How many times have you heard the phrase of someone being on the “straight and narrow” path? A reference to this saying can actually be found in the Bible. In this article, you will encounter a variety of phrases and sayings that you probably never knew had a link to a religious text.
“straight and narrow”
The person has embraced actions that abide by the law or follow conventional expectations. A version of the reference can be found in Matthew 7:13/14 in the King James Version of the Bible: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
“the ends of the world”
When you’ve traveled to the furthest place where you are on land, this location is often referred to as “the ends of the world.” The phrase is also used to describe a long journey or the destination that takes a great amount of travel. In the King James Version of the Bible, the ‘world’ is replaced by ‘the earth.’ In Zechariah 9:10, you will find: “And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.”
“fruit of your loins”
It is not uncommon to hear someone refer to their children as the “fruit of their loins.” In the King James Version of the Bible, the phrase appears in Genesis 35:11: “And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.”
“the powers that be”
When a government or authority figure has been established, they are sometimes referred to as “the powers that be.” The phrase is seen in Romans 13 in a print version of Tyndale’s Bible that was published in 1526. It reads:
“13:1 1 Let every soule submit him selfe vnto the auctorite of ye hyer powers. For there is no power but of God.
13:2 The powers that be are ordeyned of God. Whosoever therfore resysteth power resisteth the ordinaunce of God. And they that resist shall receave to the selfe damnacio.”
“the root of the matter”
When it comes down to getting to the important or inner part of something, it is often called “the root of the matter.” In the King James Version of the Bible, the phrase appears in Job 19:28: “But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the Root of the matter is found in me?”