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125 popular expressions with biblical origins

 Many of our commonly used phrases are rooted in Scripture, whether we realize it or not. As an admitted word geek, I’ve been intrigued by this. Following is a list of 125 popular expressions that originated in the Bible. OK, some may have cropped up even before they were cited in biblical texts, but they definitely were found there long before they appeared in our current usage.

Take a look at 125 popular expressions from the Bible. Included are some of the Scriptural passages corresponding to those phrasings.

  1. All things must pass – Matthew 24:6-8
  2. All things to all men – 1 Corinthians 9:22
  3. Amen to that! 1 Chronicles 16:36; 2 Corinthians 1:20; Revelation 7:11-12
  4. Apocalyptic – Ezekiel 14:21; Revelation 6:1-8
  5. Apple of his eye – Deuteronomy 32:10; Zechariah 2:8
  6. Armageddon – Revelation 16:16 
  7. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust – Genesis 3:19
  8. At the 11th hour – Matthew 20:1-16
  9. At their wits’ end – Psalm 107:27
  10. Balm in Gilead – Jeremiah 8:22
  11. Baptism by fire – Matthew 3:11
  12. Better to give than to receive – Acts 20:35
  13. Bite the dust – Psalm 72:9
  14. Blind leading the blind – Matthew 15:14
  15. Brokenhearted – Psalm 34:18
  16. By the skin of your teeth – Job 19:20
  17. By the sweat of your brow – Genesis 3:19
  18. Cast the first stone – John 8:7
  19. Casting pearls before swine – Matthew 7:6
  20. Coat of many colors – Genesis 37:2
  21. Cross to bear – Luke 14:27
  22. Don’t lose heart – Luke 18:1
  23. Drop in the bucket – Isaiah 40:15
  24. Eat, drink, and be merry – Ecclesiastes 8:15; Luke 12:19; 1 Corinthians 15:32
  25. Eye for an eye – Matthew 5:38
  26. Face of the earth – Genesis 6:7; Exodus 32:12 and 33:16; Psalm 104:30
  27. Fall by the wayside – Matthew 13:4; Mark 4:4; Luke 8:5
  28. Fall from grace – Galatians 5:4
  29. Falling on one’s sword – 1 Samuel 31:5
  30. Feet of clay – Daniel 2:31-45
  31. Fight the good fight – 1 Timothy 6:12
  32. Fire and brimstone – Genesis 19:24-26
  33. Fly in the ointment – Ecclesiastes 10:1
  34. Forbidden fruit – Genesis 2-3
  35. Four corners of the earth – Isaiah 11:12
  36. Fruit of one’s loins – Genesis 35:11
  37. Get thee behind me, Satan – Luke 4:5-8
  38. Girding one’s loins – 2 Kings 4:29; 1 Peter 1:13
  39. Giving up the ghost – Luke 23:46; John 19:30; Acts 12:23
  40. Going the extra mile – Matthew 5:41
  41. Godspeed – 2 John 1:10-11
  42. Golden calf – Exodus 32:2-4
  43. Good Samaritan – Luke 10:30-33
  44. Head on a platter – Mark 6:25
  45. Hold your peace – Exodus  14:14; Leviticus 10:3
  46. Holier than thou – Isaiah 65:5
  47. House divided – Matthew 12:25
  48. How the mighty are fallen – 2 Samuel 1:19
  49. In the twinkling of an eye – 1 Corinthians 15:52
  50. Iron sharpens iron – Proverbs 27:17
  51. Jezebel – 1 Kings 16:31
  52. Jumping Jehoshaphat – 1 Kings 15:24; 2 Chronicles 20:30-32
  53. Keys to the kingdom – Matthew 16:19
  54. Kiss of death -- Matthew 26:48-50
  55. Labor of love – 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; Hebrews 6:10
  56. Land of milk and honey – Exodus 3:1-22
  57. Land of Nod – Genesis 4:16
  58. Law unto themselves – Romans 2:14
  59. Leopard cannot change its spots – Jeremiah 13:23
  60. Let not the sun go down on your anger – Ephesians 4:26
