243 Common Sayings from the Bible -- Timeless Wisdom

How has the Bible influenced the things we say?

Ask your friends: In which book of the Bible can each of the famous sayings below be found?

Do you sometimes quote the Bible without being aware of it? The English language is salted, as are other languages, with scores of biblical phrases and proverbs. Listed below are more than 200 of them.

To be sure, "Cleanliness is next to godliness" did not come from the Bible. Nor did "God helps those who help themselves." That second one is from Poor Richard's Almanac, produced by the early American political figure Benjamin Franklin.

Here are oft-used English phrases with the scripture reference from which they come. These sayings were originally written in the period from the First Century AD back to more than a thousand years BC. All of the sayings were, of course, originally written in languages other than English (primarily Aramaic, Greek, and Hebrew). They are listed here from various English translations, including the King James Version and the New International Version.

  1. "A broken reed" -- Isaiah 36:6 (meaning something weak or unreliable)
  2. "A fool and his money are soon parted" -- Proverbs 21:20
  3. "A good name is better than riches" -- Proverbs 22:1
  4. "A little bird told me" -- Ecclesiastes 10:20
  5. "A house built on sand" -- Matthew 7:26-27 (referring to a weak foundation)
  6. "A house divided against itself cannot stand" -- Matthew 12:25, Luke 11:17 (quoted by Abraham Lincoln in an 1858 speech on the eve of the American Civil War)
  7. "A laborer is worthy of his wages" -- 1 Timothy 5:18
  8. "A man after his own heart" -- 1 Samuel 13:14
  9. "A millstone around one's neck" -- Matthew 18:6 (an extremely heavy burden)
  10. "A prophet is not without honor except in his own town" -- Matthew 13:57
  11. "A soft answer turns away wrath" -- Proverbs 15:1
  12. "A stone's throw" -- Luke 22:41 (a short distance)
  13. "A time to be born and a time to die" -- Ecclesiastes 3:2
  14. "A voice crying in the wilderness" -- John 1:23
  15. "Acted like a fool" -- 1 Samuel 26:21
  16. "All things to all men" -- 1 Corinthians 9:22
  17. "All things work together for good" -- Romans 8:28
  18. "Am I my brother's keeper?" -- Genesis 4:9
  19. "An eye for an eye" -- Exodus 21:24
  20. "Apple of my eye" -- Deuteronomy 2:10, Zechariah 2:8, indicating something or someone cherished or loved dearly
  21. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" -- Proverbs 23:7
  22. "As sheep among wolves" -- Matthew 10:16
  23. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" -- Genesis 3:19
  24. "At my wit's end" -- Psalm 107:27
  25. "At the eleventh hour" -- from older English translations of Matthew 20:6
  26. "Be fruitful and multiply" -- Genesis 1:28
  27. "Be mindful" -- Psalm 26:3, Luke 1:48
  28. "Be not weary in well-doing" -- Galatians 6:9
  29. "Be strong" -- Deuteronomy 31:7, Joshua 1:9, 23:6 and othrs
  30. "Beat swords into plowshares" -- Isaiah 2:4
  31. "Became like a son to him" -- Judges 17:11
  32. "Bite the dust" -- Psalm 72:9
  33. "Blind leading the blind"-- Matthew 15:14, Luke 6:39
  34. "Bright as the sun" -- Songs of Songs 6:10
  35. "Burn with jealousy" -- Psalm 79:5
  36. "By the skin of our teeth" Job 19:20, meaning to narrowly escape danger or trouble
  37. "By the sweat of your brow" -- Genesis 3:19
  38. "Cast your bread upon the waters" -- Ecclesiastes 11:1
  39. "Can a leopard change his spots?" Jeremiah 13:23
  40. "Come now, let us reason together" -- Isaiah 1:18
  41. "Corners of the earth" -- Revelation 20:8
  42. "Crushed spirit" -- Proverbs 17:22
  43. "Days of old" -- Deuteronomy 32:7, Psalm 77:5 (common today as "old days")
  44. "Deep sleep" -- Genesis 2:21 and ten others
  45. "Den of thieves" -- Jeremiah 7:11, Matthew 21:13
  46. "Do not be unequally yoked." -- 2 Corinthians 6:14
  47. "Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" -- Matthew 6:3
