How many times is thorn mentioned in the Bible?
The word thorn appears 7 times in the King James Version, in 7 verses. Counting every form (thorn, thorns), it appears 57 times in 54 verses across 24 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses thorn 8 times (54 with every form).
Thorn in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of thorn counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| thorn | 7 | 8 |
| thorns | 50 | 46 |
| Total | 57 | 54 |
Which books mention thorn most
Thorn appears in 24 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Isaiah has the most (12), then Matthew (5) and Proverbs (4).
Also in: Joshua (1), 2 Samuel (1), 2 Chronicles (1), Ecclesiastes (1), Song of Solomon (1), Micah (1), Nahum (1), 2 Corinthians (1), Hebrews (1).
First and last mention of thorn
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
The verse that uses it most is Matthew 13:7, 2 times (tied with Mark 4:7, Luke 8:7):
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
Where the two translations differ
3 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 0 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Judges 2:3: counted in the KJV only
Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’”
2 Chronicles 33:11: counted in the KJV only
Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
Therefore Yahweh brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
Verses with thorn on our topic pages
4 verses that use thorn in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
The way of the sluggard is like a thorn patch, but the path of the upright is a highway.
On: Laziness
Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
On: Laziness
By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?
On: Tattoos
They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
On: Suffering
Common questions
How many times is thorn in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 40 of the 57 uses are in the Old Testament and 17 in the New Testament. Thorn appears in 24 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Isaiah has the most (12), then Matthew (5) and Proverbs (4).
Where is thorn first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 3:18: "Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;" The last is Hebrews 6:8.
More word counts: chariot, publican, scribe, centurion, synagogue, proverb, love, God, or all 484 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 2026-10-22.