English Phrases and Idioms with Biblical Origins
Numerous phrases used in every day speech have their origin in the Bible. The Word Wheel in the Dunham Bible Museum features a few of these phrases, but many more are found below.
| PHRASE | MEANING | SCRIPTURE |
|---|---|---|
| “man after my own heart” | kindred spirit | I Sam. 13:14 |
| “thorn in the flesh” | annoying, persistent difficulty | I Cor. 12:7 |
| “Am I my brother’s keeper?” | Should I be responsible if something happens to someone else? | Gen. 4:9 |
| “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” | a compensating justice for every wrong | Matt. 5:38 |
| “as old as Methusalah” | very old | Gen. 5:27 |
| “as old as the hills” | very old | Job 15:7 |
| “patience of Job” | patience under extreme suffering | Book of Job |
| “as you sow so shall you reap” | your deeds will repay you in kind | Gal. 6: 7 |
| “at his wits end” | perplexed; doesn’t know what to do | Psalm 107:27 |
| “doubting Thomas” | skeptic; must have hard evidence before believing | John 20:24-29 |
| “written in stone” | unchangeable truth | Ex. 31:18 |
| Babel | confusion | Genesis 11 |
| “beat swords into ploughshares” | turn away from war to peace | Isa. 2:4; Micah 4:3; Joel 3:10 |
| “bite the dust” | fall wounded or dead | Psalm 72:9 |
| “handwriting on the wall” | disaster or danger is near | Dan. 5:5-6 |
| “faith will move mountains” | faith is very powerful | Matt. 21:21 |
| “fall from grace” | fall from position of esteem | Gal. 5:4 |
| Goliath | a large, overbearing obstacle or problem | I Samuel 17 |
| Delilah | seductress | Judges 16 |
| “flesh and blood” | all mankind; family | Matt. 16:17 |
| “by the skin of your teeth” | a close miss from disaster | Job |
| “Can a leopard change its spots?” | can’t change your nature | Jer. 13:323 |
| “For everything there is a season” | there’s a right time for everything | Eccl. 3:1-8 |
| Samson | strong man with a tragic flaw | Judges 17 |
| Jezebel | wicked, selfish, powerful, evil woman | I Kings 19 |
| “apple of my eye” | very precious and dear | Zech. 2:8; Deut. 32:10 |
| “forbidden fruit” | prohibited item | Gen. 2:9 |
| “from strength to strength” | progress from one success to another | Psalm 89:7 |
| “give up the ghost” | die or cease working | Acts |
| “Judas kiss” | deceptive show of affection with evil intent | Matthew 26:49 |
| “blind leading the blind” | incompetent people leading incompetent people | Matt. 15:19 |
| “fly in the ointment” | small, irritating problem that spoils everything | Eccl. 10:1 |
| “cast the first stone” | be the first to attack a someone | John 8:7 |
| “salt of the earth” | those of great worth and reliability | Matt. 5:12 |
| “powers that be” | government authority | Romans 13:1 |
| “sour grapes” | acting meanly after a disappointment | Ezek. 18:2 |
| “physician heal thyself” | attend to your own faults more than the faults of others | Luke 4:23 |
| “no rest for the wicked” | wicked will be tormented | Isa. 57:20-21 |
| “my cup runneth over” | I have more than enough for my needs | Psalm 23:5 |
| “turn the other cheek” | don’t retaliate for wrong done | Matt. 5:39 |
| “guilty flee when no man pursues” | guilty fear discovery | Proverbs 28:1 |
| “go the extra mile” | do more than is required | Matt. 5:41 |
| “Prodigal Son” | someone rebelling and living a dissolute life, then returning to home and right living | Luke 15:11-32 |
| “Good Samaritan” | someone who helps others from compassion with no thought of reward | Luke 10:30-33 |
| “How are the mighty fallen” | those previously powerful are weakened | II Sam. 1:19 |
| “Lamb to the slaughter” | unaware of impending danger | Jer. 11:18 |
| “Man does not live by bread alone” | man has spiritual as well as physical needs | Deut. 8:3 |
| “living off the fat of the land” | living well | Gen. 45:18 |