  48. "Do not muzzle the ox while it treads out the grain" -- Deuteronomy 25:4, 1 Corinthians 9:9
  49. "Do not worry about tomorrow" -- Matthew 6:34
  50. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The "golden rule" refers to the same verse. -- Matthew 7:12
  51. "Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?" -- Amos 3:3
  52. "Don't cast your pearls before swine" -- Matthew 7:6
  53. "Don't let the sun go down on your anger" -- Ephesians 4:26
  54. "Doubting Thomas" -- based 0John 20:24-29
  55. "Drop in the bucket" -- Isaiah 40:15m meaning a very small amount in comparison to a larger whole
  56. "Dust of the earth" -- Genesis 13:16
  57. "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die" -- Ecclesiastes 8:15, often used to spur enjoyment of life's pleasures
  58. "Eat sour grapes" -- Jeremiah 31:29
  59. "Ends of the earth" -- Deuteronomy 28:49 and more than 40 others
  60. "Every idle word" -- Matthew 12:36
  61. "Everything is possible for one who believes" -- Mark 9:23
  62. "Eye for an eye" -- Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, Deuteronomy 19:21 Matthew 5:38
  63. "Faith can move mountains" -- Matthew 17:20
  64. "Faithful unto death" -- Revelation 2:10
  65. "Fall from grace" -- Galatians 5:4
  66. "False prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing" -- Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22
  67. "Fearfully and wonderfully made" -- Psalm 139:14
  68. "Feet of clay" -- Daniel 2:33, 41
  69. "Feet swift to shed blood" -- Proverbs 6:18
  70. "Fell on rocky ground" -- Matthew 13:5
  71. "Fight the good fight" -- 1 Timothy 6:12
  72. "Flash of lightning" -- Luke 9:29 (more common today as "lightning flash")
  73. "Flee from the wrath that is to come" -- Matthew 3:7
  74. "Flesh and blood" -- Matthew 16:17
  75. "Fly in the ointment" -- Ecclesiastes 10:1
  76. "For everything, there is a season" -- Ecclesiastes 3:1
  77. "Forbidden fruit" -- based on Genesis 2:16-17
  78. "Friend who sticks closer than a brother" -- Proverbs 18:24
  79. "From strength to strength" -- Psalm 84:7
  80. "Gird up your loins" -- 1 Kings 18:46, Job 38:3 (meaning to prepare for a difficult task)
  81. "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's" -- Matthew 22:21
  82. "Go forth and multiply" -- Genesis 1:28
  83. "Go the second mile" -- Matthew 5:41 (sometimes said as "extra mile")
  84. "Golden calf" -- Exodus 32
  85. "Good Samaritan" -- Luke 10:25-37, referring to someone who helps others selflessly
  86. "Guilty conscience" -- Hebrews 10:22
  87. "Hammer swords into plowshares" -- Isaiah 2:4
  88. "Hard as rock" -- Job 21:44
  89. "Hard as flint" -- Zechariash 7:12
  90. "He gave up the ghost" -- older translations of Luke 23:46
  91. "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone" -- John 8:7
  92. "He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword" -- Matthew 26:52
  93. "He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow" -- Proverbs 22:8
  94. "He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind" -- Proverbs 11:29
  95. "Heaping burning coals on their head" -- Proverbs 25:22, Romans 12:20
  96. "Hellfire and brimstone" -- Genesis 19:24
  97. "High Heaven" -- P{salm 71:19, 78:6 and Job 25:2
  98. "His heart was hardened"-- Exodus 4:21
  99. "How are the mighty fallen" -- 1 Samuel 1:19-27
  100. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" -- 2 Timothy 4:7
  101. "Innocent blood" -- Dewuteronomy 19:10
  102. "Iron sharpens iron" -- Proverbs 27:17
  103. "It is better to give than to receive" -- Acts 20:35
  104. "Itching ears" -- 2 Timothy 4:3
  105. "Jacob's ladder" -- Genesis 28:12
  106. "Judas" -- Matthew 27:3, often used as a synonym for treason or betrayal
  107. "Judge not, lest ye be judged" – Matthew 7:1
  108. "Knock, and it shall be opened unto you." -- Matthew 7:7
  109. "Labor of love" -- 1 Thessalonians 1:3
