How many times is obey mentioned in the Bible?
The word obey appears 69 times in the King James Version, in 66 verses. Counting every form (obey, obeyed, obeyeth, obeying, obedience, obedient), it appears 144 times in 139 verses across 39 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses obey 77 times (135 with every form).
Obey in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of obey counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| obey | 69 | 77 |
| obeyed | 41 | 29 |
| obeyeth | 3 | 0 |
| obeying | 3 | 3 |
| obedience | 12 | 16 |
| obedient | 16 | 10 |
| Total | 144 | 135 |
Which books mention obey most
Obey appears in 39 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Jeremiah has the most (28), then Romans (13) and Deuteronomy (12).
Also in: Titus (3), Job (2), Mark (2), Luke (2), Galatians (2), Ephesians (2), Philippians (2), Colossians (2), 2 Thessalonians (2), Numbers (1), 2 Samuel (1), 1 Kings (1), 2 Kings (1), 1 Chronicles (1), 2 Chronicles (1), Nehemiah (1), Psalms (1), Zephaniah (1), Haggai (1), Zechariah (1), Matthew (1), 1 Corinthians (1), Philemon (1), James (1).
First and last mention of obey
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
The verse that uses it most is Romans 6:16, 3 times:
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Where the two translations differ
32 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 22 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Exodus 5:2: counted in the KJV only
And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”
Exodus 23:21: counted in the KJV only
Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.
Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him.
Genesis 49:10: counted in the World English Bible only
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.
Deuteronomy 30:10: counted in the World English Bible only
If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
if you will obey Yahweh your God’s voice, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law; if you turn to Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul.
Verses with obey on our topic pages
22 verses that use obey in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.
On: Leadership, Obedience, Church
throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine;
On: Obedience
Samuel said, “Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying Yahweh’s voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
On: Obedience
I will hurry, and not delay, to obey your commandments.
On: Obedience
If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
On: Obedience
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
On: Obedience
For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous.
On: Obedience
Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?
On: Obedience
And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross.
On: Obedience
as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your ignorance,
On: Obedience
Common questions
How many times is obey in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 90 of the 144 uses are in the Old Testament and 54 in the New Testament. Obey appears in 39 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Jeremiah has the most (28), then Romans (13) and Deuteronomy (12).
Where is obey first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 22:18: "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." The last is 1 Peter 4:17.
Read the full collection: Bible Verses About Obedience (21 Verses).
More word counts: worship, praise, sabbath, tithe, marriage, divorce, healing, strength, 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.