In the most recent YouTube video on the “Age of the Kingdom series” channel, I answer the question in the title of this post. In the video I talk about common sayings in the English language that come from the Old Testament. Here are examples:
“A fool and his money are soon parted” — Proverbs 21:20
“A little bird told me” — Ecclesiastes 10:20
“A man after his own heart” — 1 Samuel 13:14
“A soft answer turns away wrath” — Proverbs 15:1
“A still, small voice” — 1 Kings 19:1
“Am I my brother’s keeper?” — Genesis 4:9
“An eye for an eye” — Exodus 21:24
“Apple of my eye” — Deuteronomy 2:10, Zechariah 2:8, indicating something or someone cherished or loved dearly
“As old as the hills” — Job 15:7
“At my wit’s end” — Psalm 107:27
“A thorn in the flesh” — Judges 2:3 and Numbers 33:55, repeated in 2 Corinthians 12:7
“A time to every purpose under heaven” — Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Be fruitful and multiply” — Genesis 1:28
“Be sure your sin will find you out” — Numbers 32:23
“Beat swords into plowshares” — Isaiah 2:4
“Bite the dust” — Psalm 72:9
“By the skin of our teeth” Job 19:20, meaning to narrowly escape danger or trouble
“Can a leopard change his spots?” Jeremiah 13:23
“Cast the first stone” — Exodus 23:1 and John 8:7
“Drop in the bucket” — Isaiah 40:15m meaning a very small amount in comparison to a larger whole
“Dust of the earth” — Genesis 13:16
“Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” — Ecclesiastes 8:15, often used to encourage enjoyment of life’s pleasures
“Eye for an eye” — Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, Deuteronomy 19:21 Matthew 5:38
“Feet of clay” — Daniel 2:33
“For everything, there is a season” — Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Forbidden fruit” — based on Genesis 2:16-17
“From strength to strength” — Psalm 84:7
“Golden calf” — Exodus 32
“Hammer swords into plowshares” — Isaiah 2:4
“Handwriting on the wall” — Daniel 5:5
“How are the mighty fallen” — 2 Samuel 1:19-27
“Lamb to the slaughter” — Isaiah 53:7
“Land of milk and honey” — Exodus 3:8
“Let my people go” — Exodus 5:1
“Let there be light” — Genesis 1:3
“Love thy neighbor” — Leviticus 19:18
“Man shall not live by bread alone” — Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4
“My brother’s keeper” — Genesis 4:9
“My cup runneth over” — Psalm 23:5
“No peace for the wicked” — Isaiah 48:22, Isaiah 57:21
“No rest for the wicked” — Isaiah 48:22
“Nothing new under the sun” — Ecclesiastes 1:9
“One dead fly makes the perfumer’s ointment give off a rancid stench” — Ecclesiastes 10:1
“Out of the mouths of babes” — Psalm 8:2
“Peace offering — Deuteronomy 2:26
“Pride goes before a fall” — Proverbs 16:19, cautioning against arrogance leading to failure
“Put the words in her mouth” — 2 Samuel 14:3
“Put your house in order” — 2 Kings 20:1, Isaiah 38:1
“Rise up and shine” — Isaiah 60:1
“Scapegoat” — Leviticus 16:8
“See eye to eye” — Isaiah 52:8
“Soft answer turns away wrath” — Proverbs 15:1
“Sow the wind; reap the whirlwind” — Hosea 8:7
“Spare the rod, spoil the child” — Proverbs 13:243
“Stood by the stuff” (a reference to troops that guarded supplies) — 1 Samuel 25:13, 30:24)
“Sweat of your brow” — Genesis 3:19
“The ends of the earth” — Isaiah 45:2, Acts 1:8
“The root of the trouble” — Job 19:28
“The writing is on the wall” — Daniel 5, referring to a premonition or a sign of imminent danger or failure
“To everything, there is a season” Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Two are better than one” — Ecclesiastes 4:9
“Vanity of vanities” – Ecclesiastes 1:2
“Weighed in the balances and found wanting” — Daniel 5:5
“Where there is a will, there is a way” — Proverbs 16:9
“Where there is no vision, the people perish” — Proverbs 29:18
“White as snow” — Isaiah 1:18
“Woe is me” — Isaiah 6:5
But that’s just the Old Testament. There are many common expressions that have roots in the New Testament as well.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand” — Matthew 12:25, Luke 11:17
“A law unto themselves” — Romans 2:14
“At the eleventh hour” — from older English translations of Matthew 20:6
“A voice crying in the wilderness” — John 1:23
“All things to all men” — 1 Corinthians 9:22
“All things work together for good” — Romans 8:28
“Blind leading the blind” Matthew 15:14, Luke 6:39
“Do not be unequally yoked.” — 2 Corinthians 6:14
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The “golden rule” refers to the same verse. — Matthew 7:12
“Don’t cast your pearls before swine” — Matthew 7:6
“Don’t let the sun go down on your anger” — Ephesians 4:26
“Doubting Thomas” — based John 20:24-29
“A prophet is not without honor except in his own town” — Matthew 13:57
“Everything is possible for one who believes” — Mark 9:23
“Fall from grace” — Galatians 5:4
“False prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing” — Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22
“Fell on rocky ground” — Matthew 13:5
“Fight the good fight” — 1 Timothy 6:12
“Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s” — Matthew22:21
“Go the extra mile” — Matthew 5:41
“Good Samaritan” — Luke 10:25-37
“He gave up the ghost” — older transwlations of Luke 23:46
“He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone” — John 8:7
“Labor of love” — 1 Thessalonians 1:3
“Lay up treasures in Heaven” — Matthew 6:20
“Let not your heart be troubled” — John 14:1
“Let the dead bury the dead” – Matthew 8:22
“Letter of the law” — 2 Corinthians 3:6
“Love covers a multitude of sins” — 1 Peter 4:8
“Many are called, but few are chosen” — Matthew 22:14
“More blessed to give than to receive” — Acts 20:35
“No man can serve two masters” — Matthew 6:24
“Powers that be” — Romans 13:1
“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning” — based on Matthew 16:2
“Salt of the earth” — Matthew 5:13, referring to people who are considered good, dependable, and honest.
“Signs of the times” — Matthew 16:3
“Suffer fools gladly” — 2 Corinthians 11:19
“The blind leading the blind” — Matthew 15:14
“The bread of life” — John 6:35
“The love of money is the root of all evil” (frequently misquoted as “money is the root of all evil”) — 1 Timothy 6:10
“The meek shall inherit the earth” — Matthew 5:5
“The patience of Job” — James 5:1
“The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” — Matthew 26:41
“The straight and narrow” — Matthew 7:14
“The truth shall make you free” — John 8:32 (engraved on the wall of the original CIA headquarters building in Washington, DC)
“Thorn in the flesh” — 2 Corinthians 12:7
“Turn the other cheek” — Matthew 5:39, advising patience and non-retaliation when faced with insult or injury.
“Twinkling of an eye” — 1 Corinthians 15:52
“Wages of sin” — Romans 6:23
“Wars and rumors of wars” — Matthew 24:26, Mark 13:7
“What God has joined together, let no one separate” — Mark 10:9
“What is truth?” — John 18:38
“Wolf in sheep’s clothing” — Matthew 7:15
“You reap what you sow” — Galatians 6:7
“You will know them by their fruits” — Matthew 7:20
