How many times is life mentioned in the Bible?
The word life appears 450 times in the King James Version, in 409 verses. It is found in 49 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses life 493 times (494 with every form).
Lives is not counted: the World English Bible writes he lives where the KJV writes he liveth, so the plural would mix a verb into one column.
Life in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of life counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| life | 450 | 493 |
| life's | not counted | 1 |
| Total | 450 | 494 |
Which books mention life most
Life appears in 49 books of the 66 in the King James Version. John has the most (44), then Proverbs (38) and Genesis (32).
Also in: Ecclesiastes (12), Acts (12), Mark (8), 2 Corinthians (8), Exodus (7), 2 Samuel (7), Isaiah (6), Leviticus (5), Ezekiel (5), 1 Corinthians (5), 1 Timothy (5), Judges (4), Philippians (4), 2 Timothy (4), Joshua (3), Esther (3), Lamentations (3), Jonah (3), Galatians (3), Hebrews (3), 1 Peter (3), 2 Chronicles (2), Colossians (2), Titus (2), James (2), Numbers (1), Ruth (1), Ezra (1), Nehemiah (1), Daniel (1), Malachi (1), Ephesians (1), 2 Peter (1), Jude (1).
First and last mention of life
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
The verse that uses it most is Leviticus 17:14, 3 times (tied with 2 Kings 8:5, John 12:25):
For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
Where the two translations differ
25 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 61 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Genesis 1:20: counted in the KJV only
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”
Genesis 18:10: counted in the KJV only
And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
He said, “I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
Genesis 37:21: counted in the World English Bible only
And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”
Genesis 47:8: counted in the World English Bible only
And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?
Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?”
Verses with life on our topic pages
110 verses that use life in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
On: Depression, Loneliness, Death, God's Love
The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahweh’s house forever.
On: Comfort, Depression, Mercy, Grief
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.
On: Grief, Easter, Resurrection, What Does the Bible Say About Reincarnation? 26 Verses
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
On: Salvation, Heaven, Evangelism, Truth
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
On: Love, Family, Friendship, God's Love
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s.
On: Pride, Lust, Temptation, Modesty
You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures forever more.
On: Joy, Contentment, Bible Verses for a Birthday, Bible Verses for Graduation
Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?
On: Protection, Worry, Fear, Courage
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
On: Leadership, Dating, What Does the Bible Say About Masturbation? 25 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Pornography? 28 Verses
Common questions
How many times is life in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 264 of the 450 uses are in the Old Testament and 186 in the New Testament. Life appears in 49 books of the 66 in the King James Version. John has the most (44), then Proverbs (38) and Genesis (32).
Where is life first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 1:20: "And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven." The last is Revelation 22:19.
More word counts: eyes, garden, sea, youth, Joram, Hazor, Hivites, iron, or all 635 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 2026-10-24.