Have You Said This?

If you enlarge this photo, you will see that this fellow is not too happy that I took his picture.

The cover story on the latest National Geographic magazine features the King James Bible. I was surprised to see this kind of subject matter in a publication devoted to Darwinian Evolution and deep environmentalism. It is an interesting look at the history and evolution of the Holy Scriptures and concentrates more on its cultural influence than anything else. Something I found interesting was the number of phrases, that have their origin in the King James language and in the Bible, that are alive and well in our everyday usage. There are 240 popular phrases and here are a few of the top ones in order of frequency of use:

From time to time: Ezekiel 10:10

The root of the matter: Job 19:28

Stand in awe: Psalms 4:4

Suffer the little children: Luke 18:16

Get thee behind me: Luke 4:8

A thorn in the flesh: 2 Corinthians 12:7

As a lamb to the slaughter: Isaiah53:7

How are the mighty fallen: 2 Samuel 1:19

East of Eden: Genesis 4:16

Turned the world upside down: Acts 17:6

Unto the pure are all things pure: Titus 1:15

A man after his own heart: 1 Samuel 13:14

Know for a certainty: Joshua 23:13

Beat their swords into plowshares: Isaiah 2:4

To everything there is a season: Ecclesiastes 3:1

No small stir; Acts 12:18

Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven: Matthew 6:20

Much study is a weariness of the flesh: Ecclesiastes 12:12

The skin of my teeth: Job 19:20

Fell flat on his face: Numbers 22:31

Set thine house in order: Isaiah 38:1

Be horribly afraid: Jeremiah 2:12

Pour out your heart: Psalms 62:8

The next time you catch yourself using one of these phrases in everyday usage, be aware that you are quoting scripture. Be careful lest you be labeled a 'Bible thumper'.