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Our vernacular has changed in the last 50 years and I am a first-hand witness. In my youth it was far more common to have phrases and idioms used to make a point many of which had their roots in the Bible. Some of the more popular ones have survived and my guess is most people don’t know the origins of the terms.

I remember watching Bonanza (a rerun ‘cause I’m not that old) where Little Joe called a woman “a Jezebel.” I didn’t know what it meant at the time, but I remember her outrage and her slapping him for his comment. It wasn’t until years later I would learn the origins of that particular phrase. In the Old Testament book of 1 Kings 21 verse 25 we can find reference to Jezebel which helps describe why calling someone by that name would be considered an insult. A Canaanite princess, she would have been experienced with temple prostitution, child sacrifice (to the God Molech) and a brutal approach to ruling people.

A more famous phrase, primarily because of its inclusion in a speech given at the Republican State Convention by future President Abraham Lincoln in 1858, is “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” He was referring to the government of his day, but he chose powerful language that likely would have stirred the opinions of his listeners. The origin of that phrase is a rebuttal Jesus gave to those who accused him of being in league with the devil as recorded in Matthew 12:25.

Quoting the Bible, let alone Jesus would certainly show you were “on the side of angels”. This phase however does not come from the Bible, but from a speech given at Oxford on 25th November 1864 by Benjamin Disraeli. He was supporting the view that man was divinely created and was thus refuting Darwinism.

Here are a few of my favorites. Each of these have scriptural origins, some verbatim and some with derivation. Follow the links and read them for yourself, ideally looking a few sentences before and a few after to understand the context.

See eye to eye – Isa 52:8

Fall on your sword – 1 Sam 31:4

See the hand, writing on the wall – Dan 5:5

Blind leading the blind – Matt 15:13-14

Drop in the bucket – Isaiah 40:15

Sign of the times – Matt 16:3

Fall from Grace – Gal 5:4

Scapegoat – Lev 16:10

Pride goes before a fall (actually it is haughtiness)– Prov 16:18

Kiss of Death – Matt 26:48

Wash my hands of the matter – Matt 27:24

Good Samaritan – Luke 10:33

Better to Give than Receive – Acts 20:35

The origin of idioms from the Bible is important because it provides a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical significance of these expressions and their enduring impact on language and literature. It also highlights the influence of biblical narratives and teachings on popular culture and everyday speech. I pray these and other references remain in our everyday language as reminders of our place in the Holy hierarchy.

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Writers Block