The Bible has been the most influential text in all of Western culture. It's difficult to understand medieval or early modern or much of modern literature without knowing it...
Prof. Barbara Newman, Northwestern University from 2006 Bible Literary project
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It's not that it's impossible to read some writers without a Biblical background, but that you would miss a whole dimension to their work.
Prof. Steven Goldsmith, University of California at Berkeley from 2006 Bible Literary Project
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I can only say that if a student doesn't know any Bible literature, he or she will simply not understand whole elements of Shakespeare, Sidney, Spenser, Milton, Pope, Wordsworth
Prof. Robert Kiely, Harvard University from 2006 Bible Literary Project
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...there is truth in the remark. "without Tyndale[Bible translator], no Shakespeare"...
Prof. David Daniell, University College London from The Bible in English
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You can't really study Western literature intelligently or coherently without starting with the Bible.
Prof. Gerald L. Bruns, University of Notre Dame from 2006 Bible Literary Project
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...a familiar understanding of Christian doctrine in historical perspective thus contributes to a fuller appreciation of Shakespeare's art, but Shakespeare's art
Prof. Roland M. Frye from Shakespeare and the Christian Doctrine
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In English tradition and also for an American tradition begun by Puritan writers, a knowledge of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament is even more crucial than classical references.
Prof. Ulrich Knoefplmacher, Princeton University from 2006 Bible Literary Project
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There is no book more important for our culture than the Bible, and it is fundametal to the study of English literature and language.
Prof. David Jasper and Prof. Stephen Prickett from the Bible and literature
图片说明: The war against the Benjamites(Judges 20:1-13) 图片版权: V. Gilbert and Arlisle F. Beers
圣经经文
“All the people rose as one man, saying, “None of us will go home. No, not one of us will return to his house.”(Judges 20:8) “众民都起来如同一人,说,我们连一人都不回自己帐棚﹑自己房屋去。”(士师记20:8)
意思
“to arise as one man”(同心协力)意为同心协力。
来源及应用
以下是旧约中一个强暴场景的描述。 在以色列,一个利未族人纳了一个小妾;此妾离开丈夫回到伯利恒的父家后,利未人便去岳父家将她带回家。 途中利未族人在便雅悯一个老人的家中过夜。当晚,城中的匪徒包围了房子,要求和利未人发生关系。老人说服他们不要和男子交合,并带出了他自己的女儿和利未人的小妾。匪徒们强暴了小妾整晚,直到拂晓,小妾才回到房子,躺倒在门口。天亮了,利未人见小妾已毫无反应,便把她抬在驴背上带回家。一回到家,他把小妾剁成十二块,派人拿着传送以色列四境。于是,以色列所有的族群都聚集起来就这事询问利未人。他们听闻详情后,决定同心协力 (arise as one man)地对抗便雅悯族,也就是强暴发生地方所在的族群。
A lot of phrases, such as "two-edged sword" and " an eye for an eye", are taken from the English Bible. Learning the stories behind these idioms is fun, and can help boost your vocabulary. Click here to find out now!
Common names such as Joseph and Rachel have their origins in the Bible. Want to know their stories before picking the right name for yourself? Click here to find out.