Words and sayings, checked
Is it in the Bible?
The words and sayings people look up most, each with a straight answer, the count in two Bibles, and the verses to read. Anything else, type it into the checker.
A free tool from Lumin, the Bible AI that cites every verse.Get the app
Words
Is this word in the Bible?
Counted in the Lumin Translation and the King James Version, from A to Z.
In the Bible
AI
Ai is in the Bible, as a city. It is first named in Genesis 12:8 and is best known from Joshua 7 and 8. Artificial intelligence is not in the Bible.
Not in the Bible
Alcohol
Alcohol is not in the Bible. Scripture speaks of wine and strong drink, and warns against drunkenness: “Do not get drunk with wine” (Ephesians 5:18). Proverbs 20:1 calls wine a mocker.
In the Bible
Aliens
Aliens is in the Bible, but it means foreigners, as in Ephesians 2:19. Beings from other planets are not mentioned.
In the Bible
Amen
Amen is Hebrew for “so be it” or “truly.” It first appears in Numbers 5:22. Jesus often opened his sayings with it, translated “truly” or “verily.”
Not in the Bible
Bible
The Bible never calls itself the Bible. The word comes from the Greek biblia, “books.” Scripture calls itself “the Scriptures” and “the word of God.”
Not in the Bible
Cat
There are no cats in the 66 books. The one cat in Scripture is in the Letter of Jeremiah (Baruch 6:22), in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. Dogs appear often.
In the Bible
Christian
Christian appears only three times, counting Christians: Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Not in the Bible
Christmas
Christmas is not in the Bible. The birth of Jesus is told in Matthew 1 and 2 and Luke 2. The feast came later in church history.
In the Bible
Church
Church first appears in Matthew 16:18. The Greek word, ekklesia, means an assembly: people called together, not a building.
In the Bible
Demon
The King James Version never says demon. It says devils for the Greek daimonion. The Lumin Translation says demon, as in Matthew 8:28.
Not in the Bible
Dinosaur
Dinosaur is not in the Bible. The word was coined in 1842. Job 40 and 41 describe Behemoth and Leviathan, great creatures readers have long debated.
In the Bible
Dog
Dogs appear often, first in Exodus 11:7. In Scripture they are mostly street scavengers, and “dog” is often an insult, as in 1 Samuel 17:43.
In the Bible
Dragon
Dragon is in the Bible, mostly in Revelation. Revelation 12:9 names the great dragon: the ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan.
King James only
Easter
The King James Version says Easter once, in Acts 12:4, for the Greek pascha, the Passover. Modern translations, including the Lumin Translation, say Passover.
In the Bible
Ghost
The King James Version says ghost more than 100 times, mostly in “Holy Ghost” and “gave up the ghost.” Modern translations say Holy Spirit and “breathed his last.”
In the Bible
Grandparents
The Lumin Translation says grandparents once, in 1 Timothy 5:4. The King James Version says parents there. Timothy’s grandmother Lois is named in 2 Timothy 1:5.
In the Bible
Hallelujah
Hallelujah is Hebrew for “praise Yahweh.” The Lumin Translation keeps it, mostly in the Psalms. The King James Version translates it “Praise ye the LORD” and uses the Greek form, Alleluia, four times in Revelation 19.
Not in the Bible
Halloween
Halloween is not in the Bible. The name comes from All Hallows’ Eve, the night before All Saints’ Day, a church feast from centuries later. Scripture does forbid divination and sorcery on any day (Deuteronomy 18:10).
In the Bible
Hell
The King James Version says hell for several words: Sheol, Hades, and Gehenna. The Lumin Translation keeps Sheol and Hades as names, so hell appears less often there.
King James only
Jehovah
The King James Version uses Jehovah in a few places, first in Genesis 22:14 (Jehovah-jireh). It is a later spelling of God’s name in Hebrew. The Lumin Translation writes Yahweh.
King James only
Lucifer
The King James Version says Lucifer once, in Isaiah 14:12. It is Latin for “light bearer,” the morning star. Modern translations say “morning star.”
Not in the Bible
Pope
Pope is not in the Bible. The title, from a word for “father,” came into use in the early church. Catholic teaching links the office to Peter, drawing on Matthew 16:18.
