Idioms are expressions that have meanings other than what the words themselves communicate at face value. For example, you can “have your hands full” even with empty hands. If an idea is “over one’s head,” you don’t look toward the ceiling to find it. If someone has “let the cat out of the bag,” you don’t have to call animal control. These idioms are understood by experienced users of the English language to mean “busy,” “beyond comprehension,” and “revealed a secret,” respectively.
Idioms in the Bible can also significantly alter the context and interpretation of scripture, as they often carry meanings beyond their literal sense. For instance, the phrase "to bite the dust" in Psalms 72 is used metaphorically to mean failure or ceasing to exist, rather than a literal act of biting dust.
The English Bible has had a profound effect on the development of the English language. The phrasing, vocabulary, and cadences of the King James Version left a lasting impact on our culture. In fact, some of the Bible’s idioms have been adopted as idioms in English. Idioms that come straight from the Bible include the following:
Let me catch my breath. Meaning: “give me some time.” As Job is questioning the purposes of his suffering, he says of God, “He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery” (Job 9:18).
A drop in the bucket. Meaning: “a very small, insignificant amount.” In lifting up God as sovereign, Isaiah writes, “Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust” (Isaiah 40:15).
It's amazing how many times we have misunderstood scripture and even fought 'tooth and nail' to defend our cherished interpretation only to find out later we were ignorant and wrong, because we ignored the use and meanings of idioms in them.
So, if you are interested in getting scripture right, having the best interpretation, be on the look out for its idioms that can completely spin your head around, facing the opposite direction.
Idioms in the Bible can also significantly alter the context and interpretation of scripture, as they often carry meanings beyond their literal sense. For instance, the phrase "to bite the dust" in Psalms 72 is used metaphorically to mean failure or ceasing to exist, rather than a literal act of biting dust.
The English Bible has had a profound effect on the development of the English language. The phrasing, vocabulary, and cadences of the King James Version left a lasting impact on our culture. In fact, some of the Bible’s idioms have been adopted as idioms in English. Idioms that come straight from the Bible include the following:
Let me catch my breath. Meaning: “give me some time.” As Job is questioning the purposes of his suffering, he says of God, “He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery” (Job 9:18).
A drop in the bucket. Meaning: “a very small, insignificant amount.” In lifting up God as sovereign, Isaiah writes, “Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust” (Isaiah 40:15).
It's amazing how many times we have misunderstood scripture and even fought 'tooth and nail' to defend our cherished interpretation only to find out later we were ignorant and wrong, because we ignored the use and meanings of idioms in them.
So, if you are interested in getting scripture right, having the best interpretation, be on the look out for its idioms that can completely spin your head around, facing the opposite direction.
