The company’s CEO refuses to see the writing on the wall, but the company is going to bankrupt.
Before entering the meeting room she got that vibe that she was being thrown into the lion’s den.
Don’t wait until the eleventh hour to finish your homework. Do it now so you will have some time to relax.
Don’t worry Mom. I will have my homework done in the twinkle of an eye.
These are just a few of some everyday idioms that can be found in the Bible.
Let’s take a look at some other popular bible idioms.
37 Bible Idioms & Phrases (Meaning & Example Sentences)
1. The Writing On The Wall
One very popular bible idiom is to see the writing on the wall. It refers to a sign or warning that something bad is going to happen.
Scripture: Daniel 5:5-31
“The company’s CEO refuses to see the writing on the wall, but the company is going to bankrupt.“
2. There Is Nothing New Under The Sun
When a person says that there is nothing new under the sun, they are saying that there is nothing happening now that hasn’t happened before.
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:9
“Did you watch the news today? Can you believe what is going on in the Middle East? I guess it just proves that there is nothing new under the sun.”
3. Pride Comes Before A Fall
The Biblical idiom, Pride before a crash refers to a person that thinks too highly of themselves. Usually to the point that they trust in their own abilities and it usually leads to a fall.
Scripture: Proverbs 16:18
“Did you watch the news today? Can you believe what is going on in the Middle East? I guess it just proves that there is nothing new under the sun.”
4. By The Skin Of One’s Teeth
If you hear someone say that a person got by the skin of their teeth, no it doesn’t have anything to do with brushing our teeth. It simply means that they just barely got by. It almost didn’t happen.
Scripture: Job 19:20
“I didn’t think I was going to get to work on time. I had car problems and arrived at the office by the skin of my teeth.”
5. The Lion’s Den
The Lion’s Den refers to when the prophet Daniel spent time in a literal lion’s den. Nowadays, we use this biblical idiom to describe a difficult situation in which you have to face people that are aggressive toward you.
Scripture: Daniel 6:12
“Before entering the meeting room she got that vibe that she was being thrown into the lion’s den.”
6. At The Eleventh Hour
To do something at the eleventh hour means to finish doing something at the last possible moment.
Scripture: Matthew 20:9
“Don’t wait until the eleventh hour to finish your homework. Do it now so you will have some time to relax.”
7. To Fall By The Wayside
In the Bible, Jesus talked about seeds that fell by the wayside, nowadays we use this expression to talk about something that dropped off. Something that fell behind.
Scripture: Luke 8:5
“If he doesn’t take time to study every night it won’t be long before he falls to the wayside.”
8. To Throw (One’s) Pearls Before Swine
To throw pearls before swine means to present something of value to someone who doesn’t recognize/appreciate its true value.
Scripture: Matthew 7:6
“I don’t think they really appreciate all that their parents had done for them Talk about throwing pearls before swine.”
9. To Beard The Lion
In 1 Samuel 17:35, the Bible says that David caught a lion by its beard, and then he killed it. Today we use the expression to beard a lion, it means to confront danger head-on. To take a risk.
Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:35
“Bearding the lion, he walked straight into his office and told him what he really thought of him.”
10. An Eye For An Eye / A Tooth For A Tooth
A very common Biblical expression that we still use today is an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth. We use it to say that the compensation for something that was damaged should be equal to the offense that was dealt. In other words, if someone commits a crime and breaks a possession, their punishment should be to replace that possession. The punishment should be equal to the wrong committed.
Scripture: Exodus 21:24
“Some people believe in the death penalty. They believe an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth is true justice.”
11. It Is Better To Be A Live Dog Than A Dead Lion
It is better to be a live dog than a dead lion means don’t try to be a hero and do more than you can do.
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:4
“Don’t work yourself too hard, remember, a live dog is better than a dead lion.”
12. To Be At Wit’s End
To be at wit’s end means to no longer have the stamina or the patience needed to deal with a difficult situation. To be at one’s limits.
