It’s amazing how all this time you could be viewing your favorite musician as the cleverest lyricist in the world, when in fact, some of his or her deep words have already appeared in religious texts like the Bible. In this article, you will encounter phrases and sayings that have appeared in the Bible that still have a place in the English language.
“by the skin of your teeth”
When you barely or narrowly achieve something , whether it’s passing an exam or catch the bus, you may hear the saying “by the skin of your teeth.” Oftentimes, the phrase is used to describe a narrow escape from a disaster as well. In the Bible (Job 19:20), you will find “I haue escaped with the skinne of my tethe.”
“cast the first stone”
In the Bible, the phrase “cast the first stone,” means to be one of the first to attack a sinner. It was implied that Jesus taught that the members of the congregation were only in a position to condemn a sinner if they were without sin themselves. Another associated quote is ‘judge not lest you be judged’. The phrase comes from the Bible in John 8:7.
“for every thing, there is a season”
Fans of Pete Seeger should be familiar with the saying “for every thing, there is a season.” His song ‘Turn!, Turn!, Turn!’ uses the words in the lyrics. It means that there is a proper time for everything to take place. Yet, Seeger did not invent the phrase. The words come from the Bible in Ecclesiastes III and presented in the following manner:
“3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3:3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
3:5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
3:6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
3:7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
3:8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
“fall from grace”
If you were once at the height of your profession or well-liked in the community, a fall from your position or respected level is often referred to as a “fall from grace.” In the King James Version of the Bible (Galatians 5:4), it is mentioned: “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
“fight the good fight”
When you “fight the good fight,” it means that you have answered an evangelical call to stay true to your belief in Christianity, as well as spread the word. Commonly used in the United Kingdom and the United States during the 19th century, the saying is found in the King James Version of the Bible under Timothy 6:12: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”