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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 17 · 19 word occurrences in this result

2 Samuel 2:22
And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?
2 word occurrences in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Samuel 2:22 · retained source text

And Abner said againe to Asahel, Turne thee aside from following me: Wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I holde vp my face to Ioab thy brother?

2 Samuel 12:23
But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Samuel 12:23 · retained source text

But now hee is dead, Wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him backe againe? I shall goe to him, but he shall not returne to me.

2 Samuel 13:26
Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee?
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Samuel 13:26 · retained source text

Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon goe with vs. And the King said vnto him, Why should he goe with thee?

2 Samuel 15:20
Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading & marginal notes
1611 witness · 2 Samuel 15:20 · retained source text

Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee goe vp and downe with vs? Seeing I goe whither I may, returne thou, and take backe thy brethren: mercie and trueth be with thee.

1611 marginal noteHeb. make thee wander in going?

2 Samuel 16:9
¶ Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading & marginal notes
1611 witness · 2 Samuel 16:9 · retained source text

¶ Then said Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah vnto the king, Why should this dead dogge curse my lord the king? let mee goe ouer, I pray thee, and take off his head.

1611 marginal note1.Sam. 24.15. chap. 3.8.

2 Samuel 16:19
And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.
2 word occurrences in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Samuel 16:19 · retained source text

And againe, whom should I serue? should I not serue in the presence of his sonne? as I haue serued in thy fathers presence, so will I be in thy presence.

2 Samuel 18:12
And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading & marginal notes
1611 witness · 2 Samuel 18:12 · retained source text

And the man saide vnto Ioab, Though I should receiue a thousand shekels of siluer in mine hand, yet would I not put foorth mine hand against the Kings sonne: for in our hearing the King charged thee, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying,Beware that none touch the yong man Absalom.

1611 marginal noteHeb. weigh vpon mine hand.

1611 marginal noteHebr. beware whosoeuer ye be, of &c.

2 Samuel 18:13
Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Samuel 18:13 · retained source text

Otherwyse, I should haue wrought falshood against mine owne life: for there is no matter hid from the King, and thou thy selfe wouldest haue set thy selfe against me.

2 Samuel 19:19
And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading & marginal notes
1611 witness · 2 Samuel 19:19 · retained source text

And said vnto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquitie vnto me, neither do thou remember that which thy seruant did peruersly the day that my lord the king went out of Ierusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.

1611 marginal noteChap. 16.15.

2 Samuel 19:22
And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · 2 Samuel 19:22 · retained source text

And Dauid said, What haue I to doe with you, yee sonnes of Zeruiah, that yee should this day be aduersaries vnto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for doe not I know, that I am this day King ouer Israel?

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)