How many times is pestilence mentioned in the Bible?
The word pestilence appears 47 times in the King James Version, in 46 verses. Counting every form (pestilence, pestilences), it appears 49 times in 48 verses across 15 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses pestilence 47 times.
Pestilence in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of pestilence counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| pestilence | 47 | 47 |
| pestilences | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 49 | 47 |
Which books mention pestilence most
Pestilence appears in 15 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Jeremiah has the most (17), then Ezekiel (12) and 2 Chronicles (3).
First and last mention of pestilence
And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
The verse that uses it most is Ezekiel 7:15, 2 times:
The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him.
Where the two translations differ
3 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.
Amos 4:10: counted in the KJV only
I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
“I sent plagues among you like I did Egypt. I have slain your young men with the sword, and have carried away your horses; and I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp, yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
Matthew 24:7: counted in the KJV only
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places.
Exodus 9:3: counted in the World English Bible only
Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.
behold, Yahweh’s hand is on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks with a very grievous pestilence.
Verses with pestilence on our topic pages
1 verse that uses pestilence in the World English Bible is in our topic collections.
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence.
On: Protection
Common questions
How many times is pestilence in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 47 of the 49 uses are in the Old Testament and 2 in the New Testament. Pestilence appears in 15 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Jeremiah has the most (17), then Ezekiel (12) and 2 Chronicles (3).
Where is pestilence first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Exodus 5:3: "And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword." The last is Luke 21:11.
More word counts: Dathan, Jezreel, lily, harlot, Gehazi, Megiddo, Og, Azariah, 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.