Biblical Connections to Familiar Phrases and Sayings VI
From the darndest things that kids say to commentary on money, some of the passages of the Bible are alive through the sayings and phrases still used in the English language. In this article, you will learn a few phrases that have appeared in the King James Version of the Bible, as well as an Old English translation of a popular phrase.
“flesh and blood”
It is commonplace to refer to one of your family members as your “flesh and blood”, but it is also sometimes used to refer to all mankind. One of the earliest accounts of the phrase is found in the Old English translation of the Bible under Matthew: “Hit ye ne onwreah flaesc ne blod.” In the King James Version of the Bible, you will find the saying, which states, “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
“out of the mouths of babes”
In the Bible, the phrase appears as “out of the mouths of babes and sucklings,” but a shortened version is used today to acknowledge when a child says something quite intelligent or wise. There are two places in the King James Version of the Bible that you will find this phrase used:
Psalms 8:2: “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.”
Matthew 21:16: “And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? “
“in the twinkling of an eye”
The phrase “in the twinkling of an eye,” which means that something occurs in an instant has been used by a variety of authors, including Robert Manning and William Shakespeare. Manning used the phrase in 1303 when he wrote Handlyng synne, as it was stated: “Yn twynkelyng of an ye.” Shakespeare wrote in The Merchant of Venice (1596): “I’ll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye.” In the Bible, the phrase appears in the King James Version of 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.”
“the love of money is the root of all evil”
The literal meaning of the phrase, “the love of money is the root of all evil” has been twisted into different versions of the quote. Usually, the phrase is misquoted as “money is the root of all evil.” In the King James Version of the Bible (Timothy 6:10), you will find: “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”