There are many widespread misconceptions about the Bible. Polls consistently show that, despite many people carrying a copy of the Bible, detailed knowledge of its contents is often unclear.
For instance, A Barna Group study, in collaboration with Arizona Christian University, revealed that a vast majority (92%) of American adults hold a syncretistic worldview, mixing various beliefs instead of relying solely on biblical principles.
That gap is where popular culture, wholesome sermons, and centuries of artwork come into play to create a tapestry of ideas that sound biblical but are not found in the books at all.
Here are 13 popular myths that many people think are in the Bible, but aren’t.
Three Wise Men Visited Baby Jesus
We sing the carol of the “three kings of Orient are” at Christmas, but the Bible is imprecise about their number. The Gospel According to Matthew merely states there were “wise men from the East” who offered three types of gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
The assumption that there were three men was derived from the three gifts. The traditional image of three cloaked figures at the Nativity is the product of tradition and has fossilized over centuries into a part of Christmas pageants and decorations.
A Forbidden Apple
The book of Genesis describes a “fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil,” but never specifically says that it was an apple. This idea likely originated from a play on Latin words.
The Latin word for evil, malum, is the same word for an apple. This verbal serendipity, combined with centuries of European artwork depicting the scene with a familiar apple, cemented the idea in the public imagination.
There is some contention that the fruit was more likely a fig, a pomegranate, or another type of fruit.
Jonah Was Swallowed by a Whale
The book of Jonah is a classic, yet it doesn’t mention a whale in the book itself. The Book of Jonah in the Hebrew original mentions a “great fish” (dag gadol). The “whale” aspect likely originated from the Greek translation of the New Testament, where Jesus quotes the narrative using a word that can be applied to a large sea creature.
Biblical studies professor Dr. Diana L. Stone further adds, “The focus of the story is not what kind of fish, but how big God’s mercy is and Jonah’s reluctance to dispense it. The ‘great fish’ is a God-like tool for a God-like lesson.”
Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness
This is a saying that has a very Proverbial ring to it, but it does not appear anywhere in the Bible. In actual fact, it was popularized by John Wesley, the 18th-century founder of Methodism, in one of his sermons.
While the Old Testament contains numerous laws concerning ritual purity and cleanliness, this specific, succinct saying is a more recent invention that succinctly summarizes something many seek in religious piety.
Angels Have Wings and Halos
When you hear the word “angel,” you probably picture a serene creature with wings made of feathers and a halo that shines. But the Bible does not do that very frequently.
While some heavenly beings like seraphim and cherubim are shown with wings, most of the angelic messengers in the Bible are simply men. The wings and halos became standard angelic features in early Christian and Byzantine art, serving as symbolic reminders of their purity and heavenly origin, which have continued to this day.
Money Is the Root of All Evil
One of the most common misquotes. The actual verse, in 1 Timothy 6:10, is close but significantly different: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” The Bible does not criticize money per se, as it is often presented as a neutral tool throughout the Bible.
Instead, it warns against greed and avarice, which may lead people into temptation and self-destructive tendencies. This is a crucial distinction in the application of biblical teachings regarding stewardship and priorities.
Also in MSN: 15 hardest questions Christians struggle to answer
God Helps Those Who Help Themselves
This self-reliant motto is sometimes attributed to the Bible, but its origin traces back to ancient Greece. It appears in Aesop’s Fables (“Hercules and the Waggoner”).
Benjamin Franklin later made it popular in his Poor Richard’s Almanack. Biblical teaching typically emphasizes the opposite: faith in God and the support of society, especially the poor and vulnerable.
The Bible is full of reminders to care for the stranger, the widow, and the orphan, not to abandon them to struggle on their own.
The Seven Deadly Sins Are Listed in the Bible
While the behaviors of pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth are clearly condemned in scripture, they are never stated as an official list.
This general division was first established by the 4th-century Christian monk Evagrius Ponticus and subsequently formalized by Pope Gregory I in the 6th century.
This framework proved to be a persuasive pedagogical and introspective tool, which is why it has persisted for so long.
Delilah Cut Samson’s Hair
In the tragic story of the Book of Judges, Delilah is responsible for the downfall of Samson, but she doesn’t perform the cutting herself.
According to the Bible, after Delilah had lain with Samson on her lap and made him sleep, she “called for a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair.” Delilah was the one who instigated and planned the action, but an accomplice performed the act.
Pride Comes Before the Fall
This is a near-quote but not a real one. The verse, Proverbs 16:18, is really, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” While the meaning is very close, the popular version is an oversimplified paraphrase.
The wording of scripture conveys a more poetic and powerful caution about the dangers of arrogance, a recurring theme throughout the Bible’s wisdom literature.
All the Animals Entered the Ark Two by Two
The history of Noah’s Ark is a trifle more complicated than the familiar “two by two” nursery rhyme implies. God instructed Noah, as reported by Genesis 7, to bring two of every “unclean” animal (a male and a female), but seven pairs of every “clean” animal and bird of every kind.
This was significant in providing beasts to offer sacrifices once the floodwaters had abated, without eliminating a species.
Mary Magdalene Was a Prostitute
Perhaps the most famous female in the New Testament, Mary Magdalene, is universally and wrongly remembered as being a prostitute. She is a disciple of Jesus to whom seven demons were cast out, according to the Bible.
The misconception stems from a homily delivered by Pope Gregory I in 591, in which he conflated Mary Magdalene with two other unnamed women mentioned in the Gospels, one of whom is portrayed as a “sinful woman.”
This conflation has captivated popular imagination for centuries, but it has no Scriptural foundation.
To Thine Own Self Be True
This famous saying, popularly thought to be a biblical adage, is really copied outright from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It is spoken by the character Polonius as he counsels his son Laertes.
While the Bible teaches much regarding honesty, integrity, and pleasing God, this particular word of wisdom, with its emphasis on individual self-leadership, is Renaissance writing, not ancient scripture.
Key Takeaways
Tradition Alters Perception: The majority of the most well-known “biblical” concepts are the product of art, literature, and cultural tradition built up over several centuries.
Details Are Important: Small inaccuracies or simplifications (e.g., “money is the source of all evil”) can completely change the intended meaning of the original passage.
Read for Yourself: The distinction between what we think the Bible says and what it does say highlights the importance of reading it for oneself.
Context is Everything: Knowing who composed what, when, and why (such as the catalog of Seven Deadly Sins) serves to distinguish original scripture from subsequent theological paradigms.
Read more: 7 Morning Rituals Women Swear By for More Energy and Confidence
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
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