How many times is "kingdom of heaven" in the Bible?
The phrase "kingdom of heaven" appears 32 times in the King James Version, in 31 verses. The World English Bible has it 31 times.
Kingdom of heaven in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of kingdom of heaven counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| kingdom of heaven | 32 | 31 |
| Total | 32 | 31 |
Which books mention kingdom of heaven most
Kingdom of heaven appears in 1 book of the 66 in the King James Version. Matthew has the most (32).
First and last mention of kingdom of heaven
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
The verse that uses it most is Matthew 5:19, 2 times:
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Where the two translations differ
2 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 1 verse matches only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Matthew 23:13: counted in the KJV only
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
Matthew 25:14: counted in the KJV only
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
“For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them.
Matthew 23:14: counted in the World English Bible only
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
Verses with kingdom of heaven on our topic pages
5 verses that use kingdom of heaven in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
On: Blessings, Persecution
“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
On: Repentance
From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
On: Repentance
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
On: Blessings
But Jesus said, “Allow the little children, and don’t forbid them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these.”
On: Heaven
Common questions
How many times is kingdom of heaven in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 0 of the 32 uses are in the Old Testament and 32 in the New Testament. Kingdom of heaven appears in 1 book of the 66 in the King James Version. Matthew has the most (32).
Where is kingdom of heaven first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Matthew 3:2: "And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The last is Matthew 25:14.
More word counts: eternal life, Son of Man, rest, patience, obey, worship, praise, sabbath, 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.