Read the Bible

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

Remembering a verse with different wording? Find a verse across the Bible →

Showing verses 41–50 of 690 · 783 word occurrences in this result

Numbers 9:4
And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · Numbers 9:4 · retained source text

And Moses spake vnto the children of Israel that they should keepe the Passeouer.

Numbers 11:13
Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · Numbers 11:13 · retained source text

Whence should I haue flesh to giue vnto all this people? for they weep vnto me, saying, Giue vs flesh, that we may eate.

Numbers 12:14
¶ And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading & marginal notes
1611 witness · Numbers 12:14 · retained source text

¶ And the LORD said vnto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not bee ashamed seuen dayes? let her be shut out from the campe seuen dayes, and after that let her be receiued in againe.

1611 marginal noteLeuit. 13.46.

Numbers 14:3
And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · Numbers 14:3 · retained source text

And wherefore hath the LORD brought vs vnto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wiues, and our children should be a pray? Were it not better for vs to returne into Egypt?

Numbers 14:31
But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · Numbers 14:31 · retained source text

But your little ones, which yee said should be a pray, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye haue despised.

Numbers 15:34
And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading & marginal notes
1611 witness · Numbers 15:34 · retained source text

And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.

1611 marginal noteLeuit. 24.12.

Numbers 20:4
And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading & marginal notes
1611 witness · Numbers 20:4 · retained source text

And why haue yee brought vp the Congregation of the LORD into this wildernesse, that we and our cattell should die there?

1611 marginal noteExod. 17.2.

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
2 word occurrences in this verse
The 1611 reading
1611 witness · Numbers 23:19 · retained source text

God is not a man that he should lie, neither the sonne of man, that hee should repent: hath he said, and shall he not doe it? or, hath hee spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Numbers 27:4
Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading & marginal notes
1611 witness · Numbers 27:4 · retained source text

Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no sonne? Giue vnto vs therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.

1611 marginal noteHebr. diminished.

Numbers 32:9
For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the Lord had given them.
1 word occurrence in this verse
The 1611 reading & marginal notes
1611 witness · Numbers 32:9 · retained source text

For when they went vp vnto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not goe into the land which the LORD had giuen them.

1611 marginal noteChap. 13.24.

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)