That's Where That Saying Came From!

#38: “That’s where that saying came from!” by Brendon Wahlberg

Many of our common phrases and sayings actually came from the Bible. Sometimes, the original form and context of a saying is surprising. Here are some famous sayings and the Bible passages they came from (All passages are from the NRSV translation).

Money is the root of all evil. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.” (1 Timothy 6:10)

There’s nothing new under the sun. “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)

You reap what you sow. “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” (Galatians 6:7-8)

Pride goes before a fall. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

I made it by the skin of my teeth. “My bones cling to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.” (Job 19:20)

Two sayings in one passage: (A) Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning. (B) It is a sign of the times. “He answered them, ‘When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:2-3)

It’s just a drop in the bucket. “Even the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as dust on the scales; see, he takes up the isles like fine dust.” (Isaiah 40:15)

He’s a man after my own heart. “The Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever, but now your kingdom will not continue; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart; and the Lord has appointed him to be ruler over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” (1 Samuel 13:13-14)

A leopard can’t change his spots. “Can Cushites change their skin or leopards their spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil.” (Jeremiah 13:23)

Eat, drink, and be merry! “So I commend enjoyment, for there is nothing better for people under the sun than to eat, and drink, and enjoy themselves, for this will go with them in their toil through the days of life that God gives them under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 8:15)

Fight the good fight. “Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12)

Out of the mouths of babes. “Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger.” (Psalms 8:2)

It was a labor of love. “We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)

There’s no rest for the wicked. “But the wicked are like the tossing sea that cannot keep still; its waters toss up mire and mud. There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.” (Isaiah 57:20-21)

I can see the handwriting on the wall. “Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the wall of the royal palace, next to the lampstand. The king was watching the hand as it wrote.” (Daniel 5:5)

It’s like the blind leading the blind. “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” (Matthew 15:14)

Keep on the straight and narrow. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

He’s like a law unto himself. “When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves.” (Romans 2:14)

He followed the letter of the law. “Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6)

He’s the apple of my eye. “For thus said the Lord of hosts (after his glory sent me) regarding the nations that plundered you: Truly, one who touches you touches the apple of my eye. See now, I am going to raise my hand against them, and they shall become plunder for their own slaves.” (Zechariah 2:8-9)

I’m at my wit’s end. “They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their calamity; they reeled and staggered like drunkards, and were at their wits’ end.” (Psalm 107:26-27)

It happened in the twinkling of an eye. “We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

I don’t suffer fools gladly. “What I am saying in regards to this boastful confidence, I am saying not with the Lord’s authority, but as a fool; since many boast according to human standards, I will also boast. For you gladly put up with fools, being wise yourselves!” (2 Corinthians 11:17-19)

An eye for an eye. “If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21:23-25)

Put your house in order. “The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.’” (2 Kings 20:1)

The truth shall set you free. “Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32)