The type of figure of speech is often stated in parentheses. Many of these expressions are Hebraisms literally preserved in Greek. See also the New Testament idioms page.
ARM Lk 1:51 he did a mighty deed with his arm (metonymy=power; cf. HAND, FINGER) (also Jn 12:38) BLOOD: Mt 27:4 having betrayed innocent blood (synecdoche) Mt 16:17 flesh and blood (synecdoche) (also Gal. 1:16) Jn 1:13 born ... not of bloods (synecdoche) Acts 18:6 Your blood be on your own heads (metonymy) 1 Jn 1:7 the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin (metonymy) BODY: 1 Cor 12:27 you are the body of Christ (metaphor) BOSOM: Jn 1:18 The only one, himself God, who is in the bosom of the Father, has made him known. (metaphor) BOWELS (SPLAGKXNA, inward parts): 2 Cor 6:12 you are restricted in your bowels (metaphor) Phil 2:1 if any bowels and mercies (bowels=metaphor) Eph 4:32 good-boweled (=English tender-hearted, both Greek and English are metaphors) BREAD: Jn 6:48 I am the bread of life (metaphor) BREAK (different Greek verbs used metaphorically): Acts 2:42 break bread Acts 21:13 breaking my heart BURN: 1 Cor 7:9 It is better to marry than to burn (metaphor) Rom 1:27 burned with lust for each other (metaphor) CHILD/CHILDREN: Lk 7:35 wisdom is proved right by all her children (metaphor) Eph 2:3 children of wrath CIRCUMCISION: Acts 7:51 uncircumcised hearts and ears (metaphor) CLEAN: Acts 18:6 I am clean (metaphor=innocent) CLOUD: Jude 12 they are clouds without water (metaphor) COOL: Mt 24:12 the love of many will cool (metaphor) CROSS: Mt 10:38 he who does not take his cross (metaphor) CUP: Mk 14:36 take this cup away from me 1 Cor 10:16 the cup of blessing Rev 14:10 the cup of his wrath DAUGHTER(S): Mt 21:5 the daughter of Zion (synecdoche) DIE (also see under individual verbs): SEE death TASTE death SLEEP Mk 15:37 But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed no more (euphemism) Lk 2:29 dismiss your servant (euphemism) EARS: Lk 9:44 put into your ears these words (metaphor=listen carefully to these words)
Acts 11:22 And the news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem (metonymy=hear) 2 Tim 4:3 teachers tickling the ear (metaphor) see under OPEN EYE(S): Mt 6:22 the lamp of the body is the eye (also see Lk 11:34) Acts 26:18 to open their eyes (metaphor) Eph 1:18 the eyes of your heart (metaphor) Rom 3:18 there is no fear of God before their eyes (metonymy=them, the persons) 1 Pet 3:12 the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous (metonymy=see) 2 Pet 2:14 with eyes full of adultery (metonymy) FACE: Mt 11:10 I send my messenger before your face (synecdoche=you) Mt 16:3 you know how to interpret the face of the sky (metonymy=appearance) Lk 9:51 he resolutely set his face to go to Jerusalem (synecdoche=decided) 1 Pet 3:12 the face of the Lord is against those who do evil (synecdoche=the Lord himself) FALL: Lk 1:12 and fear fell on him (metaphor) Lk 10:30 fell among robbers FATHER: Rom 4:17 a father of many nations Heb 12:9 the father of spirits Jas 1:17 the father of lights FEET: Rom 3:13 their feet are swift to shed blood (synecdoche=persons) Rom 10:15 how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news (synecdoche=persons) 1 Cor 15:25 until he has put all his enemies under his feet (metonymy=control) FINGER: Lk 11:20 if I cast out demons by the finger of God (metonymy for power; see ARM, HAND) FLESH: Jn 1:13 born ... not of the will of the flesh (metonymy) Rom 7:18 nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh (metonymy) Gal 5:16 you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (metonymy) Jude 7 went after different flesh (synecdoche) FRUIT: Gal 5:22 the fruit of the Spirit (metaphor) Phil 1:11 the fruit of righteousness (metaphor) GROW: 2 Pet 3:18 grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (metaphor) HAND(S): Mt 26:64 from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power (metonymy) Lk 1:71 that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us (metonymy) Lk 23:46 into your hands I commit my spirit (synecdoche) Jn 10:28 no one will snatch them from my hand (synecdoche) Acts 11:21 the hand of the Lord was with them (metonymy=power) Jas 4:8 Wash your hands, you sinners (synecdoche) HEAD: 1 Cor 11:3 Now I want you to realise that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. (metaphor) 1 Pet 2:7 the head of the corner (metaphor) HEART: Mt 5:8 the pure in heart (metaphor) Mt 11:29 lowly in heart (metaphor) Mt 13:15 the heart of this people has become dull (metaphor) Mk 3:5 the hardness of their hearts (metaphor) (also Eph. 4:18) Lk 2:51 his mother kept all these sayings in her heart (metaphor) Lk 24:25 slow of heart (metaphor) Lk 24:32 Did not our heart burn within us? (metaphor) Acts 4:32 were of one heart and mind (metaphor) Acts 5:4 place on your heart (metaphor) Acts 13:22 a man after my own heart Acts 16:14 The Lord opened her