How many times is the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Bible?

The count

References to the Holy Spirit (or Spirit of God / Spirit of the LORD) total approximately 280 across the Bible, with about 90 in the Old Testament and about 190 in the New Testament. The figure depends on which constructions are counted.

The Hebrew terms

The Old Testament does not have a single fixed phrase for “Holy Spirit” in the later Trinitarian sense. Instead, it speaks of:

• ruach Elohim (רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים, “Spirit of God”): about 14 occurrences.
• ruach YHWH (רוּחַ יהוה, “Spirit of the LORD”): about 27 occurrences.
• ruach alone, in contexts referring to God’s animating or empowering presence: many more occurrences (the noun ruach — “wind, breath, spirit” — appears 378 times in the Hebrew Bible in all senses).
• ruach qodshecha / ruach qodsho (“his/your Holy Spirit”): twice in Isaiah 63:10-11; once in Psalm 51:11.

The Greek terms

The New Testament uses:

• pneuma hagion (πνεῦμα ἅγιον, “Holy Spirit”): about 90 occurrences.
• pneuma (πνεῦμα) in contexts clearly referring to the divine Spirit: many more occurrences.
• to pneuma tou theou (“the Spirit of God”): a few occurrences.
• to pneuma tou Christou / to pneuma Iēsou (“Spirit of Christ” / “Spirit of Jesus”): rare but present (Romans 8:9; Acts 16:7).

Where references concentrate

Luke-Acts contains the densest cluster of New Testament references to the Holy Spirit — about 70 occurrences across the two books. The Pauline epistles use Spirit-language frequently, particularly Romans 8 (which mentions the Spirit about 20 times in one chapter). The Gospel of John records Jesus’ farewell discourse on the Spirit (John 14–16).