What is a 5-letter word in the King James Bible found only 4 times?

Answer

It is the word "WHALE".

This riddle is part of a longer Bible puzzle/riddle which originated in 1890. The story of it's origin goes like this:

"This riddle was written by a lady in California in 1890 in response to a gentleman in Pennsylvania who said he would pay $1,000.00 to anyone who could write a puzzle he could not solve. He failed to solve this puzzle and paid the lady the $1,000.00, a great sum at that time. An 8 year old boy figured it out."

Here is the entire, cleverly worded, puzzle:

What is one word and five letters that only appeared in the King James Version four times.

Adam, God made out of dust but thought it best to make me first, so I was made before man to answer God's most holy plan.

A living being I became and Adam gave to me my name. I from his presence then withdrew and more of Adam never knew.

I did my Maker's law obey nor ever went from it astray. Thousands of miles I go in fear but seldom on earth appear.

Hint: For purpose wise which God did see, He put a living soul in me. A soul from me God did claim. And took from me the soul again.

Hint: And when from me the soul had fled, I was the same as when first made. And without hands, or feet, or soul, I travel on from pole to pole.

I labor hard by day, by night. To fallen men I give great light. Thousands of people, young and old will by my death great light behold.

No right or wrong can I conceive. The scripture I cannot believe, although my name therein if found. They are to me an empty sound.

No fear of death doth trouble me, real happiness I will never see. To heaven I shall never go or to hell below.

Now when these lines you slowly read, go search your Bible with all speed; for that my name is written there, I do honestly to you declare.

Whale mentioned 6 times

Gen.1 [21] And God created great WHALEs, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Job.7 [12] Am I a sea, or a WHALE, that thou settest a watch over me?

Ezek.32 [2] Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a WHALE in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers.

Sir.43 [25] For therein be strange and wondrous works, variety of all kinds of beasts and WHALEs created. [57] O ye WHALEs, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

Matt.12 [40] For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the WHALE's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

In the King James Version:

Whale 3x (Job 7:12, Ezekiel 32:2, Matthew 12:40) , Whales 1x (Gen 1:21).

First answer by ID3377615530. Last edit by Jon hackworth. Contributor trust: 0 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 16 [recommend question]