Scripture: Psalms 107:27
“I am at wit’s end as to how we are going to finish this project before the deadline.”
13. The Blind Leading The Blind
Jesus said that when a blind man leads a blind man they both will fall into the pit. Today, we use the expression the blind leading the blind. It refers to people who try to teach others when they don’t have any more knowledge than the ones they are teaching.
Scripture: Matthew 15:14
“I would love to help you with your computer, but I don’t know anything about computers. It would be like the blind leading the blind.”
14. The Apple Of One’s Eye
In the Bible, the expression, the apple of one’s eye refers to a person that is treasured.
Scripture: Deuteronomy 32:10
“His only daughter is most certainly the apple of his eye.”
15. In The Twinkle Of An Eye
Something that happens very quickly or immediately can be described as happening in the twinkle of an eye. In other words, it happens before we can blink an eye.
Scripture: 1 Cor 15:52
“Don’t worry Mom. I will have my homework done in the twinkle of an eye.”
16. To Have Scales Fall From One’s Eyes
When The Apostle Paul was healed, the Bible says that scales fell from his eyes. We use this idiom today to refer to when a person can suddenly see a situation more clearly.
Scripture: Acts 9:18
“I used to think he was this great guy, but after talking with Jason, it is like scales fell from my eyes. I now see how he uses people for his own benefit.”
17. To Have A Beam In One’s Eye
A person that tends to criticize others even though their flaws are much bigger than the flaws of the ones they are criticizing is like a person that has a beam in their eyes. Their faults are much bigger than those of the person that they are criticizing and thus they are in no position to criticize or help others.
Scripture: Matthew 7:5
“David promised me he was going to help me with this project and now he is nowhere to be found. Yes, but didn’t you do the same thing to Julie, Jason, and Rob? Be sure to check the beam in your own eye before getting mad at David.”
18. To Be On The Straight And Narrow
A common idiom that comes straight from Jesus’s famous Sermon On The Mount is to be on the straight and narrow. It means to try to maintain a morally upright life.
Scripture: Matthew 7:14
“It may not be easy, but 10 years from now you will be happy you exerted yourself to stay on the straight and narrow.”
19. To Have Feet Of Clay
To have feet of clay means to have a weakness.
Scripture: Daniel 2:41-43
“Just remember nobody is perfect. We all have feet of clay.”
20. A Fly In The Ointment
This expression refers to the fact that even a small fly can ruin a beautiful painting. Thus something very small can ruin something very beautiful. It can also refer to a small imperfection that prevents something from being a success or prevents something from being enjoyed by others.
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 10:1
“The only fly in the ointment last night was when the waiter forgot our desserts. Besides that everything else was perfect.”
21. To Be A Thorn In One’s Flesh.
The Bible says that Paul had a thorn in the flesh, which means that he had a physical ailment that constantly bothered him. We use this expression to refer to something that is a constant bother to someone. A constant cause of frustration.
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7
“Jason has been calling me every day for a month. This has been a thorn in my flesh, can you do me a favor and talk to him about that?”
22. A Crown Of Thorns
A crown of thorns simply refers to something that causes one much pain and suffering.
Scripture: John 19:2
“This job has been a crown of thorns. No matter how hard I work, I am always behind schedule.”
23. To Strain Out The Gnats, But Gulping Down The Camel
To criticize someone for something minor while at the same time overlooking something much more serious is like straining out the gnats, but gulping down the camel.
Scripture: Matthew 23:24
“The government is doing very little to help the homeless and yet they want to tax people subletting their apartments. Talk about straining out the gnats, but gulping down the camel.”
24. A Leopard Cannot Change His Spots
A leopard cannot change his spots, refers to a person who can’t change the way they truly are. They can’t hide who they really are.
Scripture: Jeremiah 13:23
“She told me that she has changed, but I find that hard to believe. After all, a leopard cannot its spots.”
25. To Move Mountains
Jesus said that even with a little faith his disciples could move mountains. Today we use this expression to refer to doing something that seems impossible or very difficult.
