How many times is wisdom mentioned in the Bible?
The word wisdom appears 234 times in the King James Version, in 222 verses. It is found in 28 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses wisdom 227 times.
Wisdom in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of wisdom counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| wisdom | 234 | 227 |
| Total | 234 | 227 |
Which books mention wisdom most
Wisdom appears in 28 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Proverbs has the most (54), then Ecclesiastes (28) and Job (23).
Also in: James (4), Revelation (4), Matthew (3), Ephesians (3), Deuteronomy (2), 2 Samuel (2), 1 Chronicles (1), Ezra (1), Micah (1), Mark (1), Romans (1), 2 Corinthians (1), 2 Peter (1).
First and last mention of wisdom
And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
The verse that uses it most is 1 Kings 4:30, 3 times:
And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
Where the two translations differ
12 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 4 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
1 Chronicles 22:12: counted in the KJV only
Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.
May Yahweh give you discretion and understanding, and put you in charge of Israel; that so you may keep the law of Yahweh your God.
Job 13:5: counted in the KJV only
Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.
Proverbs 21:11: counted in the World English Bible only
When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.
When the mocker is punished, the simple gains wisdom. When the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
Proverbs 28:26: counted in the World English Bible only
He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
One who trusts in himself is a fool; but one who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
Verses with wisdom on our topic pages
30 verses that use wisdom in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.
Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.
On: Wisdom
For Yahweh gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
On: Wisdom
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
On: Wisdom
By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
On: Wisdom
Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
On: Wisdom
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
On: Wisdom
For wisdom is better than rubies. All the things that may be desired can’t be compared to it.
On: Wisdom
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
On: Wisdom
Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, and is even made known in the inward part of fools.
On: Wisdom
Common questions
How many times is wisdom in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 181 of the 234 uses are in the Old Testament and 53 in the New Testament. Wisdom appears in 28 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Proverbs has the most (54), then Ecclesiastes (28) and Job (23).
Where is wisdom first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Exodus 28:3: "And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office." The last is Revelation 17:9.
Read the full collection: Bible Verses About Wisdom (47 Verses).
More word counts: trust, death, water, light, cross, blood, gold, amen, 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.