A few months ago I won a free book from Sacristy Press and they shipped it all the way to Canada from the U.K., along with another book as a lagniappe (see Quiz: Words Lately Learned).
The book is a slim volume called The Writing on the Wall: Everyday Phrases from the King James Bible. It gives the meaning and context of 65 well-known phrases that originated in the King James Version of the Bible (and occasionally in older translations).
The King James Version was translated between 1604 and 1611. It has left an enduring mark on the English language, both written and spoken.
The Writing on the Wall is organized in order of the biblical books and highlights one phrase from each. A brief introduction to the Old Testament is divided into “Chronology,” “Composition,” and “Covenant.” A one-page description of the Intertestamental Period provides concise historical context. The equally short introduction to the New Testament focuses on “the amazing testimony of God’s intervention in human affairs through his son, Jesus Christ” and its relevance today.
For each entry the phrase is briefly defined. For example, “to be a scapegoat” is explained as “being made to bear the blame for others.” What follows is a long paragraph describing the contents of the particular book of the Bible. I was impressed with the coverage of key events and themes. Specific Bible references are included, along with cross-references to other pages in The Writing on the Wall.
The last section in each entry is titled “About the Phrase” and covers where else it occurs in the Bible, as well as the extra-biblical history of the phrase or concept, either before the KJV was published or in the centuries since. Literary and cultural references abound, including Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, the Code of Hammurabi, Lyle’s Golden Syrup, Guinness World Records, Homer, “Occupy Wall Street,” Martin Luther King Jr, Handel, Gandhi, and the list goes on.
In reading this book I came across phrases that I knew had a biblical origin — “an eye for an eye” (Exodus 21:24), “pride goes before a fall (Proverbs 16:18) — and others that I didn’t know originated in the KJV — “at one’s wit’s end” (Psalm 107:27), “give up the ghost” (Lamentations 1:19).
The Writing on the Wall includes a glossary of approximately 40 terms, both religious and literary, which should come in handy for readers unfamiliar with the Bible.
Unfortunately, at 104 pages The Writing on the Wall includes only one phrase from each book of the Bible. However, at the end you’ll find an index of 150 idioms and phrases from the KJV; references are provided along with page numbers for the phrases found in the book.
This book should be of interest to anyone intrigued by the history of the English language, particularly its idioms. I also found it surprisingly helpful in explaining the thrust of each book of the Bible, so I recommend it to those who want an overview of them. The Writing on the Wall is not exhaustive, but it is undeniably educational and interesting.