heart (metaphor) 2 Cor 6:11 opened wide our hearts to you (metaphor) Rom 1:21 their foolish heart was darkened (metaphor) Phil 1:7 I have you in my heart (metaphor) HEAVEN: Mt 5:3 theirs is the kingdom of Heaven (euphemism=God) Lk 4:25 the heaven was shut for three and a half years HEEL: Jn 13:18 He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me (metonymy) HORN: Lk 1:69 he has raised up a horn of salvation for us HOUSE: Mk 3:25 if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand (metonymy) HUNGER: Mt 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (metaphor) KNIT: Col 2:2 having been knit together in love KNOW: Mt 1:25 he did not know her (euphemism) LEAVEN/YEAST: Mt 16:6 beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (metaphor) LIFT (see RAISE) LIGHT: Matt. 5:15 Don't hide your light under a basket. (metaphor) Jn 8:12 I am the light of the world (metaphor) LIPS: Rom 3:13 The poison of asps is under their lips (metaphor) LIVING: Jn 4:10 living water 1 Pet 1:23 the living and enduring word of God 1 Pet 2:4 living stone LOINS: Acts 2:30 from the fruit of his loins [metaphor (fruit) and euphemism (loins)] 1 Pet 1:13 having girded up the loins of your mind (metaphor) MAN: Rom 6:6 our old man was crucified with him (metaphor) Eph 2:15 in himself he might make the two into one new man Eph 4:25 and to put on the new man (metaphor) 1 Pet 3:4 the hidden man of the heart (synecdoche) MIND (see SOUL) MOSES: Lk 16:29 They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. (metonymy) MOUTH: Mt 13:35 I will open my mouth in parables (metaphor) Lk 1:64 his mouth was opened (metaphor) Rom 3:14 whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness (metonymy=speak) 2 Cor 6:11 our mouth is open unto you (metaphor) NECK: Acts 7:51 stiff-necked (metaphor=stubborn) OPEN: Jn 9:26 How did he open your eyes? (metaphor=cause to see) Mk 7:35 the man's ears were opened (metaphor=hear) 1 Pet 3:12 his ears are open to their prayer (metaphor=hear) POWER: Mt 26:64 from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power (euphemism for God) PUT AWAY: 1 Cor 7:12 let him not put her away (metaphor for divorce) QUENCH/STIFLE: 1 Thess. 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit (metaphor) RAISE: Mt 17:8 lifting up their eyes Lk 17:13 raised their voices Jn 11:41 raised his eyes 1 Cor 15:4 he was raised on the third day Jas 4:10 he will lift you up RICH: Eph 1:7 according to the riches of his grace Eph 2:4 being rich in mercy James 2:5 rich in faith ROCK (see STONE) ROOT: Mk 4:17 they have no root in themselves RUN Phil 2:16 I did not run in vain (metaphor) Heb 12:1 let us run with endurance (metaphor) SALT: Mt 5:13 You are the salt of the earth. (metaphor) Col 4:5 Let your conversation be ... seasoned with salt (metaphor) SEE Lk 2:26 he would not see death (euphemism) SHARP: Heb 4:12 for the word of God is ... sharper than any double-edged sword (metaphor) SLEEP: 1 Cor 11:30 a number of you have fallen asleep (euphemism) (also 1 Thess. 4:16) SON(S) OF: Lk 20:34 the sons of this age Mk 3:17 sons of thunder Jn 17:12 the son of perdition 1 Thess 5:5 you are sons of the light 1 Thess 5:5 you are sons ... of the day SOUL/MIND (PSUXH): Mk 14:34 my soul is deeply distressed unto death Lk 2:25 And a sword will pierce your own soul too (metaphor) Lk 21:19 you will gain your souls Acts 2:41 3,000 souls (synecdoche) Phil 2:2 together-souled (metaphor) Jas 1:8 double-souled (metaphor) (also Jas 4:8) SPIRIT: Mt 5:3 the poor in spirit (metaphor) STAND: HOUSE: Mk 3:25 if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand (metaphor) STONE: 1 Pet 2:7 the stone that the builders rejected (metaphor) STUMBLE: Jude 24 to him who is able to keep you from stumbling (metaphor) SWORD: Mk 10:34 I have not come to bring peace, but a sword (metonymy) TASTE: Mk 9:1 will not taste death (euphemism) TEETH: Acts 7:54 ground their teeth at him THROAT: Rom 3:13 their throat is an open grave (metaphor) TONGUE: Lk 1:64 his tongue was loosed (metaphor) (also Mk 7:35) Jas 1:26 not bridling his tongue (metaphor) Jas 3:8 tame the tongue (metaphor) 1 Jn 3:18 let us not love ... with tongue (metaphor) THIRST: Mt 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (metaphor) TOUCH: 1 Cor 7:1 It is good for a man not to touch a woman. (euphemism) TREE: Lk 23:31 For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry? WALK: Gal. 5:16 Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh 1 Jn 1:7 walk in the light Eph 5:2 walk in love 2 Jn 4 walk in the truth WATER: Jn 3:5 born of water WINE: Rev 14:10 drink of the wine of the wrath of God YEAST (see LEAVEN) NOTE: Typical of many languages, NT Greek often uses names of body parts in figures of speech. See the books by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, Metaphors We Live By; and Mark Johnson, The Body in the Mind: The Bodily Basis of Meaning, Imagination, and Reason.