Know where it comes from
Well-known sayings
Names people give to passages, everyday sayings that come from the King James, sayings that are quoted a little differently from what it says, and sayings that are not in it at all. Every verse here is checked word for word against the King James before the site goes up.
Names for passages
Names people give to well-known passages. The names are traditional; they are not the Bible's own words.
The Fruit of the Spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Galatians 5:22
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:23
The King James says "fruit", not "fruits".
Read it: Galatians 5:22-23
The Armor of God
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11
Read it: Ephesians 6:10-18
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3
Each begins "Blessed are". Luke 6:20-23 has a shorter set.
Read it: Matthew 5:3-12
The Lord's Prayer
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Matthew 6:9
Read it: Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4
The Ten Commandments
the ten commandments Exodus 34:28
Here the name is the Bible's own: "the ten commandments" (Exodus 34:28; also Deuteronomy 4:13 and 10:4).
Read it: Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21
The Golden Rule
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12
Read it: Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31
The Great Commission
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Matthew 28:19
Read it: Matthew 28:18-20
The Greatest Commandment
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Matthew 22:37
Read it: Matthew 22:36-40
The Love Chapter
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 1 Corinthians 13:13
Where many newer translations say "love", the King James says "charity".
Read it: 1 Corinthians 13
The Faith Chapter
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
Read it: Hebrews 11
The Shepherd Psalm
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23:1
Read it: Psalm 23
The Shema
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: Deuteronomy 6:4
"Shema" is the Hebrew for its first word, "Hear".
Read it: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
The Priestly Blessing
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: Numbers 6:24
The blessing Aaron and his sons were to say (Numbers 6:23).
Read it: Numbers 6:24-26
The Prodigal Son
wasted his substance with riotous living Luke 15:13
The word "prodigal" is not in the King James.
Read it: Luke 15:11-32
The Good Samaritan
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: Luke 10:33
The King James calls him "a certain Samaritan"; "good Samaritan" is not in it.
Read it: Luke 10:30-37
Jacob's Ladder
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: Genesis 28:12
Read it: Genesis 28:10-22
The Magnificat
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, Luke 1:46
Named from its first word in Latin, "Magnificat" ("magnifies").
Read it: Luke 1:46-55
Sayings that come from the King James
Everyday sayings many people use without knowing they come from the Bible.
"By the skin of my teeth"
I am escaped with the skin of my teeth. Job 19:20
Read it: Job 19:20
"A drop in the bucket"
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, Isaiah 40:15
Read it: Isaiah 40:15
"The salt of the earth"
Ye are the salt of the earth: Matthew 5:13
Read it: Matthew 5:13
"Am I my brother's keeper?"
And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? Genesis 4:9
Cain's answer, when asked where Abel was.
Read it: Genesis 4:9
"Nothing new under the sun"
and there is no new thing under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9
Read it: Ecclesiastes 1:9
"Go the extra mile"
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Matthew 5:41
"Twain" means two.
Read it: Matthew 5:41
"The blind leading the blind"
And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Matthew 15:14
Read it: Matthew 15:14
"A house divided"
And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. Mark 3:25
Read it: Mark 3:25
"Turn the other cheek"
whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Matthew 5:39
Read it: Matthew 5:39
"Can a leopard change his spots?"
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Jeremiah 13:23
Read it: Jeremiah 13:23
"The writing on the wall"
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: Daniel 5:5
The words written, and what Daniel said they meant, are in verses 25 to 28.
Read it: Daniel 5:5-28
"A law unto themselves"
these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Romans 2:14
Read it: Romans 2:14
"Eat, drink, and be merry"
take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Luke 12:19
Said by the rich man in a parable; the next verse is God's answer to him.
Read it: Luke 12:19-20, Ecclesiastes 8:15
"A labor of love"
labour of love 1 Thessalonians 1:3
Read it: 1 Thessalonians 1:3, Hebrews 6:10
"Fight the good fight"
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, 1 Timothy 6:12
Read it: 1 Timothy 6:12
"Physician, heal thyself"
Physician, heal thyself: Luke 4:23
Jesus gives it as a proverb people would say to him.
