How many times is rejoice mentioned in the Bible?
The word rejoice appears 192 times in the King James Version, in 183 verses. Counting every form (rejoice, rejoiced, rejoiceth, rejoicing), it appears 285 times in 265 verses across 46 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses rejoice 184 times (265 with every form).
Rejoice in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of rejoice counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| rejoice | 192 | 184 |
| rejoiced | 47 | 46 |
| rejoiceth | 18 | 0 |
| rejoicing | 28 | 18 |
| rejoices | 0 | 17 |
| Total | 285 | 265 |
Which books mention rejoice most
Rejoice appears in 46 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (67), then Isaiah (25) and Proverbs (18).
Also in: 1 Chronicles (5), Zechariah (5), Romans (5), Judges (4), Nehemiah (4), Ezekiel (4), Zephaniah (4), James (4), Revelation (4), 1 Kings (3), Habakkuk (3), Matthew (3), 1 Peter (3), 2 Kings (2), Lamentations (2), Hosea (2), Joel (2), Galatians (2), 1 Thessalonians (2), Exodus (1), Leviticus (1), 2 Samuel (1), Esther (1), Song of Solomon (1), Amos (1), Obadiah (1), Micah (1), Colossians (1), Hebrews (1), 2 John (1), 3 John (1).
First and last mention of rejoice
And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
The verse that uses it most is Nehemiah 12:43, 3 times:
Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
Where the two translations differ
41 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 18 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Deuteronomy 16:15: counted in the KJV only
Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.
You shall keep a feast to Yahweh your God seven days in the place which Yahweh chooses; because Yahweh your God will bless you in all your increase, and in all the work of your hands, and you shall be altogether joyful.
1 Chronicles 16:32: counted in the KJV only
Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.
Let the sea roar, and its fullness! Let the field exult, and all that is in it!
Job 3:6: counted in the World English Bible only
As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.
As for that night, let thick darkness seize on it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year. Let it not come into the number of the months.
Psalm 104:34: counted in the World English Bible only
My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
Let my meditation be sweet to him. I will rejoice in Yahweh.
Verses with rejoice on our topic pages
37 verses that use rejoice in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Yahweh, your God, is among you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.
doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
On: Love, Marriage, Mothers, Relationships
This is the day that Yahweh has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!
On: Gratitude, Joy, Contentment, Creation
Yahweh is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices. With my song I will thank him.
On: Strength, Thanksgiving, Worship
Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance;
On: Hope, Suffering, Hard Times
Be glad in Yahweh, and rejoice, you righteous! Shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart!
Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to Yah, his name! Rejoice before him!
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.
On: Work, Contentment
Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer;
On: Prayer, Leadership
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Common questions
How many times is rejoice in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 208 of the 285 uses are in the Old Testament and 77 in the New Testament. Rejoice appears in 46 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (67), then Isaiah (25) and Proverbs (18).
Where is rejoice first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Exodus 18:9: "And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians." The last is Revelation 19:7.
More word counts: blessed, Jerusalem, Egypt, church, fasting, remember, dream, music, 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.