A word lover's delight: 150 entries, with meanings and sources, first published in English translations of the Bible.

From "appetite" to "liberty," the Bible has been one of the richest sources for introducing words and concepts into the English language. Even the names of the biblical books, from "Genesis" to "Revelation," have enlarged the English vocabulary. Not only did hundreds of words come into English when biblical translators used them, but so did dozens of now common phrases, from "blood money" to "salt of the earth." The authors cite chapter and verse and trace the words right up to today's headlines. Each entry is a window onto the often-forgotten biblical story that gave rise to the word. Arranged from A to Z, and reader-friendly regardless of faith, the book offers entries about biblical words and phrases that have moved into the general culture. Included is a brief chronology of the English translations of the Bible as well as indexes for source and translator.