Common Idioms with Biblical Origins

[Dingleberry]

There are LOTS of them. I'll start with...

"Rise and shine"

A good mom's wake up call to her children forever. Its origin is from Isaiah 60:1

Arise, shine; for your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

Not a bad message to wake up to. Rise up and shine with the light of the Lord. Spread that Light throughout your day.

 

[Dingleberry]

"If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand."

Mpst people think this came from Lincoln. It did, just not originally. He was paraphrasing Jesus in Mark 3:25.

Ironically, Jesus was referring to Satan's divided house!

 

[HSanders]

As a lover of allegory,I like this topic .thank you.

 

[Dingleberry]

As a lover of allegory,I like this topic .thank you.

Many, many more to come. There are hundreds

 

[Dingleberry]

I wash my hands of this!

Ever heard this said? It's a way of saying it's not my problem. Not my fault. I'm outta here.

It comes from the Bible. And actually, it comes from the execution of Jesus. Matthew 27:24. Pilate saw no fault in Jesus but capitulated to the Jewish authority. "He took water and washed his hands before the multitude saying, " I am innocent of the blood of this just Person."

He wasn't. We can't wash our own hands of our own sin.

 

[Dingleberry]

Don't worry, tomorrow will take care of itself?

If you've ever said this, you were quoting Jesus. Or paraphrasing Jesus. Matthew 6:34...

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.

 

[Dingleberry]

A leopard can't change its spots.

Yup, that's a biblical saying. And it's a warning for the habitually sinful! Jeremiah 13:23

Can the Ethiopian change his skin
Or the leopard its spots?
Then may you also do good
who are accustomed to do evil.

In other words, a black man can change his skin color or a leopard its spots as much as one who lives for evil can do good.

 

[Dingleberry]

Eat, drink, and be merry!

We've all heard or said those words. Not only does it come from the Bible, it came from Jesus. Before you get excited, Jesus spoke those words while telling the Parable of the Rich Fool. Luke 12:18, "And I will say to my soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."

God's response in the next verse? "Fool!"

 

[Dingleberry]

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

Such a great life lesson. Naturally, it comes from Jesus. When He was betrayed by Judas and seized, Jesus said the following to one of the disciples who drew his sword, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword."

Matthew 26:52

 

[Dingleberry]

Seek and you shall find.


From the mouth of Jesus. It's a saying I've heard often, thought not usually within its original context. Too many lost people seeking their own desires rather than seeking the true source of comfort. Jesus.


Ask, and it will be given to you;
Seek, and you will find;
Knock, and it will be opened for you.

- Matthew 7:7

 

[Dingleberry]

Shout it from the rooftops!

It's a common saying to speak boldly. Its origin is a command from Jesus to speak the Word boldly for all to hear, fearing nothing.


"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light;
And what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops."

- Matthew 10:27

 

[Dingleberry]

Head on a platter

This is used alot when someone wants vengeance or payback on someone. Obviously, it is used figuratively. Nobody expects the person's actual head chopped off and placed on a platter.

It's original use was quite literal.

Roman authorities at the behest of the Jewish Pharisees had imprisoned John the Baptist. Herod, at his birthday party, was so enthralled with a young dancer who was the daughter of a noble. Herod promised her any wish, which custom said he couldn't deny. Her mother told her to ask for John the Baptist's head. Herod did not want to do it, but he was in a corner.

...the king said to the girl, Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."
So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"
And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"

Immediately she came in with haste and asked, saying,
"I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

- Mark 6:22-25


John was then beheaded and his head was presented to the girl. On a platter.

 

[Dingleberry]

Thousands of years before Freddie Mercury sang Another One Bites the Dust, Psalm 72 foretold of the fate of Jesus' enemies.

Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,
And His enemies will lick the dust.

Psalm 72:9

 

[Dingleberry]

"Apple of my eye" is kind of an old time saying. Something you may have heard from a grandparent.

Origins as a saying? Within one of David's prayers in Psalm 17

Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.

- Psalm 17:8

 

[Dingleberry]

No rest for the wicked! Everyone has heard this saying. It was even the title of an Ozzy album.

Here is its origin. Or origins:

"There is no peace,'" says the Lord, "for the wicked" - Isaiah 48:22

"There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked." - Isaiah 57:21


The last verses of Isaiah 48 and 57 provide bookends for the Messiah prophecy chapters of Isaiah 49-57. Those chapters are typically ignored and not taught by rabbis as they have several Jesus prophecies and speak of the salvation of Gentiles. I highly recommend anyone read these 9 Messiah chapters!

 

[Dingleberry]

Letter of the law / Spirit of the law

This is a common saying about what is technically legal and not. Jesus taught the concept of letter of the law vs Spirit of the law. You all know which one Jesus cared about.


Our sufficeincy is from God, who also made us sufficient
as ministers of the new covenant,
not of the letter but of the Spirit,
for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

- 2 Corinthians 3:5-6

 

[Dingleberry]

Go the extra mile.

This is a common saying nowadays meaning to give extra effort. The lesson Jesus was teaching was a bit more than that. When someone in need asks for help, give even more than what has been asked. He was teaching the virtue of giving.

"...whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two."
- Matthew 5:41

The Jews of the time would have recognized the reference too. Roman soldiers had the right by law to force Jewish people to carry their armor, gear, etc on long walking travels. However, they were forbidden by law to force the civilian to go further than one mile. Jesus is saying to embrace the inconvenience and do even more.

"Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away."
- Matthew 5:42