The King James Version of the Bible was first published on this day, 2 May, in 1611. This is arguably still the definitive English translation of the Bible, containing a lyricism and beauty of phrasing which many find largely absent from the more recent translations of the Bible into English.
Although the King James Bible is often cited as one of the rare examples of something good that was designed by committee, a considerable amount of the final translation was modelled on earlier work undertaken nearly a century before, by William Tyndale, who was burnt at the stake for heresy in 1536. So although these phrases were often found in earlier English translations of the Bible prior to the King James of 1611, it was thanks to that version that they became common currency (this was, as is often pointed out, also the time of Shakespeare, that other great benefactor of English phrases).
Here are five of our favourite phrases derived from the Bible, with a bit of interesting extra information about some of them. We’ve tried to choose phrases which don’t immediately strike the reader or listener as Biblical. Often there is more to the phrases than meets the eye.
Bite the dust. Without the Bible, Queen would never have been able to pen a song called ‘Another One Bites the Dust’. This idiom, meaning ‘to fall to the ground, wounded or dead’, appears in Psalms 72 as ‘lick the dust’, clearly the 
forerunner to the dust-biting which we’ve been talking about ever since. Tobias Smollett, perhaps best known as the author of Humphry Clinker, used the phrase ‘bite the dust’ in Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane (1750), showing that somewhere along the way the licking had turned to biting.
Go the extra mile. This is from a specific Bible verse, from Matthew 5:41: ‘And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.’ Colin Dexter, creator of Inspector Morse, took this verse as the epigraph, and inspiration, for his Morse novel The Riddle of the Third Mile.
To put words in someone’s mouth. From II Samuel 14:3: ‘And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.’
Labour of love. From Thessalonians 1:2 and 1:3: ‘We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.’ We’ve been talking about all manner of labours of love ever since.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing. This phrase appears in Matthew 7:15, which warns, ‘Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.’ (Indeed, ‘beware of false prophets’ has also taken on the status of proverb, referring more generally to people who may not be quite what they claim to be.) The interesting thing – which makes this one a little more complicated – is that this phrase also appears in Aesop’s Fables, which were written before the verse from Matthew. However, it is unclear whether this specific phrase was in use in English before the KJV.
So, there’s our top five. However, there are many more phrases which either originated in, or were popularised by, the Bible, especially the King James Version: the apple of my eye, sign of the times, land of Nod, lamb to the slaughter, a fly in the ointment, a multitude of sins, a man after his own heart, by the skin of your teeth, charity begins at home, eat, drink and be merry, fall from grace, fat of the land, see eye to eye, heart’s desire, holier than thou, and scapegoat. And that’s just a small sampling! But that’s for another post…
Image: Title-page and dedication from a 1612-1613 King James Bible, printed by Robert Barker, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
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Many thanks for this! I suspect that “to bite the dust” comes rather from Chapman’s epoch-making translation of Homer, e.g. “Grant that […] full many of his comrades may bite the dust as they fall dying round him” (from Book II but there are many examples). Chapman started publishing his translation in 1598, ie before KJV.
Thanks for this – I’m sure you’re right. It seemed too good to be true…!
I had no idea so many of our everyday phrases came from The Bible. I suppose it makes sense, since it’s such a fundamental part of Western culture.
Indeed, Jeff! It’s just behind Shakespeare in terms of the number of phrases it’s given us (at least in most lists Shakespeare is listed as top)…
My favorite has always been the land of Nod, though hardly anyone knows where that comes from, what it describes, or who inhabited it.
Exactly. Most just assume it’s where people go to sleep!
Reblogged this on 21st Century Theater.
Fantastic post! I appreciate the origin of words and it’s great to see some of these beautiful phrases in the King James Bible.
Thanks! Glad you liked it :)
Excellent Post! I’ll definitely bookmark it… and I look forward to more of such interesting tidbits in the future. Thanks for posting!
Thank you! :)
Excellent revelation into origins and meanings ! -:)
Thank you! :)
Reblogged this on WE WALK BY FAITH And not by sight. 2 Cor. 5:7.
Great post! Didn’t know this :) thanks for sharing!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Do you know, I think this blog may very well be the most interesting thing on the internet. Thanks for another brilliant post!
You’re too kind! Thank you *bows* :) :)
Reblogged this on Mistrz i Małgorzata and commented:
ROCZNICE, ROCZNICE. …
Cool!
“…wipe the tears from their eyes…” is also in the Bible :)
I didn’t know that one – thanks!
I really enjoy this blog. It’s a great diversion during the day because you don’t always want to stick to the straight and narrow. Matthew 7:14
Thanks, Tom!
Reblogged this on Spirit in Politics and commented:
This blog is an enjoyable place to visit daily.
“Ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye discern the signs of the times.” Matthew 16:3
Zounds! Egad, I had no Idea!
Excellent post! The metaphor of “biting/eating the dust” shows up as early as Homer, where fallen warriors do just that. But of course that was long before English.
Thanks! And thanks for the Homer information – I’ll have to look into that and amend the post.
Loved this and learned one or two things – which, as a biblical scholar, is not an easy thing for you to achieve with me! As always your research is as impressive as it is entertaining. Well done, yet again!
Wow, praise indeed, Ken! Thanks – always good to know these posts go appreciated!
Oh they certainly do! I’m a big fan :)
Reblogged this on CEOnlineWriting Blog.
Admiring the dedication you put into your site and detailed information
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Reblogged this on nickweechblog's Blog.
Reblogged this on Practical Living and commented:
Excellent article about the wealth of common fraises used today which have there origin in The King James Bible The Word of God