OMG! Who knew learning English was a lesson in Christian scripture?

Published November 13th, 2016 - 07:31 GMT

Insha’allah, masha'allah, alhamdulillah - can an Arab ever open their mouth without bringing Allah into the conversation?

But hold on there! Seems religiosity infuses all languages in equal measure. Consider the cultural influence of the Bible on the English language, specifically the King James Version, an edition written in common English, popular since its first printing in 1611, and still used extensively today.

Arab speakers learning colloquial English phrases might be surprised to learn that their origins are found in Christian scripture. OMG, see how many you use on a daily basis!

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‘Drop in a bucket’ is the tweet version of a line from Isaiah 40:15 that says, “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance.” Was the bible presaging Brexit and the US presidential election?

‘Fly in the ointment’ stems from Ecclesiastes 10:1 which states,“Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour.” Since the 1600s the term meant a small defect that spoils something valuable. The modern term suggests that there is something wrong - or unexpected - hidden somewhere.

‘See eye to eye’ means to agree with someone. This line is in 2 Samuel 14:3, where Joab, one of King David's commanders, tries to get a wise woman to help him convince David to let his exiled son Absalom return home. Joab knows David won't "see eye to eye" with him, so he arranges to have the smart sister say it for him. And it worked!

‘Straight and narrow’ is the shortened version of “But strait is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” from Matthew 7:14. The word ‘strait” means that the way to heaven is constricted, and difficult to enter. The phrase now means honest and moral.

‘Twinkling of an eye’ refers to an action or event that happens quickly. Although found in the bible in Corinthians 15:52, it enjoys contemporary application. As example: Microprocessors do the calculations in the twinkling of an eye.

‘Wit’s end’ was lifted from Psalm 107:27 (KJV), “They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.” The archaic definition of wit was knowledge. So the phrase meant the people were at the end of their knowledge, at the point where they must rely on faith. Now it simply means to be totally frustrated.

‘Can a Leopard Change his spots?’ The Hebrew prophet Jeremiah tried to persuade an evil shepherdess to behave, but realizing it was an epic fail, the bible quotes him saying, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?”

‘Go the extra mile’ from Matthew 5:41 says, “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain” (KJV). The Extra Mile is also a 50km charity endurance walk in Australia aimed at lifting Ugandan orphans out of poverty.

‘By the skin of your teeth’ means to narrowly escaping disaster. The phrase comes from the Book of Job, which describes Job being subjected to horrible trials by Satan, only to be relieved finally by God.

‘There’s nothing new under the sun’ means that life involves more than what happens “under the sun.” Biblical scripture in the book of Ecclesiastes puts forth that what happens on earth, stays on earth. In other words, the goal of life is to live for god and his glory.

‘Drop in a bucket’ is the tweet version of a line from Isaiah 40:15 that says, “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance.” Was the bible presaging Brexit and the US presidential election?

‘Fly in the ointment’ stems from Ecclesiastes 10:1 which states,“Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour.” Since the 1600s the term meant a small defect that spoils something valuable. The modern term suggests that there is something wrong - or unexpected - hidden somewhere.

‘See eye to eye’ means to agree with someone. This line is in 2 Samuel 14:3, where Joab, one of King David's commanders, tries to get a wise woman to help him convince David to let his exiled son Absalom return home. Joab knows David won't "see eye to eye" with him, so he arranges to have the smart sister say it for him. And it worked!

‘Straight and narrow’ is the shortened version of “But strait is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” from Matthew 7:14. The word ‘strait” means that the way to heaven is constricted, and difficult to enter. The phrase now means honest and moral.

‘Twinkling of an eye’ refers to an action or event that happens quickly. Although found in the bible in Corinthians 15:52, it enjoys contemporary application. As example: Microprocessors do the calculations in the twinkling of an eye.

‘Wit’s end’ was lifted from Psalm 107:27 (KJV), “They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.” The archaic definition of wit was knowledge. So the phrase meant the people were at the end of their knowledge, at the point where they must rely on faith. Now it simply means to be totally frustrated.

‘Can a Leopard Change his spots?’ The Hebrew prophet Jeremiah tried to persuade an evil shepherdess to behave, but realizing it was an epic fail, the bible quotes him saying, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?”

‘Go the extra mile’ from Matthew 5:41 says, “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain” (KJV). The Extra Mile is also a 50km charity endurance walk in Australia aimed at lifting Ugandan orphans out of poverty.

‘By the skin of your teeth’ means to narrowly escaping disaster. The phrase comes from the Book of Job, which describes Job being subjected to horrible trials by Satan, only to be relieved finally by God.

‘There’s nothing new under the sun’ means that life involves more than what happens “under the sun.” Biblical scripture in the book of Ecclesiastes puts forth that what happens on earth, stays on earth. In other words, the goal of life is to live for god and his glory.

OMG! Who knew learning English was a lesson in Christian scripture?

‘Drop in a bucket’ is the tweet version of a line from Isaiah 40:15 that says, “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance.” Was the bible presaging Brexit and the US presidential election?

‘Straight and narrow’ is the shortened version of “But strait is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” from Matthew 7:14. The word ‘strait” means that the way to heaven is constricted, and difficult to enter. The phrase now means honest and moral.

‘Twinkling of an eye’ refers to an action or event that happens quickly. Although found in the bible in Corinthians 15:52, it enjoys contemporary application. As example: Microprocessors do the calculations in the twinkling of an eye.

‘Can a Leopard Change his spots?’ The Hebrew prophet Jeremiah tried to persuade an evil shepherdess to behave, but realizing it was an epic fail, the bible quotes him saying, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?”

‘Go the extra mile’ from Matthew 5:41 says, “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain” (KJV). The Extra Mile is also a 50km charity endurance walk in Australia aimed at lifting Ugandan orphans out of poverty.

‘By the skin of your teeth’ means to narrowly escaping disaster. The phrase comes from the Book of Job, which describes Job being subjected to horrible trials by Satan, only to be relieved finally by God.

‘There’s nothing new under the sun’ means that life involves more than what happens “under the sun.” Biblical scripture in the book of Ecclesiastes puts forth that what happens on earth, stays on earth. In other words, the goal of life is to live for god and his glory.

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