Bible

idioms

Idioms? = an expression,
word, or phrase (figurative
meaning )
Its meaning literal
meaning of the idiom's
individual elements
Idioms= hidden meaning

I Shakespeare
II Bible
as the most common
source of phrases in
English

King James Version of the

Bible
James I of England by Daniel
-translated by 47 biblical
scholars
-first printed in 1611
-the language used has
persisted into the
present day

Mytens

Ashes to ashes ,
dust to dust everything returns to
what it was made of
Eti rn.
rna n rn
se ntoarce.

for dust thou art, and

unto dust shalt thou
return (Genesis 3:19)
cci pmnt eti i n
pmnt te vei ntoarce"
(Facerea 3:19)

-nothing lasts forever

-everything is temporary

You'll get over this setback. So

keep calm because all things
must pass.
And ye shall hear of wars and
rumours of wars: see that ye be not
troubled: for all these things must
come to pass, but the end is not
yet. (Matthew 24,6)
i vei auzi de rzboaie i de zvonuri
de rzboaie; luai seama s nu v
speriai, cci trebuie s fie toate,
dar nc nu este sfritul. (Matei,
24,6)

Be as old as
Methuselah -a very old
person
or thing
And
Methuselah
lived an hundred
eighty and seven
years, and begat
Lamech , And
Methuselah lived
after he begat
Lamech seven
hundred eighty and
two years, and begat
sons and daughters:
And all the days of
Methuselah were
nine hundred sixty
and nine years:

Matusalem a trit o sut

optzeci i apte de ani i
atunci i s-a nscut Lameh.
Dup naterea lui Lameh,
Matusalem a mai trit
apte sute optzeci i doi
de ani i i s-au nscut fii i
fiice.Iar de toate, zilele lui
Matusalem, pe care le-a
trit, au fost nou sute
aizeci i nou de ani i
apoi a murit. (Facerea
5:25-27)

As old as the
hills -ancient
Art thou the first
man that was born?
or wast thou made
before the hills?
( Job 15:7.)

Nu cumva eti
tu cel dinti om
care s-a nscut?
Venit-ai tu pe
lume mai
nainte dect
munii?
(Cartea lui Iov
15:7) A fi btrn ca vremea.

don't cast your pearls

before swine - you
shouldnt waste something
good on someone who
doesnt appreciate it.
Give not that which
is holy unto the dogs,
neither cast ye
your pearls before
swine, lest they
trample them under
their feet, and turn
again and rend Nu
you.
dai cele sfinte
(Matthew 7:6) cinilor, nici nu
aruncai
mrgritarele
voastre naintea
porcilor, ca cumva s
le calce n picioare i,
ntorcndu-se, s v
sfie pe voi.
Matei 7:6)
A strica orzul pe( gte.

Nu arunca mrgritare naintea porcilor.

- a small but irritating

defect that spoils the
whole.

Dead flies cause

the ointment of the
apothecary to send
forth a stinking savour:
so doth a little folly him
that is in reputation for
wisdom and honour.
(Ecclesiastes 10:1)

O musc moart stric

amestecul de
untdelemn al celui ce
pregtete miresme;
puin nebunie stric
preul la mult
nelepciune
(Ecclesiast 10:1)

A wolf in sheep's
clothing -someone
who hides malicious
intent under the
guise of kindliness.
Beware of false
prophets, which
come to you in
sheeps
clothing, but
inwardly they
are ravening
wolves.
(Matthew 7:15:)

Ferii-v de
proorocii
mincinoi, care
vin la voi n
haine de oi,
iar pe dinuntru
sunt lupi
rpitori.
(Sfnta
Evanghelie
dup Matei
7:15)

A leopard cant
change its spots - a
persons character
especially if it is bad, will
not change, even if they
pretend it has.
Can the Ethiopian change
his skin, or the leopard
his spots? then may ye
also do good, that are
accustomed to do evil.
(Eremiahoare
13:23)
Poate
s-i

Obiceiul nvechit nu-I uor de lecuit.

Lupul prul i schimb, dar nravul ba.
Nravul din fire n-are lecuire.

schimbe etiopianul pielea

sa i leopardul petele
sale? Aa i voi! Putei
oare s facei bine, cnd
suntei deprini a face
ru? (Ieremia12:23)

things will happen to

you, good or bad,
according to how you
behave
-

Cine seamn ruti,

ruti va secera.
Cine seamn vnt culege
furtun.
Cum sameni, aa culegi.
For every man shall bear his
own burden.()for
whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap. For
he that soweth to his flesh shall
of the flesh reap corruption; but
he that soweth to the Spirit
shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting. (Galatians 6:7)

Cci fiecare i va purta

sarcina sa. ()cci ce va
semna omul, aceea va i
secera. Cel ce seamn n
trupul su nsui, din trup va
secera stricciune; iar cel ce
seamn n Duhul, din Duh va
secera via venic.
(Epistola ctre Galateni a
Sfntului Apostol Pavel 6:7)

A drop in the
bucket a very
small proportion of
the whole/ an
unimportant
amount of
something

Behold, the nations

are as a drop of a
bucket, and are
counted as the small
dust of the
balance( Isaiah
40:15)

