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Many of our everyday phrases originated from the Bible.

Here is a fun list to share with your family and friends over the holiday season.

Listed is the phrase and the scripture verse where it originated.  Some are direct quotes while others have evolved over time.

• a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter (a little birdie told me) – Ecclesiastes 10:20
• a good old age – Genesis 15:15
• aha – Psalm 35:21; Ezekiel 36:2
• a house divided against itself shall not stand – Matthew 12:25
• a law unto themselves – Romans 2:14
• all flesh had corrupted His way (the way of all flesh) – Genesis 6:12
• all men are liars – Psalm 116:11
• all that your heart desires – 2 Samuel 3:21
• all the rivers flow into the sea – Ecclesiastes 1:7
• all things to all men – 1 Corinthians 9:22
• a man after his own heart – 1 Samuel 13:14
• a man after mine own heart – Acts 13:22
• Amen – Number 5:22; Matthew 6:13
• am I my brother’s keeper – Genesis 4:9
• a moment of time – Luke 4:5
• an evil eye – Mark 7:22
• a peace offering – Exodus 24:5
• a person is known by the company he keeps – Job 34:8
• apple of his eye – Zechariah 2:8; Psalm 17:8
• arise, shine (rise and shine) – Isaiah 60:1
• Armageddon – Revelation 16:16
• as a lamb to the slaughter – Isaiah 53:7
• as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord – Joshua 24:15
• as is the mother, so is her daughter – Ezekiel 16:44
• ask for his head on a platter – Mark 6:25
• a soft answer turneth away wrath – Proverbs 15:1
• a still small voice – 1 Kings 19:12
• as old as Methuselah – Genesis 5:27
• as old as the hills – Job 15:7
• as white as snow – Isaiah 1:18; Revelation 1:14
• as you sow, so shall you reap (you reap what you sow) – Galatians 6:7
• a time for everything – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
• at their wit’s end – Psalm 107:27
• baptism with fire – Matthew 3:11
• bear fruit – 2 Kings 19:30; Ezekiel 17:23; John 15:4
• bear his cross (cross to bear) – Luke 14:27
• beat swords into plowshares – Isaiah 2:4
• be fruitful and multiply – Genesis 1:22
• behemoth – Job 40:15
• be still and know that I am God – Psalm 46:10
• be sure your sin will find you out – Number 32:23
• blessed are the peacemakers – Matthew 5:9
• blind leading the blind – Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39
• book of remembrance – Malachi 3:16
• born again – John 3:3
• bread of life – John 6:35
• breadth and length and height and depth – Ephesians 3:18
• breath of life – Genesis 2:7
• broken heart – Psalm 34:18
• burden and heat of the day – Matthew 20:12
• busybodies – 2 Thessalonians 3:11; 1 Timothy 5:13
• by grace ye are saved (saving grace) – Ephesians 2:5
• by the rivers of Babylon – Psalm 137:1
• can the leopard change his spots – Jeremiah 13:23
• cast pearls before swine – Matthew 7:6
• cast the first stone – John 8:7
• cast thy bread upon the waters – Ecclesiastes 11:1
• chariots of fire – 2 Kings 6:17
• children of light – Luke 16:8; John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8
• clear as crystal (crystal clear) – Revelation 21:11; Revelation 22:1
• clear shining after rain – 2 Samuel 23:4
• cloud of witnesses – Hebrews 12:1
• coat of many colours – Genesis 37:23
• cover a multitude of sins – James 5:20; 1 Peter 4:8
• crown of life – James 1:12; Revelation 2:10
• decently and in order – 1 Corinthians 14:40
• den of thieves – Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17
• don’t take it to heart – 2 Samuel 13:20
