圣经典故英文释义

Famous Allusions in the Bible

1.

Garden of Eden

(Gen.2: 15

—

17)

Paradise on earth

2.

Bone of bones and flesh of flesh

(Gen.2: 21

—

23)

Kindred; relationship between husband and wife

3.

Adam and Eve

(Gen.2: 7; 21

—

22)

Ancestor; longevity

4.

Adam’s profession

(Gen.2: 15)

Gardening; planting

5.

Fig Leaves

(Gen.3: 6

—

7)

Something that hides something else, especially unsuccessfully or dishonestly

6.

Curse of Adam

(Gen.3: 17)

To work hard to make a living

7.

Forbidden fruit

(Gen.3: 1

—

5)

A pleasure or enjoyment that is not allowed to get

8.

By the sweat of one’s brow / In the sweat of one’s face

(Gen.3: 19)

By hard working

9.

For dust you are, and to dust you shall return

(Gen.3: 19)

Death; return to nature

10.

Raise Cain

(Gen.4: 3

—

8)

To become very angry; to create a terrible row

11.

As old as Methuselah

(Gen.5: 27)

Long life

12.

Dove and olive leaf

(Gen.8: 6

—

11)

A sign of peace

13.

Tower of Babel

(Gen.11: 1

—

9)

Confusion; castle in the air

14.

Land of promise

(Gen.12: 1)

A place or condition which one believes will bring happiness

15.

Sodom and Gomorrah

(Gen.19: 24

—

25)

Evil place

16

．

Curious as Lot’s wife

(Gen.19: 26)

Too curious

17.

Apple of Sodom

(Gen.19)

Something beautiful-looking but useless

18.

Sell one’s birthright for a plate of lentil potage

(Gen.25: 29

—

32)

Benefit takes precedence over friendship.

19.

Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth-skinned man

(Gen.27:11)

To be at polar opposite

20.

The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau

(Gen.27:22)

To be similar to, but quite different

21.

Coat of many colors

(Gen.37: 3)

1

White- haired boy

22.

Corn in Egypt

(Gen.41)

Rich; abundant

23.

Benjamin’s mess

(Gen.43:34)

The biggest share

24.

Lie with one’s fathers

(Gen.47 :29

—

30)

To pass away

25.

A land flowing with milk and honey

(Exo. 3: 8)

Prosperous land; rich land

26.

Bring the children of Israel out of Egypt

(Exo.3:11)

To bring sb or get sth out plight

27.

Egyptian darkness

(Exo. 10: 21)

Bad days; darkness

28.

Gird one’s loins

(Exo. 12: 11)

TO be ready to take actions

29. Flesh/meat pots in Egypt

(Exo. 16: 3)

Unforgettable days; places for indulgence

30.

Bricks without straw

(Exo. 5: 6

—

9)

To do a job without necessary materials; can do nothing about

31. Moses’ gnats/lice

((Exo. 8: 16)

Magic that overcomes the evil; too many or much

32

.

Pillar of cloud and pillar of fire

(Exo.13: 21

—

22)

A powerful flashing light that guides sb

33.

Eye for eye, tooth for tooth

(Exo21: 22

—

25)

A punishment that hurts the criminal in the same way as they hurt sb else

34.

Boil a young goat/Seethe a kid in its mother’s milk

(Exo. 23: 19)

Too cruel; brother kill each other

35.

Stiff-necked

(Exo. 32: 9)

Stubborn

36. Aaron’s rod

(Exo. 7:8

—

9; Num.17:3

—

5)

Snake; magic

37.

Golden calf

(Exo. 32:1

—

2)

Wealth; money

38. Covenant of salt

(Num.18:19)

The covenant should be honored; to be loyal to the covenant

39. Balaam’s donkey/ass

(Num.22:30)

Usually quiet and obedient person who protests suddenly

40.

Visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children

(Deut.5:7

—

10)

Direct a punishment against the children because of the crimes committed by fathers

41.

Repay sb. to his face

(Deut.7:10)

Immediate retribution

42.

Man shall not live by bread alone

(Deut.8:3)

Men don’t peruse material enjoy

ment only

43.

Take the mother with the young

(Deut.22:6

—

7)

2

Something bad that must be got rid of thoroughly

44.

Muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain

(Deut.25: 4)

Mean

45.

Apple of the eye

(Deut.32: 10)

One’s favorite person or thing

46.

Have

/ Put one’s foot on another’s neck

(Josh.10:24)

To suppress, conquer or treat badly

47.

Samson’s hair

(Judges 16:17)

The source of magic or power

48.

Delilah overcomes Samson

(Judges 16:18

—

19)

Beauty overcomes strength

49.

David spares Saul

(I Sam. 24:3

—

4)

To spare one’s grudge by kind doing

50.

Go to Jericho

(2 Sam. 10:4

—

5)

Suffer from shame; go to Hell!

51.

Smite / Strike sb. under the fifth rib

(2 Sam. 20:10)

To give sb a fatal blow

52.

Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands

(1 Sam. 18:7)

Very different from one another

53.

Go / Walk the way of all the earth

(1 Kings. 2:1

—

2)

To die; return to nature

54.

One’s little finger is thicker than his father’s waist

(1 Kings. 12:10

—

11)

To be greatly superior in one quality (especially sth evil) to another person

55.

Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden

(1 Kings. 21: 2)

Too greedy; unreasonable demands

56.

Sheep that have no shepherd

(1 Kings. 22: 17)

Groups without leaders

57

．

A widow’s cruse / jar

(2 Kings. 4:1

—

7)

To seems limited, but inexhaustible

58

．

Wise as Solomon

(2 Chron. 1:11

—

12)

Very bright

59

．

Naked I came and naked shall I return

(Job 1:21)

I was born with nothing and I will pass away with nothing.

6

0.

Job’s patience / endurance

(Job 1:20

—

22)

Great patience

61

.

Job’s post / messenger

(Job 1:13

—

22)

A person who brings bad news

62.

Job’s comforter

(Job 2:12

—

13)

A person whose attempts to make others feel better actually make them feel worse

63.

Make the hair stand on end

(Job 4:13

—

16)

To shock sb

64.

Wrath kills a foolish man

(Job 5: 2)

Great ganger does harm your health

65.

As the spars fly upward

(Job 5: 7)

3

Unavoidable, be bound to

66.

Be caught in one’ own craftiness

(Job 5:12

—

13)

Harm set, harm get; the counsel of cunning ones comes quickly upon the,selves

67.

A donkey does not bray when it has grass

(Job 6: 5)

Unjust leads to complaint

68.

Escape by / with the skin of one’s teeth

(

Job 19: 20

)

To escape narrowly

69.

Rule with a rod of iron

(

Ps 2:9

—

10

)

To rule in a very severe way

70.

Flee as a bird to the mountain

(Ps 11: 1)

To be eager to return to some place

71.

Bull of Bashan

(Ps 22: 10

—

12)

Fierce enemy

72.

My cup runs over

(Ps 23: 5

—

6)

To be satisfied with; full of happiness

73.

Have clean hands

(Ps 24: 3

—

5)

To be innocent

74.

Lift up the heel against sb

(Ps 41: 9)

Attack or insult sb

75.

Lick the dus

t (Ps 72: 9)

To surrender, say uncle to

76.

Lift up the horn on high

(Ps 75: 4

—

6)

To hold one’s head very high

77.

As far as the east is from the west

(TPs 103: 11

—

12)

Too far from each other; very different from

78.

They do not sleep unless they have done evil

(Prov. 4: 16

—

19)

They do all kind of evil at anytime

79.

Sow discord

(Prov. 6:12

—

15)

To make mischief

80.

Can a man take fire to his bosom and his clothes not be burned?

(Prov. 6:27

—

28)

To ask for trouble

81.

A wise son makes a glad father

(Prov. 10:1)

Parents are proud of their bright children

82.

When the wicked perish, there is jubilation.

(Prov. 11:10)

The public are very happy when the wicked fail.

83.

A ring of gold in a swine’s snout

(Prov. 11:22)

Not match with each other

84.

Spare the rod and spoil the child

(Prov. 13:24)

To forster a child by punishment

85.

A soft answer turns away wrath

(Prov. 15:1

—

2)

86.

A righteous man may fall seven times

(Prov. 24:16)

Try, try, never say die

87.

Heap coals of fire on sb’s head

(Prov. 25:21

—

22)

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