Iat, neamurile sunt ca o

pictur de ap pe
marginea unei glei, ca un
fir de pulbere ntr-un cntar
(Isaia 40:15)

To be a thorn in the flesh someone or something that

keeps annoying you or
causing you trouble
And lest I should be
exalted above
measure through the
abundance of the
revelations, there was
given to me a thorn
in the flesh, the
messenger of Satan to
buffet me, lest I should
be exalted above
measure( 2
Corinthians 12:7)

i pentru ca s nu m
trufesc cu mreia
descoperirilor, datu-mi-sa mie un ghimpe n
trup, un nger al satanei,
s m bat peste obraz,
ca s nu m
trufesc.( Epistola a doua
ctre Corinteni a Sfntului
Apostol Pavel 12:7)
A fi ca un ghimpe n coaste.

Am I my brother's
keeper? -unwillingness to
accept responsibility for
the welfare of their fellows
and the LORD
said unto Cain,
Where is Abel
thy brother? And
he said, I know
not: Am I my
brothers
keeper?
( Genesis 4:9)

Atunci a zis
Domnul Dumnezeu
ctre Cain: "Unde
este Abel, fratele
tu?" Iar el a
rspuns: "Nu tiu!
Au doar eu sunt
pzitorul fratelui
meu?"(Facerea 4:9)

Rise and shine- Get out of bed and be lively and

energetic!
Arise, shine; for thy
light is come, and the
glory of the LORD is
risen upon
thee.( Isaiah 60:1)

Lumineaz-te,
lumineaz-te, Ierusalime,
c vine lumina ta, i slava
Domnului peste tine a
rsrit! (Isaia 60:1)

Forbidden fruit -to

talk about something or
someone that one finds
attractive partly because
having the thing or person
is immoral or illegal.

And out of the ground made

the LORD God to grow every
tree that is pleasant to the
sight, and good for food; the
tree of life also in the midst of
the garden, and the tree of
knowledge of good and evil.
And the LORD God commanded
the man, saying, Of every tree
of the garden thou mayest
freely eat: But of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil,
thou shalt not eat of it: for in

i a fcut Domnul
Dumnezeu s rsar din
pmnt tot soiul de pomi,
plcui la vedere i cu roade
bune de mncat; iar n
mijlocul raiului era pomul
vieii i pomul cunotinei
binelui i rului. A dat apoi
Domnul Dumnezeu lui Adam
porunc i a zis: "Din toi
pomii din rai poi s
mnnci, Iar din pomul
cunotinei binelui i rului
s nu mnnci, cci, n ziua
n care vei mnca din el, vei

 there is an
appropriate time for
everything.

To every thing there is a

season, and a time to every
purpose under the heaven
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Toate la timpul/vremea
lor.

Pentru orice lucru

este o clip prielnic
i vreme pentru orice
ndeletnicire de sub cer
(Ecclesiast 3:1)

- In an
instant.
Ct ai zice pete!
Zis i fcut!
Behold, I shew you
a mystery; We shall
not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the
twinkling of an
eye, at the last
trump: for the
trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible,
and we shall be
changed. 1
(Corinthians 15:52)

Iat, tain v spun vou:

Nu toi vom muri, dar toi
ne vom schimba, Deodat,
ntr-o clipeal de ochi la
trmbia cea de apoi. Cci
trmbia va suna i morii
vor nvia nestriccioi, iar
noi ne vom schimba.
(Epistola ntia ctre
Corinteni a Sfntului
Apostol Pavel 15:52)

- if you
believe what
you are
doing, you
will
overcome
any obstacle

Jesus answered and said unto

them, Verily I say unto you, If
ye have faith, and doubt not,
ye shall not only do this which
is done to the fig tree, but also
if ye shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou
removed, and be thou cast
into the sea; it shall be

Iar Iisus, rspunznd, le-a

zis: Adevrat griesc vou:
Dac vei avea credin i
nu v vei ndoi, vei face nu
numai ce s-a fcut cu
smochinul, ci i muntelui
acestuia de vei zice:
Ridic-te i arunc-te n
mare, va fi aa. (Matei

Good Samaritan - Someone

who helps another in need for
compassionate motives and with no
thought of reward.
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed,
came where he was: and when he saw him,
he had compassion on him,
And went to him, and bound up his wounds,
pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his
own beast, and brought him to an inn, and
took care of him.
(Luke 10: 33-34)
Iar un samarinean, mergnd pe cale, a
venit la el i, vzndu-l, i s-a fcut mil,
i, apropiindu-se, i-a legat rnile,
turnnd pe ele untdelemn i vin, i,
punndu-l pe dobitocul su, l-a dus la o
cas de oaspei i a purtat grij de
el.(Luca 10:33-34)
The Good Samaritan by

Love thy neighbour as thyselfLiteral meaning

Thou shalt love the Lord

thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy
mind. This is the first
and great
commandment. And the
second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself.
(Matthew 22: 37-39)

