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KJV dictionary & concordance

should

Meaning of “should”

A verb expressing duty, propriety, expectation, intention, purpose, condition, appointed outcome, or a future event viewed from another time or statement.

Definition sources

KJV context and cross-referencesWebster 1828
783 occurrences690 verses60 booksKJV PCE

Some verses contain the word more than once.

First occurrence: Genesis 2:18

Complete exact-word concordance

Every verse containing “should”

KJV PCE

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Showing verses 1–10 of 11 · 11 word occurrences in this result

2 Kings 3:27
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.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Kings 3:27 · retained source text

Then hee tooke his eldest sonne that should haue reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering vpon the wall: and there was great indignation against Israel, and they departed from him, and returned to their owne land.

2 Kings 4:43
And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading & marginal notes
1611 witness · 2 Kings 4:43 · retained source text

And his seruitour saide, What should I set this before an hundred men? He said againe, Giue the people, that they may eate: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eate, and shall leaue thereof.

1611 marginal noteIohn 6.11.

2 Kings 6:33
And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; what should I wait for the Lord any longer?
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Kings 6:33 · retained source text

And while hee yet talked with them, beholde, the messenger came downe vnto him: and he said, Behold, this euill is of the LORD, what should I waite for the LORD any longer?

2 Kings 7:19
And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Kings 7:19 · retained source text

And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now behold, if the LORD should make windowes in heauen, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eate thereof.

2 Kings 8:13
And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Kings 8:13 · retained source text

And Hazael said, But what, is thy seruant a dogge, that he should doe this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed mee that thou shalt be king ouer Syria.

2 Kings 11:9
And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Kings 11:9 · retained source text

And the captaines ouer the hundreds did according to all things that Iehoiada the Priest commanded: and they tooke euery man his men that were to come in on the Sabbath, with them that should goe out on the Sabbath, and came to Iehoiada the Priest.

2 Kings 11:17
¶ And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord’s people; between the king also and the people.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Kings 11:17 · retained source text

¶ And Iehoiada made a couenant betweene the LORD and the king, and the people, that they should be the LORDs people; betweene the king also and the people.

2 Kings 17:15
And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Kings 17:15 · retained source text

And they reiected his Statutes, and his Couenant that hee made with their fathers, and his Testimonies which he testified against them, and they followed vanitie, and became vaine, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not doe like them.

2 Kings 17:28
Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Kings 17:28 · retained source text

Then one of the priests whom they had caried away from Samaria, came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them howe they should feare the LORD.

2 Kings 18:35
Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Kings 18:35 · retained source text

Who are they among all the gods of the countreys, that haue deliuered their countrey out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliuer Ierusalem out of mine hand?

Complete reference index — all 690 verses

Where “should” appears

Select a book to filter the concordance. Occurrences and verses are counted separately.

Genesis22 occurrences
21 verses
Exodus9 occurrences
8 verses
Leviticus10 occurrences
10 verses
Numbers14 occurrences
13 verses
Deuteronomy17 occurrences
13 verses
Joshua7 occurrences
7 verses
Judges12 occurrences
11 verses
Ruth3 occurrences
1 verse
1 Samuel23 occurrences
22 verses
2 Samuel19 occurrences
17 verses
1 Kings8 occurrences
8 verses
2 Kings11 occurrences
11 verses
1 Chronicles9 occurrences
9 verses
2 Chronicles14 occurrences
14 verses
Ezra10 occurrences
8 verses
Nehemiah21 occurrences
18 verses
Esther15 occurrences
12 verses
Job43 occurrences
33 verses
Psalms24 occurrences
20 verses
Proverbs3 occurrences
3 verses
Ecclesiastes9 occurrences
8 verses
Song of Solomon5 occurrences
3 verses
Isaiah22 occurrences
19 verses
Jeremiah29 occurrences
23 verses
Lamentations6 occurrences
6 verses
Ezekiel19 occurrences
16 verses
Daniel16 occurrences
16 verses
Hosea3 occurrences
3 verses
Joel2 occurrences
1 verse
Jonah1 occurrence
1 verse
Micah1 occurrence
1 verse
Zephaniah1 occurrence
1 verse
Haggai1 occurrence
1 verse
Zechariah5 occurrences
5 verses
Malachi3 occurrences
2 verses
Matthew28 occurrences
22 verses
Mark32 occurrences
28 verses
Luke36 occurrences
36 verses
John59 occurrences
53 verses
Acts61 occurrences
52 verses
Romans17 occurrences
14 verses
1 Corinthians20 occurrences
17 verses
2 Corinthians20 occurrences
17 verses
Galatians12 occurrences
12 verses
Ephesians7 occurrences
7 verses
Philippians4 occurrences
4 verses
Colossians2 occurrences
2 verses
1 Thessalonians6 occurrences
6 verses
2 Thessalonians2 occurrences
2 verses
1 Timothy1 occurrence
1 verse
Titus2 occurrences
2 verses
Philemon1 occurrence
1 verse
Hebrews16 occurrences
16 verses
James1 occurrence
1 verse
1 Peter7 occurrences
7 verses
2 Peter3 occurrences
2 verses
1 John4 occurrences
4 verses
2 John1 occurrence
1 verse
Jude3 occurrences
2 verses
Revelation21 occurrences
16 verses

Source order

Definition evidence

Historical English dictionary sources

Historical definitions

The preterit of shall, but now used as an auxiliary verb, either in the past time or conditional present. 'He should have paid the debt at the time the note became due.' Should here denotes past time. 'I should ride to town this day if the weather would permit.' Here should expresses present or future time conditionally. […] When should in this person is uttered without emphasis, it declares simply that an event would take place, on some condition or under circumstances.

volume 2, leaf 588, column 2 (entry starts at OCR line 51)