A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob

Here are some of the most striking examples of biblical proverbs and idioms that “break” when translated word-for-word.

1. “A Long Nose” (Exodus 34:6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth)
   Literal Hebrew: Erech apayim (אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם)

English Meaning: “Slow to anger” or “Patient.”

Why it’s lost: In Hebrew thought, when you get angry, your nostrils flare and get hot. A person who is patient has a “long nose,” meaning it takes a long time for the heat of anger to travel the distance and finally “break out.” If translated literally, God would simply be described as having a very long nose.

2. “Covering the Feet” (1 Samuel 24:3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself, and David and his men remained in the recesses of the cave.)
   Literal Hebrew: Le’hasech et raglav (לְהָסֵךְ אֶת רַגְלָיו)

English Meaning: Using the bathroom.

Why it’s lost: This is a polite euphemism. In the ancient world, when a man wearing a long robe squatted to relieve himself, the robe would “cover his feet.” If you read a literal translation of King Saul going into a cave to “cover his feet,” it sounds like he’s taking a nap or putting on socks.

3. “A Gold Ring in a Swine’s Snout” (Proverbs 11:22 As is a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so also is a fair woman who is without discretion.)
   Literal Hebrew: Nezem zahav be’af chazir (נֶזֶם זָהָב בְּאַף חֲזִיר)

English Meaning: Beauty without character is useless/incongruous.

Why it’s lost: While we understand the metaphor of “pearls before swine,” this specific image refers to a nose ring—a piece of high-fashion jewelry in ancient Israel. The proverb is mocking the idea of putting something expensive and refined (beauty) on something inherently messy and “unclean” (a lack of discretion).

4. “Uncircumcised Ears” (Jeremiah 6:10 To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised and they cannot hearken; behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.)
   Literal Hebrew: Arela oznam (עֲרֵלָה אָזְנָם)

English Meaning: Stubborn or incapable of listening.

Why it’s lost: To the biblical mind, “uncircumcised” meant something was “closed” or “clogged” and therefore couldn’t fulfill its purpose. Literal translations sound like a bizarre medical deformity, but the meaning is simply that the people have closed their minds to the truth.

5. “Cleanliness of Teeth” (Amos 4:6 “And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places; yet have ye not returned unto Me,” saith the Lord.)
   Literal Hebrew: Nikyon shinayim (נִקְיון שִׁנַּיִם)

English Meaning: Famine or starvation.

Why it’s lost: In modern English, “clean teeth” sounds like a compliment from a dentist. In the Bible, it’s a curse: your teeth are clean because you have absolutely no food to eat.

~ by Joel on January 1, 2026.

Posted in Scriptures Studies