Recently I heard on the radio that someone was “a marked man.” I chuckled and thought how odd it was that a secular radio program was referencing the Bible. Then I thought of all the hubbub that took place a few years ago about whether people should continue to wish others a merry Christmas. So with that in mind, here’s a list of common expressions that come straight from the Bible. Perhaps we should inform society where these sayings come from and warn all government officials and employees to avoid using them as we would not want to blur the line between church and state. (Sorry for the sarcasm.)
Nothing but Skin and Bones & I Escaped by the Skin of my Teeth, both from Job 19:19-20, “All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me. My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.”
There's a Time and a Place for Everything, Eccl 3:1
Going the Extra Mile, Matt. 5:41
United we Stand, Divided we Fall, “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” Matt. 12:25
Scapegoat, Lev. 16:9-10
Red Sky at Night, “He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” Matt. 16:2-3
Twinkling of an Eye, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Cor. 15:52
A Man After his Own Heart 1 Sam. 13:14
Drop in the Bucket, “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.” Isa. 40:15
Powers that Be, Rom. 13:2
A Little Bird Told Me, “Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.” Eccl. 10:20
Stumbling Block, “Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Matt. 16:23
A Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath, Prov. 15:1
Time to be Born and a Time to Die, Eccl. 3:1-2
Rise and Shine, (surprised?) "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. Isa. 60:1
Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child, “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.” Prov. 13:24 (But don’t beat your children!)
A Leopard Cannot Change its Spots, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” Jer. 13:23
Pride Comes Before a Fall, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Prov. 16:18
By the Sweat of your Brow, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Gen. 3:19
Out of the Mouths of Babes, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength…” Psalm 8:2
Bite the Dust, (Really it’s from the Bible) Psalm 72
The Blind Leading the Blind, Matt. 15:13-14
Eat Drink and Be Merry, Luke 12:19
Straight and narrow, Matt. 7:14
No Man is a Prophet in his Own Town, Mark 6:4
Head on a Platter, “And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou forthwith give me on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” Mark 6:25
Tearing Your Hair Out, “This news made me so angry that I ripped my clothes and tore hair from my head and beard. Then I just sat in shock” Ezra 9:3
The Truth Shall set you Free, John 8:32
He’d Sell His Birthright for a Bowl of Porridge, Gen. 25:31-34
Let Him without Sin Cast the First Stone, John 8:7
Apple of his Eye, “In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye.” Appears twice: Deut. 32:10 & Zec. 2:8
East of Eden, Gen. 4:16
Filthy Lucre, 1 Tim. 3:3
I'll Pin Him to the Wall, “Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David escaped from his presence twice.” 1Sam. 18:11
Stranger in a strange land, “…I have been a stranger in a strange land.” Ex. 2:22
Seek and Ye Shall Find, Matt. 7:7
A Law unto Himself, Rom. 2:14
Absent in Body, but Present in Spirit, Col. 2:5
At My Wit's End, “They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end.” Psalm 107:27
You Don't Know the Half of It, (oh yeah! From when the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon.) “Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard.” 1 Kings 10: 7
Nothing New Under the Sun, Eccl. 1:9
Handwriting On the Wall, “In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.” Dan. 5:5
Knees Knocking Together, “Then the king's face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.” Daniel 5:6
A Merry Heart is Good Medicine, Prov. 17. 22
A Good Name is Better than Money. Prov. 22. 1
A Thorn in the Flesh, 2 Cor. 12:7
Turn the Other Cheek, Matt. 5:39 & Luke 6:29
No Man Can Serve Two Masters, Matt. 6:24
Reap What You Sow, Gal. 6:7
It Rains on the Just and the Unjust, Matt. 5:45
Alpha and Omega, Rev. 1:8
Armageddon, Rev. 16:16
Fight the Good Fight, 1 Tim. 6:12
The Weaker Vessel, (hey, don’t blame me, I didn’t write it) 1 Peter 3:7
Fallen from Grace, Gal.5:4
Beat their Swords into Plowshares, Ish. 2:4 & Micah 4:3
Beat their Plowshares into Swords, (yep, both ways) Joel 3:10
Set your House in Order, Isa. 38:1
Be Fruitful and Multiply, Gen. 1:28
As Old as Methuselah, Gen. 5:27
The Fat of the Land, Gen. 45:18
A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey, Ex. 33:3
An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth, Ex. 21:24
Your Sin Will Find You Out, Num. 32:23
Turn the World Upside Down, Acts 17:6
God Forbid, Rom. 3:4
Take Root, 2 Kings 19:30
No Rest for the Wicked, Isa. 57: 21
A Fly in the Ointment, Eccl. 10:1
I am What I am, (yes sir, even Popeye quotes the Bible) 1 Cor. 15:10
By the Grace of God, also from 1 Cor 15:10
Feet of Clay, Daniel 2:33
Refused to Give Up the Ghost Job 3:11
The Salt of the Earth, Matt. 5:13
You Can't Put Words in my Mouth, Ex. 4:15
The Land of the Living, Job 28:13
Sour Grapes & To Set One's Teeth on Edge, “In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.” Jer. 31:29
This is nowhere near an exhaustive list, one researcher counted 257 of these colloquialisms. If you recall, this started from my hearing, “A Marked Man” on the radio. That has to do with the mark of Cain in Gen. 4:15. This year is the 400th anniversary of the completion of the King James Version of the Bible. Over these 400 years, the Bible has influenced the English language in an irreversible manner. Quoting the Bible may not be politically correct, but it is a fact of our life. So whenever you hear anyone use one of the above Bible quotes, be sure to respond with a hearty, “and God bless you too!”
