How many times is oil mentioned in the Bible?
The word oil appears 202 times in the King James Version, in 187 verses. It is found in 31 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses oil 214 times (216 with every form).
Oil in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of oil counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| oil | 202 | 214 |
| oils | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 202 | 216 |
Which books mention oil most
Oil appears in 31 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Leviticus has the most (41), then Numbers (35) and Exodus (23).
Also in: Jeremiah (3), Joel (3), Matthew (3), Luke (3), Genesis (2), 2 Samuel (2), Job (2), Isaiah (2), Micah (2), Haggai (2), Revelation (2), Esther (1), Zechariah (1), Mark (1), Hebrews (1), James (1).
First and last mention of oil
And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
The verse that uses it most is Leviticus 7:12, 3 times:
If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.
Where the two translations differ
2 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 15 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Deuteronomy 8:8: counted in the KJV only
A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;
a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees and honey;
2 Kings 18:32: counted in the KJV only
Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us.
until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and of honey, that you may live, and not die. Don’t listen to Hezekiah, when he persuades you, saying, “Yahweh will deliver us.”
Judges 9:9: counted in the World English Bible only
But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
“But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I stop producing my oil, with which they honor God and man by me, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?’
2 Kings 4:4: counted in the World English Bible only
And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
Go in and shut the door on you and on your sons, and pour oil into all those containers; and set aside those which are full.”
Verses with oil on our topic pages
10 verses that use oil in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.
On: Depression, Grief, Enemies
There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man swallows it up.
He who loves pleasure shall be a poor man. He who loves wine and oil shall not be rich.
On: Alcohol, What Does the Bible Say About Gluttony? 26 Verses
to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.
On: Comfort, Depression
Then she came and told the man of God. He said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”
On: Debt
As soon as the commandment went out, the children of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the increase of the field; and they brought in the tithe of all things abundantly.
On: Tithing
His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.
On: Betrayal
wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man’s heart.
On: Alcohol
Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
On: Healing
and cinnamon, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, sheep, horses, chariots, and people’s bodies and souls.
Common questions
How many times is oil in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 191 of the 202 uses are in the Old Testament and 11 in the New Testament. Oil appears in 31 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Leviticus has the most (41), then Numbers (35) and Exodus (23).
Where is oil first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 28:18: "And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it." The last is Revelation 18:13.
More word counts: salt, fire, sword, king, priest, wife, wicked, mountain, 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.