• do your own business (mind your own business) – 1 Thessalonians 4:11
• drop in the bucket – Isaiah 40:15
• dust and ashes – Genesis 18:27
• dust to dust (ashes to ashes) – Genesis 3:19
• eat, drink and be merry – Ecclesiastes 8:15
• entertained angels unawares – Hebrews 13:2
• escape for thy life (run for your life) – Genesis 19:17
• excruciate – origins: ‘ex’ – the cross, the base; ‘cruciate’ – to crucify, torture – John 19:18
• eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth – Matthew 5:38
• eyes are blind – John 12:40
• faith can move mountains – Matthew 21:21
• faithful unto death – Revelation 2:10
• fainthearted – Isaiah 7:4; Jeremiah 49:23
• fall by the way side – Luke 8:5
• fallen from grace (fall from grace) – Galatians 5:4
• far be it from me – Genesis 44:17; 1 Samuel 2:30
• far from it – 1 Samuel 14:45
• fashion of this world – 1 Corinthians 7:31
• fate worse than death – Jeremiah 22:10-12
• fat of the land – Genesis 45:18
• fear no evil – Psalm 23:4
• feet of clay – Daniel 2:33
• fell on his sword – 1 Samuel 31:5
• fight the good fight – 1 Timothy 6:12
• filthy lucre – 1 Timothy 3:3
• fire and brimstone – Revelation 21:8
• flesh and blood – Matthew 16:17
• flesh pot – Exodus 16:3
• fly in the ointment – Ecclesiastes 10:1
• forbidden fruit – Genesis 3:3
• forever and ever – Psalm 10:16
• forgive them; for they know not what they do – Luke 23:34
• fountain gate – Nehemiah 12:37
• fountain of life – Psalm 36:9
• fountain of living waters – Jeremiah 2:13
• four corners of the earth – Isaiah 11:12
• four winds of heaven – Daniel 8:8; Daniel 11:4
• fret not thyself (don’t fret – don’t worry) – Psalm 37:1
• from strength to strength – Psalm 84:7
• garden of Eden – Genesis 2:15
• gave up the ghost – Acts 5:5; Acts 12:23; Genesis 25:8
• generation of vipers (nest of vipers) – Matthew 23:33
• get thee behind me Satan – Matthew 16:23
• gird up your loins – 1 Kings 18:46
• God forbid – Genesis 44:7; Romans 3:4
• God knoweth (God knows) – 2 Corinthians 12:2; Job 23:10; Psalm 69:5
• God save the king – 1 Samuel 10:24
• God speed – 2 John 1:11
• God will (God willing) – Acts 18:21; 1 Corinthians 4:19
• good news – Proverbs 25:25
• good Samaritan – Luke 10:33
• go the extra mile – Matthew 5:41
• grapes of wrath – Revelation 14:18-19
• graven image – Deuteronomy 5:8
• greater light – Genesis 1:16
• harden his heart – Exodus 4:21; John 12:40
• hair of my flesh stood up (make your hair stand on end) – Job 4:15
• have you in my heart – Philippians 1:7
• heart and soul – 1 Samuel 14:7
• heart of a lion – 2 Samuel 17:10
• heart’s desire – Psalm 21:2
• heavens above – Jeremiah 4:28
• heavy heart – Proverbs 25:20
• hell is let loose – Revelation 9:1-2
• he that is without sin, cast the first stone – John 8:7
• he that lives by the sword, dies by the sword – Matthew 26:52
• hewers of wood and drawers of water – Joshua 9:21
• highways and hedges – Luke 14:23
• hip and thigh – Judges 15:8
• his teeth shall be set on edge (set your teeth on edge) – Jeremiah 31:30
• hold your peace – Exodus 14:14
• holier than thou – Isaiah 65:5
• hot bread – 1 Samuel 21:6
• how the mighty have fallen – 2 Samuel 1:19
• how my heart yearns within me – Job 19:27
• howling wilderness – Deuteronomy 32:10
• I am what I am – 1 Corinthians 15:10
• I have played the fool (playing the fool) – 1 Samuel 26:21
• in the beginning was the Word – John 1:1
• in the mire – Jeremiah 38:6; Zechariah 10:5
• in the twinkling of an eye – 1 Corinthians 15:52
