Many of our common idioms are found in part or whole in the Bible. There are a number of them from the Old Testament. Eat, drink and be merry
The original line from Ecclesiastes 8: 15 is: “a man has no better thing under the sun that to eat and to drink and be merry.”
Escaped by the skin of your teeth
This saying comes from the Book of Job, 19: 20.
Holier than thou
In Isaiah 65:5 in the Old Testament, the prophet admonishes people who declare “stand by thyself, come not near me, for I am holier than thou.”
Lamb to the slaughter
The original line from the Old Testament (Isaiah 53: 7) reads: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter. Later, this referred to Jesus.
No rest for the wicked
In the Old Testament, the prophet said: “There is no peace saith my lord to the wicked.” (Isaiah 57:21).
Set your teeth on edge
The line from Jeremiah 31:30 is: Every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.
Feet of clay
This phrase about the weakness of a hero is from an incident in the Old Testament, Daniel 2:27-44. King Nebuchadnezzar dreamt of a statue, with different parts of the body made of different metals: gold, silver, bronze and iron, but the feet were made of clay and iron. So when a rock hit the feet, the statue was broken. The dream was interpreted by the prophet Daniel as an indication of the empires that would be destroyed.
A ritual is described in Leviticus 16: 7-10 of the Old Testament. A goat was sacrificed, while a second one was used for another purpose. The High Priest laid hands on it and confessed the people’s sins. It was then driven out into the wilderness, as a scapegoat for men’s sins.
Some Idioms have come from some of the sayings of Jesus, and other sources in the New Testament.
Apple of my eye
In Psalm 17:8, the prayer asks God to keep the faithful “as the apple of your eye.
Doubting Thomas
This appears in the Gospel of John 20: 24-27. Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, but Thomas, one of the disciples, was not there. He would not believe the incident until he saw the marks on Jesus’ body. Consequently, Jesus appeared to him and told Thomas to stop doubting.
Go the extra mile
According to the ancient Roman law, a Roman soldier could force anyone to carry his equipment for one mile. Jesus said to his followers: “If somebody forces you to go one mile, go two miles with him.” (Mathew 5:41).
Hiding your light under a bushel
A bushel was a container used for measuring grain. Jesus said: “Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick.” (Mathew 15: 15).
Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, did not want to be involved in the death of Jesus, an innocent person. He washed his hands before everyone, as a sign of disassociating himself from the decision.
Wheat from the chaff
In ancient times, a winnowing fork was used to hurl the grain into the air. This separated the light, inedible part called the chaff from the edible, heavier part or wheat. John the Baptist said that on the day of Judgement, God would separate the good from the bad, or the wheat from the chaff. (Matthew 3: 12).
The straight and narrow
This is a deviation from the original in the King James Bible, Matthew 7:14 of 1611. The line is: Strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth to life. Strait” is the old English word for “tight” or “narrow.” When it became obsolete, “straight” was used.
The significance of the words in the Bible remain unchanged in the idioms of today.
