How many times is law mentioned in the Bible?
The word law appears 445 times in the King James Version, in 391 verses. Counting every form (law, laws), it appears 465 times in 410 verses across 43 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses law 434 times (455 with every form).
Lawful, lawyer, lawgiver and law-breaker are different words and are not counted. Neither are mother-in-law, father-in-law and the other in-laws, where the KJV prints "in law" and the World English Bible "in-law" (Genesis 11:31, "his daughter in law").
Law in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of law counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| law | 445 | 434 |
| laws | 20 | 21 |
| Total | 465 | 455 |
Which books mention law most
Law appears in 43 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Romans has the most (78), then Psalms (39) and Galatians (32).
Also in: 2 Kings (10), Ezra (10), Luke (10), James (10), Joshua (9), Daniel (9), Matthew (9), Esther (8), Exodus (7), Ezekiel (7), Malachi (5), 1 Chronicles (3), Hosea (3), Philippians (3), 1 Timothy (3), Genesis (2), 1 John (2), 1 Kings (1), Job (1), Lamentations (1), Amos (1), Micah (1), Habakkuk (1), Zephaniah (1), Haggai (1), Zechariah (1), Ephesians (1), Titus (1).
First and last mention of law
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
The verse that uses it most is 1 Corinthians 9:21, 5 times:
To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
Where the two translations differ
20 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 10 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Genesis 47:26: counted in the KJV only
And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s.
Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth. Only the land of the priests alone didn’t become Pharaoh’s.
1 Chronicles 16:17: counted in the KJV only
And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,
He confirmed the same to Jacob for a statute, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,
2 Kings 17:26: counted in the World English Bible only
Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
Therefore they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations which you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria don’t know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them, because they don’t know the law of the god of the land.”
2 Kings 17:27: counted in the World English Bible only
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Carry there one of the priests whom you brought from there; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the law of the god of the land.”
Verses with law on our topic pages
47 verses that use law in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
On: Kindness, Suffering, Generosity, Mental Health
For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.
On: Grace, Temptation, What Does the Bible Say About Smoking? 24 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Masturbation? 25 Verses
but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night.
On: Blessings, What Does the Bible Say About Meditation? 29 Verses, Success, Yoga
So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man.
On: Divorce, Widows, What Does the Bible Say About Adultery? 28 Verses, Remarriage
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
On: Love, Money, Debt, What Does the Bible Say About Gambling? 25 Verses
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.
On: What Does the Bible Say About Meditation? 29 Verses, Success, Yoga
How I love your law! It is my meditation all day.
On: Wisdom, What Does the Bible Say About Meditation? 29 Verses, Yoga
For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband.
On: Divorce, What Does the Bible Say About Adultery? 28 Verses, Remarriage
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
Don’t speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.
On: Gossip, Judging Others, Bullying
Common questions
How many times is law in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 247 of the 465 uses are in the Old Testament and 218 in the New Testament. Law appears in 43 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Romans has the most (78), then Psalms (39) and Galatians (32).
Where is law first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 26:5: "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." The last is 1 John 3:4.
Read the full collection: Bible Verses About Obedience (21 Verses).
More word counts: Moses, rich, door, hand, stone, gate, beard, generation, or all 680 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 2026-10-26.