• In whose hand are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountains are His also.  The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and His hands formed the dry land. (He’s got the whole world in His hands) – Psalm 94:4-5
• iron sharpens iron – Proverbs 27:17
• it is more blessed to give than to receive – Acts 20:35
• joy cometh in the morning – Psalm 30:5
• judge not according to the appearance (don’t judge by appearances) – John 7:24
• keep the faith – 2 Timothy 4:7; Ephesians 6:16; 1 Corinthians 16:13
• kick against the pricks – Acts 9:5; Acts 26:14
• labourer is worthy of his hire – Luke 10:7
• labour of love – 1 Thessalonians 1:3
• laid down their own necks (risk your neck) – Romans 16:4
• land flowing with milk and honey – Exodus 33:3; Deuteronomy 26:9
• land of Nod – Genesis 4:16
• left-handed – Judges 3:15
• lesser light – Genesis 1:16
• let not the sun go down upon your wrath – Ephesians 4:26
• letter of the law – 2 Corinthians 3:6
• let there be light – Genesis 1:3
• let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die – Isaiah 22:13; 1 Corinthians 15:32
• lick the dust (bite the dust) – Psalm 72:9
• lilies of the field – Matthew 6:28
• little foxes that spoil the vines – Song of Solomon 2:15
• lost sheep – Matthew 10:6
• love thy neighbour as thyself – Mark 12:31
• lukewarm – Revelation 3:16
• manna from heaven – Exodus 16:15
• man shall not live by bread alone – Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4
• mantle of Elijah – 2 Kings 2:8
• many are called, but few are chosen – Matthew 22:14
• may it never be – Luke 20:16
• men of the world – Psalm 17:14
• millstone hanged about his neck – Matthew 18:6; Luke 17:2
• miserable comforters are ye all – Job 16:2
• more than heart could wish – Psalm 73:7
• morning star – Revelation 22:16
• my cup runneth over – Psalm 23:5
• my God – Psalm 22:1
• my rock – Psalm 18:2; Psalm 28:1
• no new thing under the sun (there’s nothing new under the sun) – Ecclesiastes 1:9
• no peace to the wicked (no rest for the wicked) – Isaiah 57:21
• nothing but skin and bones – Job 19:20
• not to faint (not to lose heart) – Luke 18:1
• old wives’ fables (old wives’ tales) – 1 Timothy 4:7
• O my God – Psalm 22:2
• our daily bread – Matthew 6:11; Luke 11:3
• out of the mouth of babes and sucklings – Psalm 8:2
• O ye of little faith – Luke 12:28
• patience of Job – James 5:11
• peace and quiet – 1 Chronicles 22:9
• pearl of great price – Matthew 13:46
• pearly gates – Revelation 21:21
• physician, heal thyself – Luke 4:23
• pillars of the earth – 1 Samuel 2:8
• poor and needy – Psalm 70:5
• precept upon precept; line upon line – Isaiah 28:10
• prepare to meet thy God – Amos 4:12
• price of blood (blood money) – Matthew 27:6
• pride goeth before destruction (pride goes before the fall) – Proverbs 16:18
• pride of life – 1 John 2:16
• prisoners of hope – Zechariah 9:12
• put words in one’s mouth – 2 Samuel 14:3
• raise me up – Psalm 41:10
• reap the whirlwind – Hosea 8:7
• red sky at night sailor’s delight; red sky at morning sailor’s warning – Matthew 16:2-3
• rejoicing in hope … in prayer (hope and pray) – Romans 12:12
• righteous over much – Ecclesiastes 7:16
• right hand – 1 Chronicles 12:2
• safe and sound – Luke 15:27
• salt of the earth – Matthew 5:13
• scapegoat – Leviticus 16:8
• see eye to eye – Isaiah 52:8
• seek and ye shall find – Matthew 7:7
• see the light – Luke 11:33
• see through a glass darkly – 1 Corinthians 13:12
• set thine house in order (put your house in order) – 2 Kings 20:1
• showers of blessing – Ezekiel 34:26
• signs of the times – Matthew 16:3
