The Bible has influenced and transformed many lives, leaving a mark forever on the lives of millions. The cultural influence of the Bible impacted even the English language, specifically with the King James Bible.
The King James Bible has a special history because it was a common English version that was popular for many centuries, spanning from when it was first printed in 1611 to still being used extensively up through the 21st Century.
The following common English phrases find their origins in Scripture, namely from the King James Bible which is God’s preserved Word for the English speaking people of the world. | Bible Versions
Bringing down the House is from Judges 16:30. “And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.”
Bite the Dust from Psalms 72:9, “They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.”
The Blind Leading the Blind Matthew 15:13-14, “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”
By the Skin of Your Teeth from Job 19:20. “My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.”
Broken Heart from Psalms 34:18, ”The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
Can a Leopard Change his spots? from Jeremiah 13:23, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”
Cast the First Stone from John 8:7, “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”
Drop in a Bucket from Isaiah 40:15 declaring God’s sovereignty and power over the nations, “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.”
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry from Ecclesiastes 8:15, “because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.”
Eye for Eye, Tooth for tooth from Matthew 5:38, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”
Fall From Grace from Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
Fly in the Ointment from Ecclesiastes 10:1, “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.”
For Everything there is a Season from Ecclesiastes 3. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Forbidden Fruit from Genesis 3:3 when Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan’s version of what God said in 2:17: “But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”
Go the extra mile from Matthew 5:41 that says, “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.”
Good Samaritan from Luke 10:30-37, the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword from Matthew 26:52, “Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”
How the Mighty have Fallen from 1 Samuel 1:19, “The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!”
Let there Be Light from Genesis 1’s creation account. “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1:3
The Love of Money is the Root of All Evil from 1 Timothy 6:10 and is actually usually misquoted. “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” 1 Timothy 6:10
Nothing but skin and bones from Job 19:19-20, “All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me. 20 My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.”
The Powers that Be from Romans 13:11, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”
Pride comes before a fall from Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
Put words in one’s mouth from 2 Samuel 14:3, “And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.”
Rise and shine is from Isaiah 60:1, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.”
The Root of the Matter from Job 19:28, “But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the Root of the matter is found in me?”
Scapegoat from the Old Testament Law (Leviticus 16:9-10 specifically) where a goat is chosen by lot to be sent into the desert to make atonement for sin. “And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.” Leviticus 16:9-10
See eye to eye from Isaiah 52:8, “Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.”
Sign of the times from Matthew 16:3, “And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”
Strait and Narrow from Matthew 7:14, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
Twinkling of an Eye from 1 Corinthians 15:52, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
There’s nothing new under the sun from the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”
Wash your hands of the matter from Matthew 27:24, “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.”
Weighed in the balance from Job 31:6, “Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.”
What God has joined together let no man put asunder from Matthew 19:6 “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
Wit’s End from Psalm 107:27, “They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.”
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing from Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
Writings on the Wall from Daniel 5 where a heavenly hand wrote on the wall, signifying that judgment was at hand – something bad is about to happen: “In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.” Daniel 5:5
One believer notes: “This verse describes a rather funny scene where the king’s ‘loins were loosed’, which suggests he was losing control of his bodily functions, and ‘his knees smote one against another’ which is to say his knees were knocking.”