  110. "Labor pains" -- 1 Thessalonians 5:3 (Used metaphorically to describe growing difficulties before a major event)
  111. "Lamb to the slaughter" -- Isaiah 53:7
  112. "Land o' Goshen" -- Genesis 47:6 (A mild exclamation of surprise, alarm, dismay, annoyance, or exasperation)
  113. "Land of milk and honey" -- Exodus 3:8
  114. "Law unto themselves" -- Romans 2:14
  115. "Lay up treasures in Heaven" -- Matthew 6:20
  116. "Likw whirlwind" -- Isaiah 66:15
  117. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" -- Matthew 11:15
  118. "Let my people go" -- Exodus 5:1
  119. "Let not your heart be troubled" -- John 14:1
  120. "Let the dead bury the dead" - Matthew 8:22
  121. "Let there be light" -- Genesis 1:3
  122. "Letter of the law" -- 2 Corinthians 3:6
  123. "Like a daughter to him" -- 2 Samuel 12:3
  124. "Like a lamb before its shearers is silent" -- Isaiah 53:7
  125. ""Like a thief in the night" -- 1 Thessalonians 5:2
  126. "Like a vulture" -- Hosea 8:1
  127. "Like sheep without a shepherd." -- Matthew 9:36
  128. "Like the sand of the sea" -- Genesis 41:49
  129. "Live by faith, not by sight" -- 2 Corinthians 5:7
  130. "Love covers a multitude of sins" -- 1 Peter 4:8
  131. "Love thy neighbor" -- Leviticus19:18
  132. "Man shall not live by bread alone" -- Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4
  133. "Manna from heaven" -- Exodus 16:4
  134. "Many are called, but few are chosen" -- Matthew 22:14
  135. "Meaningless days" -- Ecclesiastes 9:9
  136. "Meaningles life" -- Ecclesiastes 9:9
  137. "Melt like wax" -- Psalm 97:5
  138. "More blessed to give than to receive" -- Acts 20:35
  139. "More precious than rubies" -- Proverbs 3:15
  140. "My brother's keeper" -- Genesis 4:9
  141. "My cup runneth over" -- Psalm 23:5
  142. "Neither hot nor cold" -- Revelation 3:16
  143. "No man can serve two masters" -- Matthew 6:24
  144. "No peace for the wicked" -- Isaiah 48:22, Isaiah 57:21
  145. "No room at the inn" -- Luke 2:7
  146. "Noting new under the sun" -- Ecclesiastes 1:9
  147. "Old as Methuselah" -- based on Genesis 5:27
  148. "Old as the hills" -- Job 15:7
  149. "Opened our hearts" -- 2 Corinthians 6:11
  150. "Out of the mouths of babes" -- Psalm 8:2
  151. "Ox in a ditch" -- Luke 14:5
  152. "Peace offering -- Deuteronomy 2:26
  153. "Pearl of great price" -- Matthew 13:45-46
  154. "Physician, heal thyself" -- Luke 4:23
  155. "Put new wine into old wineskins" -- Matthew 9:17
  156. "Pour out your heart" -- Psalm 62:8
  157. "Pure gold" -- Exodus 25:11
  158. "Put your shoulder to the wheel" -- Proverbs 21:25
  159. "Powers that be" -- Romans 13:1
  160. "Pride goes before a fall" -- Proverbs 16:19, cautioning against arrogance leading to failure
  161. "Prodigal son" -- based on Luke 15:11-32
  162. "Put the words in her mouth" -- 2 Samuel 14:3
  163. "Put your hand to the plow" -- Luke 9:62
  164. "Put your house in order" -- 2 Kings 20:1, Isaiah 38:1
  165. "Rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked" - Psalm 84:10
  166. "Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailor's warning" -- based on Matthew 16:2
  167. "Redeem the time" -- Ephesians 5:16
  168. "Rise up and shine" -- Isaiah 60:1
  169. "Salt of the earth" -- Matthew 5:13, referring to people who are considered good, dependable, and honest.
  170. "Sank like a stone" -- Exodus 15:5
  171. "Sank like lead" -- Exodus 15:10
  172. "Saving the best for last" -- John 2:10
  173. "Scapegoat" -- Leviticus 16:8
  174. "See eye to eye" -- Isaiah 52:8
  175. "Separate the sheep from the goats" -- Matthew 25:32
  176. "Separate the wheat from the chaff" -- Matthew 3:12
  177. "Set your house in order" — Isaiah 38:1
  178. "Shouted from the housetops" -- Luke 12:3
  179. "Signs of the times" -- Matthew 16:3
  180. "Soft answer turns away wrath" -- Proverbs 15:1
  181. "Solid rock" -- Matthew 7:24
  182. (Someone) "has something against you" -- Matthew 5:23
