Mounting deaths and destruction paint a horrific landscape
Being a scapegoat (blamed for others' wrongdoings) can be traced all the way back to the Old Testament. Leviticus 16:9-10 says: "Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat."
This phrase means there's simply nothing new, that everything has been done, seen, etc. It's often associated with monotony. Ecclesiastes 1:9 reads: "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."
This idiom is used to express something that happens very quickly. Its Biblical roots come from 1 Corinthians 15:52, "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."
This idiom is used to describe someone deceitful, who pretends to be good but has bad intentions. The phrase originates from Matthew 7:15, which reads: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."
Many of us have used this expression to describe something that only happens now, usually with a negative connotation. Matthew 16:3 mentions it, "And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"
The phrase is used to describe something that we desire because is not allowed. It's a reference to Adam and Eve and the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Genesis 3:3 explains: "You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die."
This morning classic also has Biblical roots. It comes from Isaiah 60:1, which reads: "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you."
The phrase is usually used to describe someone who's unwell, unhealthy, or ill. The expression comes from Job 19:19-20, which reads: "All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me. I am nothing but skin and bones."
Emotions, experiences, and everything else will be experienced throughout different stages of life. Ecclesiastes 3 explains that, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."
No one likes to be falsely accused of saying something they didn't. The expression comes from 2 Samuel 14:3: "And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth."
This phrase is used when one just achieved something but nearly missed it. It implies a very narrow margin. It's Biblical roots can be found in Job 19:20: "My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth."
This is used as a rhetorical question in reference to something (usually bad) that a person can't change. It comes from Jeremiah 13:23: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."
How many times have you been asked this at work? It essentially means to put in a special effort to achieve something. Matthew 5:41 reads: "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain."
We've all heard this one before, especially during the holidays, right? The expression also comes from the Bible; Ecclesiastes 8:15, to be more precise: "Because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labor the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun."
The phrase is used to describe the end: usually one's fall and/or death. It comes from Psalms 72:9: "They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.”
This idiom is used to describe when one gets advice and is led by someone with no knowledge on the matter. Matthew 15:13-14 makes reference to it. "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."
The phrase is used to express a minor nuisance, something that annoys us and spoils the moment. Ecclesiastes 10:1 reads: "Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor."
The phrase is used to describe a helpless victim, someone who's oblivious to being led into a bad situation. Isaiah 53:7 reads: "He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."
This idiom is about offering valuable things to people who don't appreciate them. Matthew 7:6 reads: "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."
This phrase is all about carrying a responsibility, a heavy burden. The Biblical reference can be found in Luke 17:2, which reads: "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin."
When something falls by the wayside, it usually means something was not achieved because it was abandoned or canceled. The phrase is rooted in Luke 8:5 and the Parable of the Sower, who "went out to sow his seeds, and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it."
This phrase can be used as a way to express struggle, not knowing what to do, being puzzled and perplexed. It's rooted in Psalm 107, where reference is made to sailors caught in a storm. "They reeled and staggered like drunkards;
they were at their wits’ end," (Psalm 107:27).
This popular expression is all about achieving great things, including feats that seem impossible. After all, "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing," (1 Corinthians 13:2).
The phrase is used to describe the focal point of a matter. Job 19:28 reads: "But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the Root of the matter is found in me?"
This idiom means that a small thing doesn't really affect the big picture. The phrase "a drop in the ocean" is also very common. As for the roots, it comes from Isaiah 40:15: "Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he takes up the isles as fine dust."
This is a popular expression used to make reference to someone who helps without asking for anything in return, showing unselfishness and compassion. It comes from the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37.
This phrase is usually used lightheartedly, when one must endure a task. It comes from the idea that evildoers face eternal punishment. Isaiah 57:20-21 reads: "But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. 'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked.'"
This expression refers to a weakness that can lead to the downfall of someone or something. There is a reference to it in Daniel (2:31-45), where he talks about a dream and a statue that had "legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them."
This phrase is usually used as a presage that something bad is about to happen. It originally comes from Daniel 5.
Sources: (Mental Floss) (Unlocking the Bible) (Improving Your English)
See also: Where do our superstitions come from?
There are numerous phrases, expressions, and idioms in the English language that derive from the Bible. Amazingly, many have survived thousands of years and are still used to this day. From "going the extra mile" to "biting the dust," in this gallery you'll find multiple examples of everyday phrases borrowed from the holy book.
Click through and see how many you can recognize.
Everyday phrases you didn't know were borrowed from the Bible
Browse and check how many you can recognize
LIFESTYLE Language
There are numerous phrases, expressions, and idioms in the English language that derive from the Bible. Amazingly, many have survived thousands of years and are still used to this day. From "going the extra mile" to "biting the dust," in this gallery you'll find multiple examples of everyday phrases borrowed from the holy book.
Click through and see how many you can recognize.