How many times is tattoo mentioned in the Bible?
The word tattoo does not appear in the King James Version. The World English Bible uses it 1 time.
Leviticus 19:28 is the only verse usually read as being about tattoos. The KJV words it "nor print any marks upon you"; the World English Bible says "nor tattoo any marks on you".
Tattoo in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of tattoo counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| tattoo | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 1 |
Which books mention tattoo most
Tattoo appears in 1 book of the 66 in the World English Bible. It is used once each in Leviticus.
First and last mention of tattoo
“‘You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Yahweh.
Where the two translations differ
0 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.
Leviticus 19:28: counted in the World English Bible only
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
“‘You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Yahweh.
Verses with tattoo on our topic pages
1 verse that uses tattoo in the World English Bible is in our topic collections.
“‘You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Yahweh.
On: Tattoos
Common questions
How many times is tattoo in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the World English Bible, counting every form, 1 of the 1 use is in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Tattoo appears in 1 book of the 66 in the World English Bible. It is used once each in Leviticus.
Where is tattoo first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the World English Bible is Leviticus 19:28: “‘You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Yahweh. The last is Leviticus 19:28.
Read the full collection: Bible Verses About Tattoos (31 Verses).
More word counts: love, God, Jesus, Christ, Lord, Holy Spirit, faith, hope, 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.