Hope you have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving this year!
Pastor David
Nothing but Skin and Bones & I Escaped by the Skin of my Teeth, both from Job 19:19-20, “All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me. My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.”
There's a Time and a Place for Everything, Eccl 3:1
Going the Extra Mile, Matt. 5:41
United we Stand, Divided we Fall, “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” Matt. 12:25
Scapegoat, Lev. 16:9-10
Red Sky at Night, “He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” Matt. 16:2-3
Twinkling of an Eye, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Cor. 15:52
A Man After his Own Heart 1 Sam. 13:14
Drop in the Bucket, “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.” Isa. 40:15
Powers that Be, Rom. 13:2
A Little Bird Told Me, “Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.” Eccl. 10:20
Stumbling Block, “Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Matt. 16:23
A Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath, Prov. 15:1
Time to be Born and a Time to Die, Eccl. 3:1-2
Rise and Shine, (surprised?) "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. Isa. 60:1
Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child, “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.” Prov. 13:24 (But don’t beat your children!)
A Leopard Cannot Change its Spots, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” Jer. 13:23
Pride Comes Before a Fall, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Prov. 16:18
By the Sweat of your Brow, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Gen. 3:19
Out of the Mouths of Babes, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength…” Psalm 8:2
Bite the Dust, (Really it’s from the Bible) Psalm 72
The Blind Leading the Blind, Matt. 15:13-14
Eat Drink and Be Merry, Luke 12:19
Straight and narrow, Matt. 7:14
No Man is a Prophet in his Own Town, Mark 6:4
Head on a Platter, “And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou forthwith give me on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” Mark 6:25
Tearing Your Hair Out, “This news made me so angry that I ripped my clothes and tore hair from my head and beard. Then I just sat in shock” Ezra 9:3
The Truth Shall set you Free, John 8:32
He’d Sell His Birthright for a Bowl of Porridge, Gen. 25:31-34
Let Him without Sin Cast the First Stone, John 8:7
Apple of his Eye, “In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye.” Appears twice: Deut. 32:10 & Zec. 2:8
East of Eden, Gen. 4:16
Filthy Lucre, 1 Tim. 3:3
I'll Pin Him to the Wall, “Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David escaped from his presence twice.” 1Sam. 18:11
Stranger in a strange land, “…I have been a stranger in a strange land.” Ex. 2:22
Seek and Ye Shall Find, Matt. 7:7
A Law unto Himself, Rom. 2:14
Absent in Body, but Present in Spirit, Col. 2:5
At My Wit's End, “They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end.” Psalm 107:27
You Don't Know the Half of It, (oh yeah! From when the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon.) “Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard.” 1 Kings 10: 7
Nothing New Under the Sun, Eccl. 1:9
Handwriting On the Wall, “In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.” Dan. 5:5
Knees Knocking Together, “Then the king's face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.” Daniel 5:6
A Merry Heart is Good Medicine, Prov. 17. 22
A Good Name is Better than Money. Prov. 22. 1
A Thorn in the Flesh, 2 Cor. 12:7
Turn the Other Cheek, Matt. 5:39 & Luke 6:29
No Man Can Serve Two Masters, Matt. 6:24
Reap What You Sow, Gal. 6:7
It Rains on the Just and the Unjust, Matt. 5:45
Alpha and Omega, Rev. 1:8
Armageddon, Rev. 16:16
Fight the Good Fight, 1 Tim. 6:12
The Weaker Vessel, (hey, don’t blame me, I didn’t write it) 1 Peter 3:7
Fallen from Grace, Gal.5:4
Beat their Swords into Plowshares, Ish. 2:4 & Micah 4:3
Beat their Plowshares into Swords, (yep, both ways) Joel 3:10
Set your House in Order, Isa. 38:1
Be Fruitful and Multiply, Gen. 1:28
As Old as Methuselah, Gen. 5:27
The Fat of the Land, Gen. 45:18
A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey, Ex. 33:3
An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth, Ex. 21:24
Your Sin Will Find You Out, Num. 32:23
Turn the World Upside Down, Acts 17:6
God Forbid, Rom. 3:4
Take Root, 2 Kings 19:30
No Rest for the Wicked, Isa. 57: 21
A Fly in the Ointment, Eccl. 10:1
I am What I am, (yes sir, even Popeye quotes the Bible) 1 Cor. 15:10
By the Grace of God, also from 1 Cor 15:10
Feet of Clay, Daniel 2:33
Refused to Give Up the Ghost Job 3:11
The Salt of the Earth, Matt. 5:13
You Can't Put Words in my Mouth, Ex. 4:15
The Land of the Living, Job 28:13
Sour Grapes & To Set One's Teeth on Edge, “In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.” Jer. 31:29
This is nowhere near an exhaustive list, one researcher counted 257 of these colloquialisms. If you recall, this started from my hearing, “A Marked Man” on the radio. That has to do with the mark of Cain in Gen. 4:15. This year is the 400th anniversary of the completion of the King James Version of the Bible. Over these 400 years, the Bible has influenced the English language in an irreversible manner. Quoting the Bible may not be politically correct, but it is a fact of our life. So whenever you hear anyone use one of the above Bible quotes, be sure to respond with a hearty, “and God bless you too!”
Hope you have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving this year!
Pastor David
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