How many times is soul mentioned in the Bible?
The word soul appears 458 times in the King James Version, in 432 verses. Counting every form (soul, souls, soul's), it appears 537 times in 498 verses across 42 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses soul 424 times (502 with every form).
Soul in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of soul counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| soul | 458 | 424 |
| souls | 78 | 77 |
| soul's | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 537 | 502 |
Which books mention soul most
Soul appears in 42 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (134), then Proverbs (40) and Leviticus (39).
Also in: Matthew (8), 2 Kings (7), Song of Solomon (7), Luke (7), 1 Kings (6), 1 Peter (6), 2 Samuel (5), Ecclesiastes (5), Mark (5), Hebrews (5), Revelation (5), Judges (3), 2 Chronicles (3), Jonah (2), Micah (2), Habakkuk (2), Zechariah (2), Romans (2), 1 Thessalonians (2), James (2), 2 Peter (2), 1 Chronicles (1), Hosea (1), John (1), 1 Corinthians (1), 2 Corinthians (1), 3 John (1).
First and last mention of soul
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
The verse that uses it most is Ezekiel 18:4, 4 times:
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Where the two translations differ
56 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 27 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Genesis 12:5: counted in the KJV only
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan. They entered into the land of Canaan.
Leviticus 4:2: counted in the KJV only
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:
“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone sins unintentionally, in any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and does any one of them:
Leviticus 26:16: counted in the World English Bible only
I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it.
Numbers 5:6: counted in the World English Bible only
Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty;
“Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit, so as to trespass against Yahweh, and that soul is guilty;
Verses with soul on our topic pages
73 verses that use soul in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.
In the multitude of my thoughts within me, your comforts delight my soul.
On: Anxiety, Comfort, Depression, Joy
I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well.
On: Creation, Identity in Christ, What Does the Bible Say About Suicide? 25 Verses of Hope, What Does the Bible Say About Smoking? 24 Verses
He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
On: Anxiety, Comfort, Grief, Mental Health
Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance, and my God.
On: Hope, Depression, Mental Health, What Does the Bible Say About Suicide? 25 Verses of Hope
My soul, wait in silence for God alone, for my expectation is from him.
On: Hope, Protection, Waiting, What Does the Bible Say About Meditation? 29 Verses
The liberal soul shall be made fat. He who waters shall be watered also himself.
On: Blessings, Tithing, Giving, Generosity
Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits;
On: Healing, Forgiveness, Stress
The merciful man does good to his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
and Yahweh will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in dry places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters don’t fail.
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.
On: Leadership, Obedience, Church
Common questions
How many times is soul in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 479 of the 537 uses are in the Old Testament and 58 in the New Testament. Soul appears in 42 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (134), then Proverbs (40) and Leviticus (39).
Where is soul first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 2:7: "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." The last is Revelation 20:4.
More word counts: bride, widow, poor, riches, sun, moon, wilderness, crown, 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.