How many times is poor mentioned in the Bible?
The word poor appears 205 times in the King James Version, in 197 verses. It is found in 32 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses poor 174 times.
Poor in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of poor counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| poor | 205 | 174 |
| Total | 205 | 174 |
Which books mention poor most
Poor appears in 32 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Proverbs has the most (38), then Psalms (37) and Job (16).
Also in: James (4), 1 Samuel (3), 2 Samuel (3), Zechariah (3), 2 Corinthians (3), Revelation (2), Genesis (1), Judges (1), Ruth (1), 2 Kings (1), Esther (1), Daniel (1), Habakkuk (1), Zephaniah (1), Romans (1), 1 Corinthians (1), Galatians (1).
First and last mention of poor
And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
The verse that uses it most is Deuteronomy 15:7, 2 times (tied with Deuteronomy 15:11, Psalm 10:9, Psalm 35:10, Proverbs 14:31, Proverbs 22:22 and 2 more):
If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
Where the two translations differ
32 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 3 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Judges 6:15: counted in the KJV only
And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.
He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
2 Kings 25:12: counted in the KJV only
But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.
But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
Proverbs 16:19: counted in the World English Bible only
Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, than to divide the plunder with the proud.
Proverbs 23:21: counted in the World English Bible only
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Verses with poor on our topic pages
37 verses that use poor in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.
He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh; he will reward him.
On: Kindness, Giving, Compassion, Serving Others
Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy.”
On: Justice, Widows, Judging Others
He called his disciples to himself, and said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury,
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed,
On: Healing, Freedom, What Does the Bible Say About Slavery? 26 Verses
“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor. You shall not charge him interest.
Blessed is he who considers the poor. Yahweh will deliver him in the day of evil.
On: Blessings, Generosity
“Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
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
He who has a generous eye will be blessed; for he shares his food with the poor.
On: Giving, Generosity
for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
On: Addiction, What Does the Bible Say About Gluttony? 26 Verses
Common questions
How many times is poor in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 170 of the 205 uses are in the Old Testament and 35 in the New Testament. Poor appears in 32 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Proverbs has the most (38), then Psalms (37) and Job (16).
Where is poor first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 41:19: "And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:" The last is Revelation 13:16.
More word counts: riches, sun, moon, wilderness, crown, throne, altar, temple, 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.