Picture description: Family
Picture copyright: V.
“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” (Psalms 127:1)
To labour in vain is to do things without achieving much.
This quote from Psalms is popular with Christians. This psalm teaches people to set their eyes on God rather than to follow their own ways. Without God’s blessing, there is nothing.
The “house” and “city” are metaphors. Bible commentators generally believe that both metaphors refer to family; that only by relying on God’s blessings can a family be secured and enriched.
We fought a good fight and did not labour in vain.
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Chinese Bible (???)
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!