Not in the Bible
Purgatory
Purgatory is not in the Bible. Catholic teaching draws the idea from passages such as 1 Corinthians 3:15 and 2 Maccabees 12. Protestant churches do not hold it.
In the Bible
Rainbow
In Genesis 9:13 God’s sign to Noah is called a bow in the clouds. The word rainbow comes later, in Ezekiel 1:28 and around God’s throne in Revelation 4:3.
Not in the Bible
Rapture
Rapture is not in English Bibles. It comes from the Latin rapiemur, “we will be caught up,” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
In the Bible
Religion
Religion is rare in the Bible, a handful of times. James 1:27 says pure religion is caring for orphans and widows and keeping oneself untainted by the world.
In the Bible
Sabbath
Sabbath first appears in Exodus 16:23, “a holy Sabbath to Yahweh.” The Hebrew word comes from a verb meaning to stop or rest.
Not in the Bible
Santa
Santa Claus is not in the Bible. The name comes from Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop. The birth of Jesus is told in Matthew 1 and 2 and Luke 2.
In the Bible
Tattoos
Leviticus 19:28 is the one verse. The Lumin Translation says tattoos. The King James Version says “print any marks upon you.”
In the Bible
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is in the Bible, first for the thanksgiving sacrifice in Leviticus 7:12. Psalm 100:4: “Come through his gates with thanksgiving.” The American holiday is not.
In the Bible
Tithe
A tithe is a tenth. It first appears in Leviticus 27:30, and Malachi 3:10 says “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse.”
Not in the Bible
Trinity
The word Trinity is not in the Bible. The teaching is drawn from passages that name the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit together, such as Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14.
King James only
Unicorn
The King James Version says unicorn six times, and unicorns three more, for a Hebrew animal (re’em) that modern translations call a wild ox, as in Numbers 23:22.
King James only
Witch
The King James Version says witch twice, first in Exodus 22:18. Modern translations say sorceress, and the Lumin Translation says “Do not allow a sorceress to live.”
In the Bible
Yahweh
Yahweh is God’s personal name in the Hebrew Bible. The Lumin Translation writes it out. The King James Version prints it as “the LORD,” and as Jehovah a few times.
Sayings
Sayings people think are in the Bible.
None of these is a Bible verse as worded. Each page says where it comes from and what Scripture says instead.
Not in the Bible
“God helps those who help themselves”
Scripture keeps pointing the other way: God helps the helpless (Romans 5:6).
A misquote of 1 Corinthians 10:13
“God will not give you more than you can handle”
1 Corinthians 10:13 is about temptation: God will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, and he makes the way out. Paul also writes of being weighed down beyond his strength so that he would rely on God, not himself (2 Corinthians 1:8-9).
Not in the Bible
“Cleanliness is next to godliness”
Scripture’s concern is a clean heart (Psalm 51:10), and Jesus warned against cleaning the outside of the cup while the inside stays full of greed (Matthew 23:25-26).
Not in the Bible
“This too shall pass”
Scripture does say the things that are seen are temporary (2 Corinthians 4:18) and that joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5), but this line is not in it.
A misquote of 1 Timothy 6:10
“Money is the root of all evil”
1 Timothy 6:10 says the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. The short version drops “the love of,” and the point goes with it.
A misquote of Proverbs 13:24
“Spare the rod, spoil the child”
The rhyme is Butler’s. Proverbs 13:24 makes a related point in different words: whoever loves his son is careful to discipline him.
Not in the Bible
“Everything happens for a reason”
People often mean Romans 8:28, which says that for those who love God, all things work together toward good. That is a promise about God’s purpose, not a claim that every event carries its own reason.
Christian tradition, not Scripture
“Hate the sin, love the sinner”
The idea draws on Scripture, but the phrasing is not in it. Romans 5:8 shows God’s love for sinners, and Jude 22-23 pairs mercy for people with hatred of what stains them.
Christian tradition, not Scripture
“God works in mysterious ways”
Scripture does say God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9) and beyond tracing out (Romans 11:33), but this line comes from a hymn.
Not in the Bible
“To thine own self be true”
It is Shakespeare, not Scripture. Jeremiah 17:9 is far less confident in the heart, and Proverbs 3:5-6 says to trust Yahweh rather than depend on your own understanding.