S iubeti pe Domnul
Dumnezeul tu, cu toat
inima ta, cu tot sufletul
tu i cu tot cugetul tu.
Aceasta este marea i
ntia porunc. Iar a doua,
la fel ca aceasta: S
iubeti pe aproapele
tu ca pe tine nsui.
(Matei 22:37-39)

Thou shalt love thy

neighbour as thyself
(Romans 13:9)

Thou shalt not avenge, nor

bear any grudge against the
children of thy people, but
thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself: I am
the LORD. (Leviticus 19:18)

S iubeti pe aproapele tu ca
pe tine nsui. (Epistola ctre
Romani a Sfntului Apostol Pavel
13:9 )

S nu te rzbuni cu mana ta i s
nu ai ur asupra fiilor poporului
tu, ci s iubeti pe aproapele
tu ca pe tine nsui. Eu sunt
Domnul Dumnezeul vostru.
(Levitic 19:18)

Forgive them for they know not what

they do -Jesus' words from the cross,
asking forgiveness for those who put him
to death
Then said Jesus,
Father, forgive them;
for they know not
what they do (Luke
23:34)

Iar Iisus zicea:

Printe, iart-le
lor, c nu tiu ce
fac. (Luca
23:34)

- Do not hold on to your

anger for more than one
day.

Be ye angry, and sin

not: let not the sun go
down upon your
wrath .( Ephesians
4:26)

Mniai-v i nu
greii; soarele s
nu apun peste
mnia voastr
(Epistola ctre
Efeseni a Sfntului
Apostol Pavel 4:26)

cast the first

stone - to make
the first criticism;
to be the first to
attack
"He who is
without sin
among you,
let him be
the first to
throw a
stone at
her." (John
8:7)

Cel fr de
pcat dintre voi
s arunce cel
dinti piatra
asupra ei.
(Sfanta
Evanghelie Ioan
8:7)

Put words in one's mouth - to interpret

what someone said so that the words mean
what you want and not what the speaker
wanted, or to say someone what to say in a
certain context
And come to the king,
and speak on this
manner unto him. So
Joab put the words in
her mouth. (2 Samuel
14:3)
A pune cuvinte n gura
cuiva.

i du-te la rege i zi
ctre el aa i aa". i
i-a spus Ioab ce
anume s zic.
(Cartea a doua a
Regilor 14:3)

The blind leading

the blind Uninformed and
incompetent people
leading others who
are similarly
incapable.

Let them alone: they

be blind leaders of
the blind. And if the
blind lead the
blind, both shall fall
into the
ditch.( Matthew

Lsaii pe ei; sunt

cluze oarbe, orbilor;
i dac orb pe orb va
cluzi, amndoi vor
cdea n groap.
(Matei 15:14)

Wash my
hands of
the matter

- to stop being
involved with or
responsible for
someone or
something
A se spla pe
mini.

When Pilate saw that he could

prevail nothing, but that rather
a tumult was made, he took
water, and washed his
hands before the multitude,
saying, I am innocent of the
blood of this just person: see
ye to it. (Matthew 27: 24)

i vznd Pilat c
nimic nu folosete, ci
mai mare tulburare se
face, lund ap i-a
splat minile
naintea mulimii,
zicnd: Nevinovat
sunt de sngele
Dreptului acestuia.

The patience of
Job - to have a great
deal of patience
Behold, we count them happy
which endure. Ye have heard of
the patience of Job, and have
seen the end of the Lord; that
the Lord is very pitiful, and of
tender mercy. (James 5:11)
Iat, noi fericim pe cei ce au
rbdat: ai auzit de rbdarea
lui Iov i ai vzut sfritul
hrzit lui de Domnul; c multmilostiv este Domnul i
ndurtor. (Epistola
soborniceasca a Sfantului
Apostol Iacov 5:11)

- Dont start a quarrel or

To turn the other cheek
fight, be humble

Ye have heard that it

hath been said, An
eye for an eye, and a
tooth for a tooth: But
I say unto you, That
ye resist not evil: but
whosoever shall
smite thee on thy
right cheek, turn to
him the other
also(Matthew 5:3839)

Ai auzit c s-a zis: "Ochi

pentru ochi i dinte pentru
dinte". Eu ns v spun
vou: Nu v mpotrivii
celui ru; iar cui te lovete
peste obrazul drept,
ntoarce-i i pe
cellalt. (Matei 5: 38-39)

Ask, and it shall be given you

literary meaning

Ask, and it shall

be given you;
seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it
shall be opened
unto you(Matthew
7:7)

Cerei i vi se
va da; cutai i
vei afla; batei i
vi se va
deschide.(Matei
7:7)

Bibliography
Noul Testament cu psalmi, ed. Institutul Biblic i de
misiune al Bisericii Ortodoxe Romne, Bucureti,1991
Dicionar de proverbe englez-romn, ed. Lucman,
Bucureti, 2006
Dicionar de proverbe i zictori, ed. Epigraf , Chiinu,
Republica Moldova, 2009
Duministrcel, Stelian, Pn n pnzele albe, ed. Institutul
European, Iai, 2001

Webography
www.carm.org
www.bibliaortodoxa.ro
www.marplo.net
www.phrases.org.uk
www.thefreedictionary.com
www.unlockingthebible.org
www.wikipedia.org