  183. "Sow the wind; reap the whirlwind" -- Hosea 8:7
  184. "Spare the rod, spoil the child" -- Proverbs 13:243
  185. "Stand your ground" -- Ephesians 6:13
  186. "Still, small voice" -- 1 Kings 19:1
  187. "Stood by the stuff" (a reference to troops that guarded supplies) -- 1 Samuel 25:13, 30:24)
  188. "Strutting around like a rooster" -- Proverbs 30:31
  189. "Stumbling block" -- Romans 14:13, 1 Corinthians 8:9
  190. "Suffer fools gladly" -- 2 Corinthians 11:19 (modern English translations used phrases like "put up with fools")
  191. "Swear by (something or somone)" -- Zephaniah 1:5, Matthew 23:18 (King James Version wording)
  192. "Sweat of your brow" -- Genesis 3:19
  193. "Sweeter than honey" -- Psalm 119:103
  194. "Teeth set on edge" -- Jeremiah 31:29, Ezekiel 18:2
  195. "The blind leading the blind" -- Matthew 15:14
  196. "The borrower is servant to the lender" -- Proverbs 22:7
  197. "The bread of life" -- John 6:35
  198. "The ends of the earth" -- Isaiah 45:2, Acts 1:8
  199. "The very hairs of your head are all numbered" -- Matthew 10:30
  200. "The heart of a lion" -- 2 Samuel 17:10
  201. "The laborer is worthy of his hire" -- Luke 10:7
  202. "The last shall be first" -- Matthew 20:16
  203. "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" -- 2 Corinthians 3:6
  204. "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away" -- Job 1:21
  205. "The Lord willing" -- James 4:15 (also used as "God willing")
  206. "The love of money is the root of all evil" (frequently misquoted as "money is the root of all evil") -- 1 Timothy 6:10
  207. "The meek shall inherit the earth" -- Matthew 5:5
  208. "The patience of Job" -- James 5:1
  209. "The race is not to the swift" -- Ecclesiastes 9:11
  210. "The root of the trouble" -- Job 19:28
  211. "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" -- Matthew 26:41
  212. "The straight and narrow" -- Mattrhew 7:14
  213. "The truth shall make you free" -- John 8:32 (engraved on the wall of the original CIA headquarters building in Washington, DC)
  214. "The wind blows where it wishes" -- John 3:8
  215. "There is nothing new under the sun" -- Ecclesiastes 1:9
  216. "Thorn in the flesh" -- 2 Corinthians 12:7
  217. "Times of trouble" -- Job 28:33 and others. More often used today as "troubled times"
  218. "To everything, there is a season" Ecclesiastes 3:1
  219. "To obey is better than sacrifice" -- 1 Samuel 15:22
  220. "Turn the other cheek" -- Matthew 5:39, advising patience and non-retaliation when faced with insult or injury.
  221. "Twinkling of an eye" -- 1 Corinthians 15:52
  222. "Two are better than one" -- Ecclesiastes 4:9
  223. "Vanity of vanities" - Ecclesiastes 1:2
  224. "Wages of sin" -- Romans 6:23
  225. "Wars and rumors of wars" -- Matthew 24:26, Mark 13:7
  226. "Wash your hands of the matter" -- Matthew 27:24
  227. "We are but dust" -- Psalm 103:14
  228. "We are in your hands" -- Joshua 9:25
  229. "Weeping and gnashing of teeth" -- Matthew 8:12
  230. "Weighed in the balances and found wanting" -- Daniel 5:5
  231. "What God has joined together, let no one separate" -- Marak 10:9
  232. "What is truth?" -- John 18:38
  233. "Where there is a will, there is a way" -- Proverbs 16:9
  234. "Where there is no vision, the people perish" -- Proverbs 29:18
  235. "White as snow" -- Isaiah 1:18
  236. "Whiter than snow" -- Psalm 51:7
  237. "Whitewashed tombs" -- Matthew 23:27
  238. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you" — Matthew 7:2
  239. "Woe is me" -- Isaiah 6:5, Job 10:15
  240. "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil" — Isaiah 5:20
  241. "Wolf in sheep's clothing" -- Matthew 7:15
  242. "Writing on the wall" -- Daniel 5:5-31, referring to a premonition or a sign of imminent danger or failure
  243. "You reap what you sow" -- Galatians 6:7
  244. "You will know them by their fruits" -- Matthew 7:20
  245. "Your sin will catch up with you" -- Numbers 32:23

