How many times is king mentioned in the Bible?
The word king appears 2,256 times in the King James Version, in 1,756 verses. Counting every form (king, kings, king's), it appears 2,874 times in 2,191 verses across 46 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses king 2,268 times (2,878 with every form).
King in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of king counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| king | 2,256 | 2,268 |
| kings | 334 | 331 |
| king's | 284 | 279 |
| Total | 2,874 | 2,878 |
Which books mention king most
King appears in 46 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 2 Kings has the most (382), then 1 Kings (311) and 2 Chronicles (289).
Also in: Judges (39), Ezekiel (39), Proverbs (32), Deuteronomy (26), Matthew (23), Revelation (23), Acts (21), Numbers (20), Hosea (20), John (16), Exodus (14), Ecclesiastes (12), Mark (12), Luke (12), Zechariah (9), Job (8), Amos (8), Hebrews (7), Song of Solomon (5), Micah (5), 1 Timothy (4), Lamentations (3), Zephaniah (3), Jonah (2), Haggai (2), 1 Peter (2), Nahum (1), Habakkuk (1), Malachi (1), 1 Corinthians (1), 2 Corinthians (1).
First and last mention of king
And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
The verse that uses it most is Joshua 10:5, 6 times (tied with Joshua 10:23, Jeremiah 27:3):
Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.
Where the two translations differ
7 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 11 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Psalm 45:13: counted in the KJV only
The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
The princess inside is all glorious. Her clothing is interwoven with gold.
Isaiah 60:16: counted in the KJV only
Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
You will also drink the milk of the nations, and will nurse from royal breasts. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
1 Samuel 8:7: counted in the World English Bible only
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them.
1 Samuel 13:1: counted in the World English Bible only
Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.
Verses with king on our topic pages
30 verses that use king in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.
“The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
On: Orphans, Serving Others
But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.
The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and have saved the boys alive?”
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected Yahweh’s word, he has also rejected you from being king.”
The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid! What do you see?” The woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.”
The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were those who buried Saul.”
At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at.
He said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Behold, you have cared for us with all this care. What is to be done for you? Would you like to be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”
On: Hospitality
and he said, “Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, king Jehoshaphat. Yahweh says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
“Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
On: Fasting
He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride.”
Common questions
How many times is king in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 2,752 of the 2,874 uses are in the Old Testament and 122 in the New Testament. King appears in 46 books of the 66 in the King James Version. 2 Kings has the most (382), then 1 Kings (311) and 2 Chronicles (289).
Where is king first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 14:1: "And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;" The last is Revelation 21:24.
More word counts: priest, wife, wicked, mountain, tree, vine, eagle, horse, 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.