Scripture: Matthew 17:20
“You aren’t going to move mountains just sitting at home. You need to get out there and work toward your goals.”
26. A Camel Through The Eye Of A Needle
Something that is very difficult to do, can be described as trying to get a camel through the eye of a needle. It is impossible.
Scripture: Luke 8:25
“You would have an easier time getting a camel through the eye of a needle than trying to convince mom and dad to let you go to that party.”
27. To Have A Millstone Around One’s Neck
In Bible times, a millstone was a very heavy stone used for grinding grains. To have a very heavy millstone around one’s neck refers to something that is a heavy burden.
Scripture: Matthew 18:6
“Today, I will be paying off my debt. This loan has been a millstone around my neck for 5 years.”
28. Spare The Rod And Spoil The Child
Spare the rod and spoil the child means that it is necessary to punish your child when they misbehave. If you don’t punish them you will end up spoiling them. In other words, punishment is essential in order for them to learn from their mistakes.
Scripture: Proverbs 13:24
“I don’t want to tell you how to raise your kids, but spare the rod and spoil the child. Discipline can be a good thing.”
29. To Bite The Dust
To bite the dust simply means to die or to come to an end.
Scripture: They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust. – Psalms 72:9
“We were fortunate to avoid that accident, otherwise, we might have bitten the dust.”
30. To Go The Extra Mile
Many people are surprised to learn that this idiom originated in the Bible. It means to go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve something or in order to please someone.
Scripture: Matthew 5:41
“I enjoy working with Craig. He is always willing to go the extra mile in order to please his customers.”
31. To Gird Up One’s Loins
To gird up one’s loins means to prepare oneself for something
Scripture: Proverbs 31:17
“You better gird up your loins, it looks like you are going to be very busy this weekend.”
32. To Turn The Other Cheek
To refrain from attacking or insulting someone who has just attacked or insulted you. To not retaliate. To not seek revenge.
Scripture: Matthew 5:39
“I usually turn the other cheek when Erika says mean things to me, but this time it really hurt.”
33. To Require The Wisdom Of Solomon
In the Bible, Solomon was a very wise king. Something that requires the wisdom of Solomons refers to a situation where one needs a lot of wisdom in order to solve a difficult problem.
Use in a sentence: I don’t have time to work on this problem. I have been working on it for over a month. I think it would take the wisdom of Solomon to find a solution. Maybe we should move on to something else more productive.
34. A Man Cannot Serve Two Masters
Jesus said that we can’t serve two masters. We can’t slave for God and we can’t slave for riches at the same time. We need to choose just one. We use this Biblical expression today to say that a person would be more productive if they would only focus on doing one thing at a time.
Scripture: Matthew 6:24
“If you want this business to grow, you can’t spend time trying to start multiple businesses. After all, a man cannot serve two masters.”
35. To Reap What One Sows
Another common Bible idiom commonly used today is to reap what you sow. It means to benefit from one’s actions or to see the negative consequences of one’s actions. In other words, if you plant corn, you expect to reap corn. If you do good things you can expect to see good results. If you do bad things you can expect to see the consequences.
Scripture: Galatians 6:7
“Dave has been cheating at school. He thinks he can get away with it, but you reap what you sow. Sooner or later he will pay for it.”
36. To Hold Out An Olive Branch or To Offer Someone An Olive Branch
To show someone that you want to make peace with them. To do something in order to make peace with a person that you had a disagreement with.
Scripture: Genesis 8:11
“I am proud of Cody. He was really upset with Jessica, but he was the first to offer her an olive branch.”
37. Someone’s or Something’s Days Are Numbered
In the Bible, God said that Babylon’s days were numbered. They were about to be destroyed. Their end was near. We use this idiom when we want to say that someone is going to die very soon or something is about to end very soon.
Scripture: Daniel 5:26
“Steve found out that I wrecked his car so my days are numbered.”
There you have it! 37 everyday idioms found in the Bible.
Which one is your favorite? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
