25 COMMON PHRASES THAT ARE FROM THE BIBLE

The Bible’s influence on everyday language and our society has endured for thousands of years. Biblical language has transcending generations, civilizations and cultures across the world. Below are 25 common phrases we use everyday that are originally found in the Bible.

Let there be light
"And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light." - Genesis 1:3

Spare the rod, spoil the child
"Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them." - Proverbs 13:24

​Forbidden fruit
"And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die." - Genesis 2:16-17

Drop in a bucket
"Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust." - Isaiah 40:15

By the sweat of your brow
"By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." - Genesis 3:19

A man after my own heart
"After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do." - Acts 13:22

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
"By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." - Genesis 3:19

Am I my brother’s keeper?
"Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Where is your brother Abel?' 'I don't know,' he replied. 'Am I my brother's keeper?'" - Genesis 4:9

Philistine
"After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines." - Genesis 21:32

Land of milk and honey
"So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites." - Exodus 3:8

An eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth
"But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise." - Exodus 21:23-25

Golden calf
"Aaron answered them, 'Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.' So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, 'These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'" - Exodus 32:2-4

 Scapegoat 
"But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat." - Leviticus 16:10

As old as Methuselah
"When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died." - Genesis 5:25-27

Fire and brimstone
"Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;" - Genesis 19:24

Man does not live on bread alone
"Jesus answered, 'It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.''" - Matthew 4:4

Apple of my eye
"In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye," - Deuteronomy 32:10

How the mighty have fallen
"How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights." - 2 Samuel 1:25

Put words in one’s mouth
"Then go to the king and speak these words to him." And Joab put the words in her mouth." - 2 Samuel 14:3

Be a man
"I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage and be a man." - 1 Kings 2:2

Jezebel
"And as though it were not enough to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal." - 1 Kings 16:31

Put your house in order
"In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." - 2 Kings 20:1 

Nothing but skin and bones
"I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth." - Job 19:20

The root of the matter
"But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?" - Job 19:28

Wits’ end
"They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits' end." - Psalm 107:27