Read it: Luke 4:23
"The powers that be"
the powers that be are ordained of God. Romans 13:1
Read it: Romans 13:1
"The signs of the times"
can ye not discern the signs of the times? Matthew 16:3
Read it: Matthew 16:3
"Fell flat on his face"
and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. Numbers 22:31
Balaam, when he saw the angel.
Read it: Numbers 22:31
"Dance like David"
And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. 2 Samuel 6:14
The saying's words are not in the King James; the story is: David dancing as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David. Michal, Saul's daughter, saw him and despised him (2 Samuel 6:16), and David answered her (6:21).
Read it: 2 Samuel 6:12-23, 1 Chronicles 15:25-29
"How the mighty are fallen"
how are the mighty fallen! 2 Samuel 1:19
David's lament for Saul and Jonathan.
Read it: 2 Samuel 1:19-27
Quoted differently
Sayings that are close to a verse, but not what the King James says. The verse is here as it reads.
"Money is the root of all evil"
For the love of money is the root of all evil: 1 Timothy 6:10
The verse says "the love of money".
Read it: 1 Timothy 6:10
"Pride goes before a fall"
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
Read it: Proverbs 16:18
"Spare the rod, spoil the child"
He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. Proverbs 13:24
Read it: Proverbs 13:24
"The fruits of the Spirit"
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, Galatians 5:22
"Fruit", one word for all of them.
Read it: Galatians 5:22-23
"The lion shall lie down with the lamb"
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; Isaiah 11:6
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: Isaiah 65:25
Read it: Isaiah 11:6, Isaiah 65:25
"Eve ate an apple"
she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, Genesis 3:6
Genesis 3 says "the fruit" and never names it. The word "apple" is in the King James, but not in Genesis.
Read it: Genesis 3:1-7
"The three wise men"
there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Matthew 2:1
How many is not said. Three gifts are named: gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:11).
Read it: Matthew 2:1-12
"Jonah and the whale"
Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. Jonah 1:17
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; Matthew 12:40
Both are in the King James: Jonah says "a great fish", and Matthew says "the whale’s belly".
Read it: Jonah 1:17, Matthew 12:40
"God won't give you more than you can handle"
but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; 1 Corinthians 10:13
The verse speaks of being tempted.
Read it: 1 Corinthians 10:13
"Moderation in all things"
Let your moderation be known unto all men. Philippians 4:5
Read it: Philippians 4:5
Not in the Bible
Sayings often thought to be in the Bible that are not in the King James at all. Where one came from is given only where a source shows it.
"God helps those who help themselves"
Not in the King James Bible.
The wording is credited to Algernon Sidney (1698); Benjamin Franklin used it in Poor Richard's Almanack (1736). The idea is older, in ancient Greek writers.
"Cleanliness is next to godliness"
Not in the King James Bible.
Best known from John Wesley's sermon On Dress (about 1791): "Cleanliness is, indeed, next to godliness."
"This too shall pass"
Not in the King James Bible.
From a Persian fable told by medieval Sufi poets. The English poet Edward FitzGerald retold it in 1852, and Abraham Lincoln told it in 1859.
Source: Wikipedia: This too shall pass
"God works in mysterious ways"
Not in the King James Bible.
From the first line of William Cowper's hymn, written in 1773: "God moves in a mysterious way."
"Hate the sin, love the sinner"
Not in the King James Bible.
Traced to Augustine, Letter 211 (about 424): "with love for mankind and hatred of sins". The "hate the sin and not the sinner" form is in Gandhi's autobiography (1929).
Source: Catholic Answers: Who said "love the sinner, hate the sin"?
"To thine own self be true"
Not in the King James Bible.
From Shakespeare's Hamlet (Act 1, Scene 3), said by Polonius.
"Charity begins at home"
Not in the King James Bible.
Sir Thomas Browne printed it in this form in Religio Medici (1642). The idea is older: John Wyclif wrote much the same in 1382.