Biblical Allusions Flashcards
Adam and Eve
the first two humans on earth were Adam and Eve.
Abraham and Isaac
Abraham, reportedly 100 years old, and his wife, Sarah, had an only son named Isaac. God asked Abraham to sacrifice the son as a burnt offering and Abraham promised he would. Then at the last possible moment, God provided an animal for sacrifice instead. The story showed that if you have faith and are willing to give up anything God asks, he will bless you later
Apostles, the Twelve
An apostle is a person who is sent byGod with a message for the people. The apostle of Jesus were Matthew, Peter, James (the greater), John, Judas Iscariot, Matthias, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James the lesser, Simon and Thaddeus
Armageddon
Revelation–Armageddon is the scene of a battle between the forces of good and evil, ending the world. Armageddon is now used to describe any fierce confrontation resulting in mutual destruction
Cain and Abel
twin brothers, sons of Adam and Ee. Cain murdered his brother, Abel, and God put a mark on Cain so everyone would know he was a murderer, but also so people would know he was under God’s protection. In present day, the mark of Cain refers to the stigma of anyone who has committed a crime or is an outcast by societal standards.
city on a hill
Matthew–the city on the hill appears in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus described a “City that is set on a hill that cannot be hid,” a place that was the “light of the world.” this refereed to a place that would be a shining example and a model to others, and the phrase is still used in that sense
daniel in the lion’s den
prophet who went through many trails and tribulations in Babylon. He had four visions of the end of the world, and these visions were the basis for the book of Revelation. Now a person confronted with difficulties is compared to Daniel in the lion’s den and is encouraged to hold up in the face of adversity or persecution, as he did
David and Goliath
Anyone who confronts great odds is considered a David going against a Goliath
Ham
Youngest son of Noah. Because Noah’s descendants bear the curse of servitude, Ham can be used as an allusion to this condition
Elijah and Jezebel
A wicked Phoenician princess who became the wife of Ahab, king of Israel, Queen Jezebel was opposed to Elijah’s monotheistic views and forced him to leave Phoenicia. She was thrown out a palace window, killed, and eaten by dogs, as Elijah had predicted. A Jezebel now is any wicked or shameless woman
Esther and the king of Persia
Esther and her foster father, Mordecai, helped deliver the Jews from persecution by the king of Persia
feet of clay
Daniel–Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of someone having a gold head, silver arms, bras belly, iron legs, and feet of clay. Daniel predicted the feet of clay were the weakness and foretold the fall of Nebuchadnezzar’s empire. The expression “feet of clay” now refers to the flaw of an otherwise strong and admirable person
four horsemen of the apocalypse
Revelation–In St. Johns’ view of the end of the world he saw four horses representing the horrors of war: conquest, slaughter, famine, and death. Today the “four horsemen” phrase is used to represent any four men of ill repute or those who will bring catastrophe or destruction
good Samaritan
they lived in Samaria and honored Moses as the only prophet, but were at odds with other Jews. Jesus told a parable of a Samaritan who did what he thought was right even under pressure from others. Now a good Samaritan is anyone who does the right and courageous thing.
Jacob and Esau
twin boys born to Isaac and Rebekah. Esau, a hunter, and Jacob, a shepherd, fought over the promise of spiritual privileges and birthright. Sometimes people refer to any arguing or greedy family members as being like Jacob and Esau
Job
His family was killed, stricken with illness, and deprived of his worldly goods. He kept his faith during his suffering, though he complained loud and long as the result of a wager between God and Satan. Today people talk of the “patience of Job,” alluding to this story
Jonah and the whale
Later the whale vomited Jonah out and then Jonah went to Assyria and preached repentance as he had been commanded earlier. The story showed God’s love for both Jews and Gentiles
Joshua and the battle of Jericho
Joshua succeeded Moses and led Israel in conquering Canaan. The fall of the city of Jericho was a major battle ending in victory for the Israelites.
Judas Iscariot
betrayed Jesus to the authorities. A traitor
Lazarus
brought back to life by Jesus. Now someone who survives a disaster or rises again from apparent defeat is often called a Lazarus
Lot and his wife
Abraham’s nephew and lived in Sodom until god destroyed the city because of its wickedness. Lot escaped, but his wife was turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back at the burning city
Noah and the flood
Commanded to build an ark and he did so, and received a blessing of fertility. He later was guilty of drunkenness, but his sons, Ham, Shem, and Japheth became the legendary ancestors of the tribes of the ancient Middle East
Peter
Three times he denied he knew Jesus. He is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church
prodigal son
parable of the prodigal son relates the story of a spendthrift son, who upon repentance and returning home, was warmly welcomed by his father. Any young man who is wayward and then forgiven by his family after he changes his ways and returns home is now called a prodigal son
Samson and Delilah
Samson, an Israelite judge renowned for his strength, was betrayed to the Philistines by his mistress, Delilah. Now any hard-hearted, disloyal woman is called a Delilah, and a well-built, physically strong man is called a Samson
Sodom and Gomorrah
Genesis–cities that God destroyed because their people were so sinful. Today, any place deemed unwholesome is referred to as a Sodom and Gomorrah
King Solomon
Son of King David. Reigned for about 50 years, became rich, wrote books, and was considered a wise man. People refer to the wisdom of Solomon when referring to someone who is fair and astute
Thomas
Not believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead until he actually saw the wounds on Jesus after he reappeared. Now anyone who doubts or questions things which others believe is called a doubtingThomas
three wise men
firsts Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus’ divinity. Magi who came from teh East, guided by a start, to pay homage to baby Jesus.
