many times is incense mentioned in the Bible?
The word incense appears 129 times in the King James Version, in 121 verses. It is found in 18 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses incense 135 times.
Incense in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of incense counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| incense | 129 | 135 |
| Total | 129 | 135 |
Which books mention incense most
Incense appears in 18 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Jeremiah has the most (23), then Numbers (21) and Exodus (19).
Also in: 1 Samuel (1), Habakkuk (1), Malachi (1).
First and last mention of incense
Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
The verse that uses it most is Exodus 30:7, 2 times (tied with Exodus 30:8, Exodus 35:15, Leviticus 16:13, 2 Kings 23:5, 2 Chronicles 26:16 and 2 more):
And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
Where the two translations differ
7 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 15 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Psalm 66:15: counted in the KJV only
I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.
I will offer to you burnt offerings of fat animals, with the offering of rams, I will offer bulls with goats. Selah.
Isaiah 43:23: counted in the KJV only
Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
You have not brought me of your sheep for burnt offerings; neither have you honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, nor wearied you with frankincense.
Exodus 30:35: counted in the World English Bible only
And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
and you shall make incense of it, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy:
Exodus 30:37: counted in the World English Bible only
And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.
The incense which you shall make, according to its composition you shall not make for yourselves: it shall be to you holy for Yahweh.
Verses with incense on our topic pages
3 verses that use incense in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
On: Friendship
Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods that you have not known,
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 incense in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 124 of the 129 uses are in the Old Testament and 5 in the New Testament. Incense appears in 18 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Jeremiah has the most (23), then Numbers (21) and Exodus (19).
Where is incense first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Exodus 25:6: "Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense," The last is Revelation 8:4.
More word counts: idol, apostle, disciple, elder, gospel, parable, demon, judgment, 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.