A misquote of Isaiah 11:6
“The lion will lie down with the lamb”
In Isaiah 11:6 the wolf stays with the lamb and the leopard beds down with the young goat. In Isaiah 65:25 the wolf and the lamb graze together and the lion eats straw like the ox. No verse has the lion lie down with the lamb.
A misquote of Proverbs 16:18
“Pride goes before a fall”
Proverbs 16:18 says pride comes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. The popular line folds the two halves into one.
Not in the Bible
“Moderation in all things”
Paul does say that athletes exercise self-control in all things (1 Corinthians 9:25), and self-control is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Not in the Bible
“Charity begins at home”
Scripture does say to provide for your own household (1 Timothy 5:8), and also to do good to everyone, especially the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).
Not in the Bible
“Idle hands are the devil’s workshop”
Paul does warn against living in idleness (2 Thessalonians 3:11-12), and Proverbs sends the lazy person to watch the ant (Proverbs 6:6-8).
A misquote of John 17:14-16
“Be in the world but not of the world”
The line is a summary, not a quote. In John 17 Jesus asks the Father not to remove his followers from the world but to keep them from the evil one, because they are not from the world.
Not in the Bible
“The eyes are the window to the soul”
Jesus uses a different picture: the eye is the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22-23).
Not in the Bible
“When God closes a door, he opens a window”
Revelation 3:7-8 speaks of Christ as the one who opens and no one will shut, and Proverbs 16:9 says a person plans their way, but Yahweh makes their steps firm.
Not in the Bible
“God needed another angel”
Often said at funerals, and kindly meant. Scripture does not teach that people become angels when they die. Angels are spirits in God’s service (Hebrews 1:14). For those who have fallen asleep through Jesus, the hope is resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
Not in the Bible
“Better to stay silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt”
Often credited to Abraham Lincoln or Mark Twain. Proverbs 17:28 makes a similar point: even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise.
Not in the Bible
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day”
Scripture does value work and sharing: whoever is not willing to work should not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10), and we work so we have something to share with anyone in need (Ephesians 4:28).
Not in the Bible
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be”
It is Shakespeare. Scripture warns that the borrower is slave to the lender (Proverbs 22:7) but praises the person who is gracious and lends (Psalm 37:26).
Not in the Bible
“To err is human, to forgive divine”
It is Pope, not Scripture. The Bible asks people to forgive each other just as God forgave them in Christ (Ephesians 4:32).
Not in the Bible
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions”
Proverbs 14:12 says there is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.
Christian tradition, not Scripture
“Pray as though everything depends on God; work as though everything depends on you”
Often credited to Augustine or to Ignatius of Loyola; the source is uncertain. Nehemiah 4:9 shows both at once: they prayed to God and posted a guard.
Christian tradition, not Scripture
“Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words”
Scripture asks for the life and the words: let your light shine so people see the good you do (Matthew 5:16), and be ready to explain the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15). Paul asks how anyone can hear with no one to preach (Romans 10:14).
Not in the Bible
“Time heals all wounds”
Scripture names God, not time, as the healer: he heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3).
Christian tradition, not Scripture
“Let go and let God”
A devotional slogan, not a verse. Scripture does invite you to throw every worry onto God because he cares about you (1 Peter 5:7), and to trust him with all your heart (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Not in the Bible
“What goes around comes around”
People sometimes mean Galatians 6:7-8: whatever a person sows, that is what he will also reap. Paul ties it to God, who is not mocked, not to fate.
Not in the Bible
“God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers”
Paul heard a different word: “My grace is enough for you, for power is made complete in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Christian tradition, not Scripture
“The seven deadly sins”
The list is not in the Bible. Proverbs 6:16-19 names seven things detestable to Yahweh, a different list, and Paul names the deeds of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21.
Made by Lumin
The Bible AI that keeps the verse beside every answer.
Ask a real Bible question, study a chapter with a guide, pray, and carry Sunday’s sermon into the week. Every answer names Scripture you can open. Free to start on iPhone and iPad.
See what Lumin doesFree tools from Lumin
More free tools.
If you want a Christian AI that cites its sources
Lumin keeps the verse open beside the answer.
Ask a Bible question, study a chapter, pray, or carry Sunday’s sermon into the week. Every answer names Scripture you can check. Free to start on iPhone and iPad.