How it works
This in the Bible or not quiz shows 72 well-known sayings, one at a time. Half stand in a verse. The rest come from poets, plays, fables and old proverbs, and every answer names its verse or its source.
Read the full guide
What counts as in the Bible
A saying counts when its words stand in a verse of the King James Version, exactly or nearly: "a drop in the bucket" is Isaiah's "a drop of a bucket". The others were searched for in the whole text and not found, and each origin is from the Wikipedia article named beside it.
Three rounds of sayings
Advice and proverbs sets "Spare the rod and spoil the child" beside "Physician, heal thyself". Everyday phrases has "by the skin of my teeth" and "crocodile tears". Famous lines mixes verses with lines from plays and poems, such as "To thine own self be true".
- For a second point, ask where the saying comes from before you tap: a prophet, a fable or a play.
Questions and answers
Is "this too shall pass" in the Bible?
No. The words are not in the King James text. Wikipedia calls it an adage of likely Persian origin and traces the phrase to medieval Persian Sufi poets.
Is "spare the rod and spoil the child" in the Bible?
Not in those words. They first appear in Hudibras, a poem by Samuel Butler. The verse behind them is Proverbs 13:24: "He that spareth his rod hateth his son".
Is "to thine own self be true" in the Bible?
No. Polonius says it in Shakespeare's Hamlet, act 1, scene 3, the same scene as "Neither a borrower nor a lender be".
Which everyday phrases are in the Bible?
More than most people guess. "The powers that be" is Romans 13:1, "the skin of my teeth" is Job 19:20, "labour of love" is 1 Thessalonians 1:3 and "holier than thou" is Isaiah 65:5.
Which translation does this "is it in the Bible" quiz use?
The King James Version, which is in the public domain. Other translations word many verses differently, so a saying may stand closer to the verse, or further from it, in the Bible on your shelf.