The Influence of the Authorised Version of the Holy Bible on Everyday Language

The Bible is a treasure to the Christian, yet its value to all of society is apparent in how it has become part of the language of life.  This article, updated from the September 2011 CViE Newsletter, serves as a timely reminder of timeless truths.

A man being interviewed on Radio 4 commented on a generation of children, raised in a “me-me-me society”, and observed that society has stopped instilling core principles and values into children, with the result, “There’s always a price to pay for something … and what we‟re doing, we’re actually reaping where we’ve sown.” He likely didn’t realise that he was paraphrasing the Bible, words from the Apostle Paul written 2000 years earlier, Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7)

Another example is of the police traffic officer who reported on a stolen car driving the wrong way along a dual carriageway that “avoided a fatal collision by the skin of his teeth.”  He likely didn’t realise that he, too, was paraphrasing the Bible, words from Job written more than 2500 years earlier, My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth. (Job 19:20)

Neither Paul nor Job spoke those English words, for they spoke their own language.  But these words have been preserved in the Hebrew and Greek, through God’s providence, all through the millennia to this day, merging into our modern speech.

What a mercy that God also endowed men with the gifts to translate from the original  languages of Scripture into our own language! This is not the place to tell the history of the translation of the Bible into the English language – there are many books available on this subject – but just to say that the work of Scripture translation culminated in 1611 with the publication of the Authorised (or King James) version of the Bible.

Why has the influence of the Authorised Version (AV) of the Bible been so marked?

In the first place, it was “appointed to be read in Churches”, and at a time when general levels of literacy were low, this regular hearing of Bible readings would have resulted in the words and expressions coming into general usage over the years. Then the AV Bible, which remained virtually unaltered for more than 250 years, was regular reading for millions of English speaking people.  Readers absorbed its language both directly and through other associated reading.

Tennyson considered Bible reading “an education in itself”, while Dickens called the New Testament “the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world”. It is the consistent usage of the words as they were read from the AV Bible that has given them the familiarity that we know today.

David Crystal, in his book Begat: The King James Bible and the English Language, has identified 257 expressions from the AV Bible that are current today, not only to those who are familiar with the words of Scripture, but to the English speaking population in general, whether of any or no religious persuasion. Of these, only 18 (by his count) are stylistically unique to the AV Bible.  All others are shared with at least one earlier translation, and in some cases with all of them, such as “milk and honey” or “salt of the earth”.

The following are some expressions from the AV Bible in common use today, sometimes slightly altered, but clearly demonstrating their origin. How some of our friends or colleagues would be surprised to know they were quoting Scripture!

“A drop in the bucket”  Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket. (Isaiah 40:15)

“A law unto themselves”  (Romans 2:14)

“A man after my own heart”  A man after mine own heart. (Acts 13:22)

“A two-edged sword”  Sharp as a two-edged sword. (Proverbs 5:4)

“All things to all men”  I am made all things to all men. (1 Corinthians 9:22)

“Go the extra mile”  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. (Matthew 5:41)

“Good Samaritan” (From the parable in Luke 10:30-35)

“Heart’s desire”  Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. (Psalm 21:2)

“How are the mighty fallen”  The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! (2 Samuel 1:19)

“Labour of love”  (found in both 1 Thessalonians 1:3 and Hebrews 6:10)

“Pride goes before a fall”  From, Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.  (Proverbs 16:18)

“Red sky at night”  When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. (Matthew 16:2)

“See eye to eye”  For they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. (Isaiah 52:8)

“Sour grapes”  Every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge. (Jeremiah 31:30)

“The powers that be”  The powers that be are ordained of God. (Romans 13:1)

These are a few of the more well-known expressions.  Many more can be found at The Phrase Finder, www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/bible-phrases-sayings.html.

Just to end, we often hear the expression “as white as snow”. May we each be brought to pray that we might be made as white as snow, in the sense of Isaiah 1:18 –

Come now, let us reason together, saith the LORD: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.