  61. Let there be light – Genesis 1:3
  62. Letter of the law – 2 Corinthians 3:6
  63. Like a lamb to the slaughter – Isaiah 53:7
  64. Little birdie told me – Ecclesiastes 10:20
  65. Lord willing – James 4:15
  66. Love of money is the root of all evil – 1 Timothy 6:10
  67. Love thy neighbor as thyself – Matthew 22:36-40; Romans 13:9
  68. Man after my own heart – 1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22
  69. Man does not live by bread alone – Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4
  70. Manna from Heaven – Exodus 16:15
  71. Many are called, but few are chosen – Matthew 22:14
  72. Move mountains – Matthew 17:30 and 21:21; Mark 11:23; 1 Corinthians 13:2
  73. Multitude of sins – James 5:20; 1 Peter 4:8
  74. My brother’s keeper – Genesis 4:9
  75. My cup runneth over – Psalm 23:5
  76. No rest for the wicked – Isaiah 57:21
  77. Nothing but skin and bones – Job 19:20
  78. Nothing new under the sun – Ecclesiastes 1:9
  79. O, ye of little faith – Luke 12:28
  80. Of biblical proportions – Exodus 7-11
  81. Old as Methuselah – Genesis 5:25-27
  82. Old as the hills – Job 15:7
  83. Out of the mouths of babes – Psalm 8:2; Matthew 21:16
  84. Patience of Job – James 5:11
  85. Peace offering – Exodus 24:5; Leviticus 3:6
  86. Philistine – Genesis 21:32; Judges 13:1
  87. Physician, heal thyself – Luke 4:23
  88. Powers that be – Romans 13:1
  89. Pride goes before a fall – Proverbs 16:18
  90. Put words in one’s mouth – 2 Samuel 14:3
  91. Put your house in order – 2 Kings 20:1; Isaiah 38:1
  92. Reap the whirlwind (inherit the wind) – Hosea 8:7
  93. Render to Caesar – Matthew 22:21
  94. Rise and shine – Isaiah 60:1
  95. Root of the matter – Job 19:28
  96. Salt of the earth – Matthew 5:13
  97. Scapegoat – Leviticus 16:8
  98. Seeing eye to eye – Isaiah 52:8
  99. Seek, and you shall find – Matthew 7:7
  100. Set one’s teeth on edge – Jeremiah 31:3
  101. Showers of blessing – Ezekiel 34:26
  102. Sign of the times – Matthew 16:3
  103. Sour grapes – Jeremiah 31:30
  104. Sowing and reaping – Galatians 6
  105. Spare the rod and spoil the child – Proverbs 13:24
  106. Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak – Matthew 26:41
  107. Straight and narrow – Matthew 7:13-14
  108. Stumbling block – Leviticus 19:14; 1 Corinthians 1:23
  109. Suffer fools gladly – 2 Corinthians 11:19
  110. Tender mercies – Psalm 25:6
  111. The devil made me do it – Genesis 3:11-13
  112. Thorn in the flesh – 2 Corinthians 12:7
  113. To everything there is a season – Ecclesiastes 3:1
  114. To the ends of the earth – Deuteronomy 33:7; Job 28:24; Zechariah 9:10; Acts 1:8
  115. Two-edged sword – Proverbs 5:4
  116. Voice crying in the wilderness – John 1:23
  117. Washing your hands of the matter – Matthew 27:24
  118. Weighed and found wanting – Daniel 5:5
  119. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder – Matthew 19:6
  120. White as snow – Daniel 7:9
  121. Wisdom of Solomon – Luke 11:31
  122. Woe is me – Psalm 12:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 4:35; Job 10:15
  123. Wolves in sheep’s clothing – Matthew 7:15
  124. Writing on the wall – Daniel 5:1-31
  125. Your sin will find you out – Numbers 32:23
Can you think of any other popular phrases that came from Scripture?

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