“For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18) (English Standard Version)
We still use this expression to signify something minute but important, e.g. “an iota of truth”.
Greek is the language of the New Testament, and iota is the smallest of the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet. When Jesus said the above to the people on the Mount of Beatitudes, he meant that even the smallest letter of God’s law should be preserved and remain unchanged as time goes by.
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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!