How many times is wrath mentioned in the Bible?
The word wrath appears 198 times in the King James Version, in 194 verses. It is found in 41 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses wrath 238 times.
Wrath in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of wrath counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| wrath | 198 | 238 |
| Total | 198 | 238 |
Which books mention wrath most
Wrath appears in 41 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (28), then Job (17) and Proverbs (16).
Also in: 2 Kings (3), Luke (3), 1 Thessalonians (3), Hebrews (3), Genesis (2), Joshua (2), Lamentations (2), Hosea (2), Habakkuk (2), Zephaniah (2), Zechariah (2), Colossians (2), James (2), Leviticus (1), 1 Samuel (1), 2 Samuel (1), 1 Chronicles (1), Nehemiah (1), Ecclesiastes (1), Amos (1), Nahum (1), Matthew (1), John (1), Acts (1), Galatians (1), 1 Timothy (1).
First and last mention of wrath
And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
The verse that uses it most is Job 32:2, 2 times (tied with Psalm 76:10, Romans 2:5, Romans 9:22):
Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.
Where the two translations differ
26 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 62 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Leviticus 10:6: counted in the KJV only
And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.
Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, “Don’t let the hair of your heads go loose, and don’t tear your clothes; so that you don’t die, and so that he not be angry with all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which Yahweh has kindled.
Numbers 11:33: counted in the KJV only
And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.
While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, Yahweh’s anger burned against the people, and Yahweh struck the people with a very great plague.
Leviticus 26:28: counted in the World English Bible only
Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
then I will walk contrary to you in wrath. I will also chastise you seven times for your sins.
2 Kings 3:27: counted in the World English Bible only
Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
Then he took his oldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. There was great wrath against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
Verses with wrath on our topic pages
16 verses that use wrath in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”
On: Anger, Self Control, Justice, Letting Go
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
On: Anger, Letting Go, What Does the Bible Say About Cussing and Swearing? 26 Verses
“Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath,
On: Anger, Self Control, Letting Go
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.
On: Forgiveness, Anger, Bitterness
You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
but now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth.
On: Anger, Bitterness, What Does the Bible Say About Cussing and Swearing? 26 Verses
and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
On: Widows
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Don’t fret, it leads only to evildoing.
On: Anger
Though I walk in the middle of trouble, you will revive me. You will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies. Your right hand will save me.
On: Enemies
Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
On: Jealousy
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him.
Common questions
How many times is wrath in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 151 of the 198 uses are in the Old Testament and 47 in the New Testament. Wrath appears in 41 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (28), then Job (17) and Proverbs (16).
Where is wrath first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 39:19: "And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled." The last is Revelation 19:15.
More word counts: vengeance, envy, lust, hate, compassion, goodness, faithful, righteous, 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.