Can you think of other things that could or should be on this page? If so, drop me an email, and I'll add them.

    -- compiled by Howard Culbertson,

What is the Bible?

The Bible is a collection of sacred texts or documents. It is composed of two main sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Reminder: This historical and literary work called the Bible is considered by believers to be inspired by God. Indeed, it's often called "the Word of God." People consider it to be their guide for faith and practice. It is a complex work that deals in a variety of ways with themes like faith, love, forgiveness, redemption, and the relationship between humanity and the divine. It has transformed the lives of individuals and influenced cultures, literature, law, and moral philosophies for centuries.

Bible passages referenced on this page

Genesis 1:3, 1:28, 2:16-17, 3:19, 4:9, 5:27, 13:16, 28:12, 41:49, 47:6
Exodus 3:8, 4:21, 5:1, 15:5, 15:10, 16:4, 21:24, 32
Leviticus 16:8, 19:18, 24:20
Numbers 32:23
Deuteronomy 2:10, 2:26, 8:3, 19:10, 19:21, 25:4, 28:49, 31:7
Joshua 1:9, 9:25
Judges 17:11
1 Samuel 13:14, 1:19-27, 15:22, 25:13, 26:21, 30:24
2 Samuel 12:3, 14:3, 17:10
1 Kings 18:46, 19:1
2 Kings 20:1
Ezra 9:12
Job 1:21, 15:7, 19:20, 19:28, 25:2, 28:33, 41:24
Psalm 8:2, 23:5, 62:8, 71:19, 72:9, 78:69, 84:7, 97:5, 103:14, 107:27, 119:103, 139:14
Proverbs 3:15, 6:18, 13:24, 15:1, 16:19, 17:22, 18:24, 21:20, 21:25, 22:1, 22:7, 22:8, 23:7, 25:22, 26:3, 27:17, 29:18, 84:10
Ecclesiastes 1:2, 1:9, 3:1, 3:2, 4:9, 8:15, 9:9, 9:11, 10:1, 10:11, 10:20, 11:1
Song of Songs 6:10
Isaiah 1:18, 2:4, 5:20, 36:6, 40:15, 48:22, 52:8, 53:7, 53:7, 57:21, 60:1, 66:15
Jeremiah 7:11, 13:23, 31:29
Ezekiel 16:49, 18:2
Daniel 2:33, 41 and 5:5
Hosea 8:1, 8:7
Zepihaniah 1:5
Zechariah 7:12
Matthew 3:7, 5:5, 5:38, 5:39, 5:41, 6:3, 6:20, 6:24, 6:34, 7:1, 7:2, 7:6, 7:7, 7:12, 7:14, 7:20, 7:24, 7:26-27, 8:12, 8:22, 9:36, 10:16, 10:30, 11:15, 12:25, 12:36, 13:5, 13:45-46, 13:57, 15:14, 16:2, 17:20, 18:6,20:6, 20:16, 22:14, 22:21, 23:18, 23:27, 24:24, 24:26, 25:32, 26:41, 26:52, 27:24
Mark 9:23, 10:9
Luke 1:48, 2:7, 4:23, 9:29, 9:62, 10:7, 10:25-37, 11:17, 14:5, 16:22, 20:9, 22:41
John 1:23, 2:10, 3:8, 6:35, 8:7, 8:32, 14:1, 18:38
Acts 1:8, 20:35
Romans 2:14, 6:23, 8:28, 12:20, 13:1, 14:13
1 Corinthians 9:9, 9:22, 15:52
2 Corinthians 3:6, 5:7, 6:11, 6:14, 11:19, 12:7
Galatians 5:4, 6:7
Ephesians 4:26, 5:16
Philippians 4:13
1 Thessalonians 1:3, 5:3
1 Timothy 5:18, 6:10
2 Timothy 4:7
Hebrews 10:22
James 4:15
1 Peter 4:8
Revelation 2:10, 3:16

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