Biblical Expressions

When I was younger, my father used to make a point of holding the door for my aunt, and saying, "Age before beauty." Her response was always the same, she would smile sweetly, and say, "Pearls before swine." I don't remember when I realized that my aunt was quoting Jesus (sort of).

There are a lot of other expressions that are used in the Bible, some of them originated in the Bible. Judas was left holding the bag, but that expression doesn't seem to have had the implication of guilt that it does now. Paul (or Saul at the time) was knocked off his high horse, although, in all fairness, the Bible doesn't say that he was riding a horse, but the expression fits: Here is a man who was so wrong, and so sure that he was right (and so proud of being right) until being proven completely and unarguably wrong. Also the term scapegoat comes from the Bible. When I was in the Navy, we used to keep a rope ladder on the ship in case of an emergency, known as a Jacob's ladder. Belshazzar saw the handwriting on the wall. Jesus warned against letting your left hand know what your right hand is doing, which can be a good thing, but today is normally viewed as poor communication. Abraham Lincoln is usually credited with saying that a house divided against itself shall not stand--but he was quoting Jesus. Herod's stepdaughter wanted John the Baptist's head on a silver platter... The expression, the blind leading the blind is fairly well known, now, I don't think it was when Jesus said it. Washing one's hands of something is basically allowing without accepting the blame for--it didn't work so well for Pontius Pilate. Money is the root of all evil is a common expression, but it's also a misquote. The truth shall set you free. Out of the mouths of babes come truth. Apostle Paul had a thorn in his side. Can a leopard change it's spots? (I've blogged about that before--but not using that reference) Why is a skeptic referred to as a doubting Thomas?

Of course, there are some jokes that have evolved from the expressions in the Bible. What is God's favorite automotive brand, and how do we know? Well, he drove Adam and Eve out of the garden in a Fury, so He must like Plymouths. On the other hand, the early church was partial to Hondas--on the day of Pentacost, they managed to squeeze 120 people into one Accord. What kind of sports did they play in the Bible? Well, baseball, obviously, because the Bible starts out saying, "In the big inning..." But also tennis, because Daniel served in the king's court. No mention of football that I know of, although some people in modern times have made the request, "Drop kick me, Jesus, through the goal posts of life..."

Of course, there are also misunderstood expressions. I've blogged about 'fetching a compass' before. In Acts 7:54, it says that when Stephen preached the gospel to the crowd, they 'gnashed on him with their teeth." To gnash means to grind together--all this is really saying is that they gnashed their teeth at him or because of him. I heard some people say that these people were so upset that they were chewing on Stephen; I don't think so. In 1st Samuel 5, the Bible talks about God smiting the Philistines with 'emerods.' This is a word that is no longer in common use. The word has 'evolved.' For some reason it has attracted a lot more letters. Let's just say that if the word hadn't changed, there would be commercials now for tubes of 'Preparation E.'