How many times is righteous mentioned in the Bible?
The word righteous appears 238 times in the King James Version, in 225 verses. It is found in 38 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses righteous 296 times.
Righteous in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of righteous counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| righteous | 238 | 296 |
| Total | 238 | 296 |
Which books mention righteous most
Righteous appears in 38 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (60), then Proverbs (54) and Ezekiel (15).
Also in: Judges (2), 1 Samuel (2), 1 Kings (2), 2 Chronicles (2), Habakkuk (2), John (2), 2 Thessalonians (2), 1 Peter (2), 2 Peter (2), Numbers (1), 2 Samuel (1), 2 Kings (1), Ezra (1), Nehemiah (1), Lamentations (1), Daniel (1), Amos (1), Malachi (1), Mark (1), 1 Timothy (1), 2 Timothy (1), Hebrews (1), James (1).
First and last mention of righteous
And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
The verse that uses it most is Matthew 10:41, 3 times:
He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
Where the two translations differ
16 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 69 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Genesis 7:1: counted in the KJV only
And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
Yahweh said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation.
Job 4:7: counted in the KJV only
Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?
“Remember, now, whoever perished, being innocent? Or where were the upright cut off?
Genesis 6:9: counted in the World English Bible only
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
This is the history of the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God.
Deuteronomy 16:18: counted in the World English Bible only
Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which Yahweh your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
Verses with righteous on our topic pages
52 verses that use righteous in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
On: Forgiveness, Prayer, Divorce, Repentance
The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
On: Depression, Worry, Fear, Addiction
Cast your burden on Yahweh, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved.
On: Anxiety, Depression, Contentment, Stress
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all.
On: Depression, Worry, Fear, Suffering
Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.
On: Healing, Forgiveness, Prayer, What Does the Bible Say About Pornography? 28 Verses
Yahweh’s name is a strong tower: the righteous run to him, and are safe.
On: Strength, Protection, Trust
I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
On: Joy, Repentance, Evangelism
Be glad in Yahweh, and rejoice, you righteous! Shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart!
The wicked borrow, and don’t pay back, but the righteous give generously.
Common questions
How many times is righteous in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 195 of the 238 uses are in the Old Testament and 43 in the New Testament. Righteous appears in 38 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (60), then Proverbs (54) and Ezekiel (15).
Where is righteous first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 7:1: "And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation." The last is Revelation 22:11.
More word counts: sinner, saint, redemption, atonement, Gentiles, giant, Easter, Selah, 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.