How many times is wicked mentioned in the Bible?
The word wicked appears 344 times in the King James Version, in 325 verses. Counting every form (wicked, wickedness), it appears 471 times in 431 verses across 43 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses wicked 325 times (452 with every form).
Wicked in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of wicked counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| wicked | 344 | 325 |
| wickedness | 127 | 127 |
| Total | 471 | 452 |
Which books mention wicked most
Wicked appears in 43 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (104), then Proverbs (100) and Job (46).
Also in: 2 Samuel (4), Nahum (4), Malachi (4), Acts (4), Exodus (3), Judges (3), 2 Chronicles (3), Micah (3), Habakkuk (3), Luke (3), 2 Kings (2), Esther (2), Daniel (2), 1 Corinthians (2), Ephesians (2), 2 Thessalonians (2), 2 Peter (2), Numbers (1), 1 Chronicles (1), Nehemiah (1), Lamentations (1), Joel (1), Jonah (1), Zephaniah (1), Zechariah (1), Mark (1), Romans (1), Colossians (1).
First and last mention of wicked
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
The verse that uses it most is Jeremiah 44:9, 5 times:
Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?
Where the two translations differ
63 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 46 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Leviticus 20:17: counted in the KJV only
And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
“‘If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness; it is a shameful thing. They shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his iniquity.
Deuteronomy 17:2: counted in the KJV only
If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant,
If there is found among you, within any of your gates which Yahweh your God gives you, a man or woman who does that which is evil in Yahweh your God’s sight, in transgressing his covenant,
Deuteronomy 13:13: counted in the World English Bible only
Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
certain wicked fellows have gone out from among you, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods,” which you have not known;
Judges 9:57: counted in the World English Bible only
And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
and God repaid all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads; and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came on them.
Verses with wicked on our topic pages
38 verses that use wicked in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him. Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.
For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
On: Demons, Spiritual Warfare, What Does the Bible Say About Witchcraft? 25 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About War? 27 Verses
covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
On: Prayer, Repentance
Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers;
On: Blessings, What Does the Bible Say About Meditation? 29 Verses
Many sorrows come to the wicked, but loving kindness shall surround him who trusts in Yahweh.
On: Protection, Fear
The wicked borrow, and don’t pay back, but the righteous give generously.
Yahweh preserves the foreigners. He upholds the fatherless and widow, but the way of the wicked he turns upside down.
a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
Common questions
How many times is wicked in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 438 of the 471 uses are in the Old Testament and 33 in the New Testament. Wicked appears in 43 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (104), then Proverbs (100) and Job (46).
Where is wicked first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 6:5: "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." The last is 1 John 5:19.
More word counts: mountain, tree, vine, eagle, horse, camel, fish, wolf, 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.