• skin of my teeth – Job 19:2
• sour grapes – Ezekiel 18:2
• spareth his rod hateth his son (spare the rod, spoil the child) – Proverbs 13:24
• spy out the land – Numbers 13:17; Judges 18:2
• stand in awe – Psalm 4:4; 33:8
• storm and tempest – Psalm 55:8; Isaiah 29:6
• strait is the gate, and narrow is the way (strait and narrow) – Matthew 7:14
• streets paved with gold – Revelation 21:21
• strong as an ox – Psalm 92:10
• stumbling block – 1 Corinthians 1:23
• suffer fools gladly – 2 Corinthians 11:19
• sufficient unto the day – Matthew 6:34
• sweat of thy face (sweat of your brow) – Genesis 3:19
• sweeter than honey – Psalm 119:103
• take it to heart – 2 Samuel 19:19
• take root – 2 Kings 19:30; Isaiah 27:6
• tell it not in Gath – 2 Samuel 1:20
• tender hearted – Ephesians 4:32
• tender mercies – Psalm 25:6
• thank God – Romans 7:25; 1 Corinthians 1:14
• thanksgiving – Leviticus 7:12; Nehemiah 11:17
• the day is at hand – Romans 13:12
• the eleventh hour – Matthew 20:6
• the end as a bitter day (bitter end) – Amos 8:10
• the end is not yet – Matthew 24:6
• the ends of the earth – Deuteronomy 33:17; Job 28:24; Zechariah 9:10
• the face of the earth – Genesis 6:7; Psalm 104:30
• the half was not told me – 1 Kings 10:7
• their hearts as an adamant stone (heart of stone) – Zechariah 7:12
• the land of the living – Job 28:13; Psalm 27:13
• the Lord be with you – 1 Chronicles 22:11
• the love of money is the root of all evil – 1 Timothy 6:10
• the power and the glory – Matthew 6:13
• the powers that be – Romans 13:1
• there is a river – Psalm 46:4
• the root of the matter – Job 19:28
• these things must come to pass – Matthew 24:6
• the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak – Matthew 26:41
• the sun rises and the sun sets (sun rise, sun set) – Ecclesiastes 1:5
• the ten commandments – Exodus 34:28
• the Truth shall make you free – John 8:32
• the voice of one crying in the wilderness – John 1:23
• the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest (no rest for the wicked) – Isaiah 57:20
• the wisdom of Solomon – Luke 11:31
• thorn in the flesh – 2 Corinthians 12:7
• thou art the man (you da man) – 2 Samuel 12:7
• thou shalt not kill – Exodus 20:13
• threescore years and ten – Psalm 90:10
• till your dying day – Isaiah 22:14
• to every thing there is a season – Ecclesiastes 3:1
• took these words to heart – 1 Samuel 21:12
• tower of ivory (ivory tower) – Song of Solomon 7:4
• two-edged sword – Proverbs 5:4
• valley of decision – Joel 3:14
• wages of sin is death – Romans 6:23
• wallowing in the mire – 2 Peter 2:22
• washed his hands (washed your hands of the matter) – Matthew 27:24
• weak as water – Ezekiel 7:17
• we are the people – Psalm 95:7
• we come into the world with nothing and we leave with nothing – 1 Timothy 6:7
• weighed in an even balance (weighed in the balance) – Job 31:6
• what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder – Matthew 19:6
• wheels within wheels – Ezekiel 1:16
• whited sepulchres – Matthew 23:27
• wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction – Matthew 7:13
• widow’s mite – Mark 12:42
• wife of thy bosom – Deuteronomy 13:6
• wings like a dove (wings of a dove) – Psalm 55:6
• wings of the morning – Psalm 139:9
• with all your heart and with all your soul – Deuteronomy 13:3
• woe is me – Isaiah 6:5
• wolves in sheep’s clothing – Matthew 7:15
• writing on the wall – Daniel 5:5
• you don’t work, you don’t eat – 2 Thessalonians 3:10
• you know in your heart – 1 Kings 2:44
• you reap what you sow – Galatians 6:7