A: When I first started to study this, I didn’t really realize just how many common quotes and phrases have come from the Bible. There are literally hundreds of them. Many are direct quotes (or very close), while others are based on Biblical concepts or stories. While I cannot list every one, let’s look at some of the more common ones. First, I will list the quotes, then the concepts, beginning in the Old Testament. (Quotes are from several different versions)

“by the sweat of your face (brow)” (Gen 3:19)
“am I my brother’s keeper” (Gen 4:9)
“a stranger in a strange land” (Ex 2:22)
“(a) scapegoat” (Lev 16:8,10,26)
“man does not live by bread alone” (Deut 8:3)
“the apple of his eye” (Deut 32:10)(Zech 2:8)
“I will pin David (him) to the wall” (1 Sam 18:11)
“set (put) your house in order” (2 Kin 20:1)
“a good old age” (1 Chr 29:28)
“nothing but skin and bones” (Job 19:20)
“by the skin of my teeth” (Job 19:20)
“out of the mouth of babes” (Ps 8:2)
“my cup runneth over” (Ps 23:5)
“broken heart” (Ps 34:18)
“at their (my) wits end” (Ps 107:27)
“pride goes before destruction (a fall)” (Prov 16:18)
“there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl 1:9)
“a drop in a (the) bucket” (Isa 40:15)
“arise (rise), (and) shine” (Isa 60:1)
“holier than thou” (Isa 65:5)
“Can the (a) leopard change its spots” (Jer 13:23)
“teeth..set on edge” (Jer 31:30)
“sour grapes” (Ezek 18:2)
“knees knocking together” (Dan 5:6)
“the salt of the earth” (Mt 5:13)
“an eye for an eye” (Mt 5:38)(Ex 21:24)
“O ye of little faith” (Mt 6:30)(Mt 8:26)
“Neither (do not) cast your pearls before swine” (Mt 7:6)
“seek and ye shall find” (Mt 7:7)
“do to (unto) others” (Mt 7:12)(Lk 6:31)
“a house divided against itself shall not (cannot) stand” (Mt 12:25)
“the blind lead (leading) the blind” (Mt 15:14)
“the signs of the times” (Mt 16:3)
“flesh and blood” (Mt 16:17)(Gal 1:16)
“many are called but few are chosen” (Mt 22:14)
“the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mt 26:41)(Mk 14:38)
“head on a platter” (Mk 6:25,28) (John The Baptist’s head was put on a platter)
“physician, heal thyself” (Lk 4:23)
“eat, drink, and be merry” (Lk 12:19)(Ecc 8:15)
“first cast a (cast the first) stone” (Jn 8:7)
“the truth shall make (set) you free” (Jn 8:32)
“turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6)
“it is more blessed (better) to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35)
“God forbid” (Rom 3:4)
“the powers that be” (Rom 13:2)
“the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor 15:52)
“(a) labor of love” (1 Th 1:3)
“the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Tim 6:10)
“fight the good fight” (1 Tim 6:12)

Here are the concepts and loose quotes.

“forbidden fruit” (based on Gen 2:15-17, Gen 3:1-7)
“as old as Methuselah” (based on Gen 5:27: Methuselah lived longer than anyone)
“ashes to ashes” (Gen 18:27)(Job 30:19)
“you don’t know the half of it” (based on 1 Kin 10:7)
“as old as the hills” (based on Job 15:7)
“tearing my hair out” (based on Ezra 9:3)
“a time and a place for everything” (based on Ecc 3:1)
“a fly in the ointment” (based on Eccl 10:1)
“feet of clay” (based on Dan 2:31-43)
“the writing is on the wall” (based on Dan 5)
“thrown into the lion’s den” (based on Dan 6)
“separate the wheat from the chaff” (based on Mt 3:12)
“turn the other cheek” (based on Mt 5:39)
“going the extra mile” (based on Mt 5:41)
“straight and narrow” (based on Mt 7:14)
“a wolf is sheep’s clothing” (based on Mt 7:15)
“faith to move mountains” (based on Mt 17:20, Mt 21:21, Mk 11:23)
“to take you under my wing” (based on Mt 23:37, Lk 13:34)
“I wash my hands of this” (based on Mt 27:24)
“the good Samaritan” (based on Lk 10:30-37)
“a doubting Thomas” (based on Jn 20:24-29)
“a thorn in my side” (based on 2 Cor 12:7)
“fallen from grace” (based on Gal 5:4)
“reap what you sow” (based on Gal 6:7)

     Don’t these reinforce in your mind just how influential a book the Bible has been over time? I know this is the case for me.

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